The English term ‘Return’ refers to a carriage return (on a typewriter, it means to move the carriage back when you’ve reached the edge of the paper).
The French translation of “carriage return” is “retour chariot”, hence the ‘Retour’ key on French keyboards.
In Apple terminology, the Enter key is a completely separate key on the number pad with a different function and has no equivalent on iOS’ on-screen keyboard.
Therefore, the ‘Retour’ translation is appropriate for Apple’s software ecosystem.
But as far as I know there has never been a key called "Retour" on French keyboards. Both Return and Enter are called "Entrée" in French by everyone I know, maybe because Apple's keyboards don't have any text on them, while PC keyboards do have "Entrée" written at this location[0].
Retour is only ever used to mean "Back", and Back is also translated as "Retour" on iOS. Which means in some cases (like in the Mail app) you have two different "Retour" buttons, one that inserts a newline while the other one cancels what you're doing.
I'm certainly not the only person to have a problem with it because I'm the one having to explain why the keyboard says "retour" to iPhone users, even though I mostly use Android phones.
> Both Return and Enter are called "Entrée" in French by everyone I know
Most likely because everyone you know has learnt learnt that PCs. On PCs, they're the same button. In Apple's ecosystem, they're completely different buttons that do entirely different things.
> But as far as I know there has never been a key called "Retour" on French keyboards
On Apple keyboards, it has always been referred to in the operating system and documentation as the "touche Retour". Though you're right, there isn't a symbol on the keyboard in Europe in order to sell the same model for the whole region.
> Back is also translated as "Retour" on iOS. Which means in some cases (like in the Mail app) you have two different "Retour" buttons, one that inserts a newline while the other one cancels what you're doing.
The latter is actually a UI error in most cases. Apple's HIG demands that "< Back" buttons actually have a label to say what you're going back to.
But yeah, they have a hard time following their own advice.
> I'm the one having to explain why the keyboard says "retour" to iPhone users
Now you can explain: it's just Apple terminology dating back to the 1980s. :-)
The English term ‘Return’ refers to a carriage return (on a typewriter, it means to move the carriage back when you’ve reached the edge of the paper).
The French translation of “carriage return” is “retour chariot”, hence the ‘Retour’ key on French keyboards.
In Apple terminology, the Enter key is a completely separate key on the number pad with a different function and has no equivalent on iOS’ on-screen keyboard.
Therefore, the ‘Retour’ translation is appropriate for Apple’s software ecosystem.