Function keys on a MacBook: F1 to F12 versus brightness and volume
The top row of a MacBook does two jobs. Out of the box, each key does what its icon shows, such as brightness, Mission Control or volume, and you hold fn (the Globe key) to send F1 to F12. To swap that, open System Settings, choose Keyboard, click Keyboard Shortcuts, choose Function Keys, and turn on “Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys”. After that the keys send F1 to F12, and you hold fn when you want brightness or volume.
Which way round suits you depends on what you press more. Below: what each key does, how to switch, who should, and the F11 shortcut that quietly gets in the way.
What the top row does by default
The icons have moved around over the years, so check the ones printed on your own keys. On most recent Apple silicon MacBooks, the row runs like this:
| Key | Printed job | With fn held |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Brightness down | F1 |
| F2 | Brightness up | F2 |
| F3 | Mission Control | F3 |
| F4 | Spotlight | F4 |
| F5 | Dictation | F5 |
| F6 | Do Not Disturb | F6 |
| F7 | Previous track | F7 |
| F8 | Play or pause | F8 |
| F9 | Next track | F9 |
| F10 | Mute | F10 |
| F11 | Volume down | F11 |
| F12 | Volume up | F12 |
Intel MacBook Air models have Launchpad on F4 and keyboard brightness on F5 and F6. The rest of the row is the same idea: brightness on the left, media in the middle, volume on the right.
The fn key is the one in the bottom-left corner, marked fn, a globe, or both. What the fn and Globe key does on a Mac covers its other jobs.
Make F1 to F12 the default
- Open System Settings and choose Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Click Keyboard Shortcuts.
- Choose Function Keys in the list on the left.
- Turn on “Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys”.
- Click Done.
The note under the switch says what changes: with it on, you hold fn (or Globe) to use the special features printed on each key. So fn-F12 turns the volume up, and F12 on its own sends F12.
The setting covers Apple keyboards, including a Magic Keyboard. Many keyboards from other makers handle fn inside the keyboard and have their own fn lock, so if the setting seems to do nothing on one, check the maker’s instructions.
Who should switch, and who should not
Switch if you press F-keys more often than you change the volume. That usually means:
- Developers. VS Code uses F5 to start debugging, F10 to step over, F11 to step into and F12 to go to a definition. Pressing fn with each of those during a debugging session gets old quickly.
- People working in a Windows app or a remote Windows desktop, where F2, F4 and F5 do everyday jobs.
- Games and audio or video apps that put their main controls on the F-keys.
Leave it alone if you mostly use the top row for brightness, volume and music. You lose nothing: every F-key is still there with fn.
There is a middle way. Keep the default, and when you need F-keys for an afternoon of debugging, flip the switch, then flip it back when you are done.
The F11 trap: Show Desktop
macOS gives F11 a job of its own. In System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Mission Control, Show Desktop is set to F11. macOS takes that key before the app in front sees it, so pressing F11, or fn-F11 with the default setting, pushes every window aside instead of doing what your app expects. In VS Code, that means Step Into shows you the desktop.
To fix it, open that Mission Control list and either turn off Show Desktop or double-click its shortcut and press a different one. Then F11 reaches your app.
While you are there, glance at the rest of the Mission Control and Keyboard lists for any other F-key you rely on. A shortcut set there wins over the app.
Extras on the top row
A few things the brightness and volume keys can do that are easy to miss:
- Option with a brightness key opens Displays settings.
- Option with a volume key opens Sound settings.
- Option-Shift with a brightness or volume key changes it in smaller steps, for when one step is too much.
If you have turned on standard function keys, add fn to each of these.
Touch Bar MacBook Pros
On a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, the F-keys live on the Touch Bar. Hold fn and F1 to F12 appear there.
To change what the Touch Bar shows, open System Settings > Keyboard and click Touch Bar Settings. Set “Touch Bar shows” to “F1, F2, etc. Keys” to see them all the time.
For one app only, there is a list for that. In Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys, click + and add the app; the Touch Bar then shows function keys instead of app controls whenever that app is in front. That suits a code editor or a game while every other app keeps its usual controls.
Showing F-keys in a tutorial
“Press F5” is an ambiguous instruction to a MacBook owner: they may need fn as well, depending on that setting. When you record a tutorial, show both keys going down.
Typebar puts a keyboard on screen that lights every key you press. Choose the MacBook shape so the board matches your keyboard, and when you press fn-F5 the viewer sees fn and F5 light together. The pill shows the keys as keycaps and names shortcuts with the names they have in the app’s own menus, so when an app lists an F-key command in a menu, that name can appear too.
Typebar also uses fn itself: triple-tap fn to show or hide the overlay, besides its Control-Option-Command-K shortcut. It is $9 once for up to 5 Macs, with a free 24-hour trial.
For the other keys a MacBook folds onto fn, see the keys a MacBook leaves out.
Questions
Why does F11 show the desktop instead of working in my app?
Show Desktop is set to F11 in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Mission Control. Turn it off or give it another key.
Can I have F-keys in some apps and media keys in others?
On a Touch Bar MacBook Pro, yes: add the apps in Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys. On other MacBooks the setting applies everywhere.
Where are F13 to F19?
Only on keyboards that have them, such as the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. A MacBook’s row stops at F12.