Function keys with external keyboard

Question

When using an external keyboard, how can use a function key as a function key (e.g. F10) instead of Mac custom control button (e.g. mute)? The built-in keyboard contains an fn button, but I cannot find it in the external one.

Solution 1

The only way is to disable system-wide (that includes the notebook's keyboard) the custom control keys, and tell OS X that you just want to use it as normal F1-F12/F16 keys.

Go to System Preferences > Keyboard. Check the box that says "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys"

If you are using a Mac keyboard, there should be a Fn key. On the latest Mac wired slim aluminium keyboard, it is around the home, page up, page down area. On the wireless slim keyboard, it is to the bottom left.

Solution 2

Silly me. The fn button is below F13.

Solution 3

You can do that with Karabiner-Elements:

It allows you to configure the Fn keys per device. In this case, I set it to use the default keys when on the external keyboard:

Solution 4

If you're using an external keyboard for a mac, check the external keyboard for a f-key lock button. On my logitech it is on the escape key.

(I just spent half an hour figuring it out!)

Solution 5

Interestingly for me Scroll lock (F14) worked as brightness down and Pause Break (F15) as brightness up on a USB PC keyboard.

View more solutions

Comments

[Josh Hunt]

When taking a screenshot of a single window in OS X, pressing command shift 4 space will allow you to capture the single window with it's drop shadow, without any other apps in the background.

[alex]

@joshhunt nice screenshot :)

[chrismarx]

I am happy to report that you can safely enable this on the new 2016 macbook pros, and it works just fine for an external keyboard and leaves the touchbar intact!

[choise]

Thanks, that totally worked for me using a windows keyboard on the mac. Not only i now can use the function keys for media controls as default osx does, but i also remapped all special keys like CTRL/ALT/WINDOWS key to match the layout of a mac keyboard. Great! Note: If you also use a "windows" mouse and need different scrolling directions for the mouse and your trackpad, check out "Scroll Reverser"

[Rajesh Sinha]

Welcome to Superuser, your answer doesn't sound like a good answer, you have not shown enough concern to compose it properly. Just refer this link, superuser.com/help/how-to-answer.

[Guillermo Garcia]

I use Spark and it helped me to remap some shortcuts in my Windows PC Keyboard to control some basic functions like the volume commands. A Con, the app was not maintained in a long period of time. Latest version 3.1b2 (470) can be found at shadowlab.org

[Peter Bruins]

On my mac it doesn't show the option "Use all F1, F2, ect. keys as standard...."

[Harold L. Brown]

Unfortunately, this does not work on a Cherry KC 6000 Slim for Mac.