top of page
Search
browcarlieschool19

Function Keys For Mac: How They Work and How to Make Them Work for You



2. If you don't see this setting, you might be using a keyboard not made by Apple, and you might need a third-party keyboard utility to change the keyboard functions. Check with your keyboard manufacturer for more information.


To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys and then press the last key of the shortcut. For example, to use Command-C (copy), press and hold the Command key, then the C key, then release both keys. Mac menus and keyboards often use symbols for certain keys, including modifier keys:




Function Keys For Mac



On keyboards made for Windows PCs, use the Alt key instead of Option, and the Windows logo key instead of Command.Some keys on some Apple keyboards have special symbols and functions, such as for display brightness , keyboard brightness , and more. If these functions aren't available on your keyboard, you might be able to reproduce some of them by creating your own keyboard shortcuts. To use these keys as F1, F2, F3, or other standard function keys, combine them with the Fn key.


You can change the default behavior of the function keys on Mac too, however. This basically inverts their function away from defaulting to things like brightness and audio controls to standard F keys.


In Office 2013 and Office 2010, most of the old Alt key menu shortcuts still work, too. However, you need to know the full shortcut. For example, press Alt, and then press one of the old menu keys, for example, E (Edit), V (View), I (Insert), and so on. A notification pops up saying you're using an access key from an earlier version of Microsoft 365. If you know the entire key sequence, go ahead, and use it. If you don't know the sequence, press Esc and use Key Tips instead.


Edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contents. Or, if editing is turned off for the cell, move the insertion point into the formula bar. If editing a formula, toggle Point mode off or on so you can use the arrow keys to create a reference.


F2 alone: edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contents. Or, if editing is turned off for the cell, move the insertion point into the formula bar. If editing a formula, toggle Point mode off or on so you can use the arrow keys to create a reference.


Left or Right arrow key selects the tab to the left or right when the ribbon is selected. When a submenu is open or selected, these arrow keys switch between the main menu and the submenu. When a ribbon tab is selected, these keys navigate the tab buttons.


Excel for Mac uses the function keys for common commands, including Copy and Paste. For quick access to these shortcuts, you can change your Apple system preferences, so you don't have to press the Fn key every time you use a function key shortcut.


If a function key doesn't work as you expect it to, press the Fn key in addition to the function key. If you don't want to press the Fn key each time, you can change your Apple system preferences. For instructions, go to Change function key preferences with the mouse.


To find any command quickly, press Alt+Windows logo key, Q to jump to the Search or Tell Me text field. In Search or Tell Me, type a word or the name of a command you want (available only in Editing mode). Search or Tell Me searches for related options and provides a list. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select a command, and then press Enter.


Lots of apps, however, change Mac function key behavior to enhance their own shortcuts. You can even customize the function keys yourself if you need to tailor the keyboard to your specific workflow.


F keys are not considered to be modifier keys because they are functional on their own. By default, they dim the screen (F1), play the next track (F9), etc. Even when F keys are combined with the fn key, they can do something assigned to them individually.


As you can see, benefitting from the expanded world of F keys and modifiers is extremely easy. You just need to learn shortcuts. To save time, you can try Keysmith and BetterTouchTool, the apps that make custom shortcuts for your Mac. Both of them are absolutely free for 7 days through the trial of Setapp, a platform with more than 240 premium Mac and iOS tools to solve any problem. For example, keeping track of tasks with 2Do or mounting external drives as local ones with CloudMounter. Upgrading your Mac experience has never been this easy!


When you press one of the function keys in an Adobe application on Mac OS, the application does not perform the expected action. (The function keys are the keys at the top of your keyboard, labeled F1, F2, and so on.)


To make Mac OS interpret F1, F2, and so on, as function keys, hold down the Fn key when you press a function key. For example, in an Adobe application that uses F1 as a keyboard shortcut, hold down Fn and press F1.


You can also make Mac OS interpret F1, F2, and so on, as function keys by default. (If you do so, then you can still perform those keys' OS-level commands by holding the Fn key when you press them.) Do the following:


This issue occurs when some of the function keys on your system are assigned to OS-level commands. For example, some keys adjust the screen brightness, control media playback, or activate Dashboard, Exposé, or Spaces.


On some keyboards, certain function keys are labeled to denote that, by default, these keys perform OS-level commands. Keyboards with these labels (icons) include the aluminum Apple Keyboard and the keyboards on some laptop Macintosh computers.


Function keys have existed for almost as long as we have used keyboards to control computers. Typically, they are configured on an app-by-app basis to execute or modify commands with that application. On Mac, physical function keys double up as keyboard shortcuts for things like controlling brightness, invoking Mission Control or Spotlight, starting dictation, or controlling volume.


Why is this the first thing you should do? Because keeping your Mac up to date is good practice, as the problem with the function keys may be caused by a bug that has been fixed in the latest macOS version.


Do you have a MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016 and later) or a MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports and later)? If so, your physical function keys are replaced by the Touch Bar, which changes automatically based on the apps you're using.


Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard > Modifier Keys. Choose a function key and use the pop-up menu to designate an action for it. If you ever want to change the function keys back to what they were originally, select Restore Defaults.


If you want to create a new keyboard shortcut, navigate down to App Shortcuts, click the plus, select the application you want (or select All Applications), and type the menu title of your shortcut along with the keys you want to use. Then click Add. Take note, in order for the shortcut to work you will need to type in the exact syntax of the menu title; that includes capitalization, spaces, and punctuation. To change an existing shortcut you can select the one you want to change, click on the key combination, and then type the new keys you want to use.(new Image()).src = ' =38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () cnxps( playerId: "38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20" ).render("6ea159e3e44940909b49c98e320201e2"); );


Remap a function key to take a screenshot instead of revealing active apps in Mission Control. Or change a key that normally opens Launchpad to instead bring up the emoji viewer, or a menu bar calendar of your choice.


Once it does, you can click into the text box containing the function key, shortcut, or none text to the right of the action name, and hit the F-key you want to program the action onto.


Some actions need to be added into your Shortcuts tab before you can assign them to a function key. This can include actions for specific apps, as well as actions that can apply to your entire computer.


Keyboard Maestro and Karbiner-Elements both let you assign actions to function keys like you can in System Preferences, but they also let you design macros which you can assign to function keys as well.


macOS VenturaChoose Apple menu > System Settings.Click Keyboard in the sidebar.Click the Keyboard Shortcuts button on the right.Click Function Keys in the sidebar.Turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys".


If you want to master Excel keyboard shortcuts on a Mac, you need to take a moment to understand how the Mac keyboard is arranged, and how it can be configured through system preferences. This is especially important with Excel, which uses a number of function keys for shortcuts.


(2) as standard function keys. In this case, the action performed will vary depending on (a) the application you are currently using or (b) the keyboard shortcuts listed in the Keyboard & Mouse pane of System Preferences.


The default behavior of Mac function keys is to perform the action indicated by the icon printed on the key. For example, the function key F10 has a small picture of a speaker, and pressing this key mutes and un-mutes the system volume.


If you want to instead use F1 - F12 as standard function keys, hold the Fn key while pressing the function key. For example, Fn-F10 will perform the action assigned to the F10 key instead of toggling mute on or off.


You can change the keyboard shortcuts that are assigned to function keys in the Keyboard Shortcuts pane. For example, you could un-assign F9 from Mission Control so that F9 can be available in other applications. 2ff7e9595c


0 views

Recent Posts

See All

Commentaires


bottom of page