F Buttons On Mac
Function Keys in Catalina. To change the settings corresponding to your Function keys, go to System Preferences Keyboard Keyboard. At the bottom is an option to “Use F1, F2, etc as standard. The function keys of some portable computers, such as F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, and F12, also serve as volume and brightness control buttons, which may present issues when you want to use the same. On a Mac, you need to hold down the Fn button on your keyboard to make the function keys on the top function as actual function keys or they will just not do their desired task. However, the macOS does provide you with an option that lets you use the function keys without holding down the Fn button on the keyboard.
On most Mac keyboards, the function keys—you know, those keys along the top of the keyboard marked “F1,” “F2,” “F3,” and so on—don’t get the luxury of having an entire key to themselves.
F Buttons On Mac
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Indeed, the function keys often have to share their keys with volume controls, screen brightness buttons, and various media playback controls—and in most cases, you’ll have to press and hold the “Fn” key to make a function key actually work like a function key.
By tweaking a single setting, you can switch things around so you don’t need to press and hold “fn” to use a function key.
F Buttons On Mac
Want to switch things around so you don’t need to press and hold “fn” to use a function key? No problem.
Here’s what you do:
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, then select System Preferences.
- Click the Keyboard icon, then check the box marked “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.”
- Close the window to save your changes.
Now, you can tap a function key without pressing and holding the “Fn” key first.
Keep in mind, though, that you’ll now have to press and hold “Fn” to change the speaker volume on your Mac, brighten or dim the screen, or use any of the other controls that share space with the function keys.