The fn key is also sometimes used in keyboard shortcuts. The FN key is necessary to access the alternate function row key options, depending on how your Mac keyboard is configured. It is labeled with ‘fn’ and a globe icon on the newest Macs, or simply ‘fn’ on slightly older machines. The FN key is in the lower left corner on modern Mac keyboards with a US layout. Similarly, if you’re using a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, press and hold the Fn key to see the F1 through F12 keys and then tap the screen to use them. Some users on older Macs in particular prefer this, as we covered previously some time ago. If you make this change, you’ll need to press down the “FN” key on the keyboard and then press the F1, F2, F3, etc keys to perform the action that is on the keys icon (for example, changing brightness, or muting system volume). keys as standard function keys” to make the change. Click “Keyboard” from system preferences.Open System Preferences from the  Apple menu.This basically inverts their function away from defaulting to things like brightness and audio controls to standard F keys. You can change the default behavior of the function keys on Mac too, however. If you’re using a non-Apple keyboard that doesn’t have an Fn key, try pressing and holding the Control key instead. To use the Fx keys as standard function keys, press and hold the Fn button and then press the required function key. Pressing a function key will invoke its secondary function by default. F6 – Increase keyboard brightness (On compatible notebooks only).F5 – Decrease keyboard brightness (On compatible notebooks only).These are the primary defaults of what function keys do on an Apple keyboard when connected to a Mac:

Of course some much older Macs may have different functions assigned to the F keys too, so we’re assuming you’re on modern hardware. They should all be present and correct if you’re using an Apple keyboard on almost any modern Mac, except for any Mac with a Touch Bar anyway which uses a little screen instead of the F keys. Additionally, standard function keys can be used within different apps in different ways, so be sure to check the keyboard shortcut options for your favorite apps to see if there are any that you should be making use of.īelow is a list of the functions available for all of the Mac function keys. And with 12 keys to choose from, they can do quite a bit. Glancing at the F keys on a Mac keyboard, you’ll see an icon if you look above the function key number, and that icon shows what else the key can do.

Ctrl f5 mac