Q: The delete button in Safari is gone.

You can right-click on an item and select 'Remove item.' Hardly ideal, I know, but it seems to be the only way to remove reading list items in Safari 10. I miss the delete button too.

Not that this solves your problem, but holding control and clicking should mimic a right-click.

Best of luck.

Can I ask what type of mouse you are using?

Ok, well unless I'm missing something, you should be able to left click on anything, anywhere is OSX, while holding control and it behaves the same as a right click. I have no idea why that wouldn't work. And for reading list, you just control-click on an item and a dropdown box will give you the option to remove item.

Thank you!!  I don't have a mouse for my Macbook and this worked for me.  Why would they remove the delete button?  That was so much easier when I go to clean up my reading list.  Hope they end up putting it back.  Thanks again!

Thank you -  I've been trying to edit my reading list now that we're without the X button & couldn't figure it out.  Lots for me to learn!

For Macs with a trackpad: Highlight reading list item, click again while pressing Control + Option, and a dropdown menu will appear that includes the option to "Remove Item."  How this is an improvement on the simple X button I can't answer.  ;-)

I made that a little more complicated than it needed to be
For Macs with a trackpad: Click on the reading list item while pressing Control + Option and a dropdown menu will appear that includes the option to "Remove Item."