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How to use the function keys on Mac

Hold fn or Globe for one press, or switch the top row to standard F1 to F12 for good. Exact settings for current macOS, Monterey, Touch Bar Macs and PC keyboards.

Updated 7 min readBy the Leo Commander team

To use the function keys on a Mac, hold the Fn or Globe key and press F1, F2 and so on. To make the top row act as standard function keys all the time, open System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys and turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys".

How function keys on Mac work with fn and Globe

By default, the top row of an Apple keyboard controls Mac features, not F-keys. The symbols vary by keyboard. On the keyboard Apple uses as its example, the row covers display brightness, Mission Control, Spotlight and Dictation, plus media playback and volume. Press F3 alone and Mission Control opens. Press Fn-F3 and the Mac runs whatever action is assigned to F3 in the app in front.

On some Mac models and on Magic Keyboards, the Fn key carries a Globe symbol. For F-keys, the Globe key does the same job as Fn. If a keyboard has no Fn key at all, Apple suggests holding Control while you press the function key.

The key also has shortcuts of its own. A few from Apple's list of Mac keyboard shortcuts (the modifiers in this article are Command ⌘, Option ⌥, Shift ⇧ and Control ⌃):

  • Fn-A shows or hides the Dock, and Fn-C opens Control Center.
  • Fn-N shows Notification Center. Fn-Q creates a Quick Note.
  • Fn-D starts or stops dictation.
  • Fn-E opens the Character Viewer for emoji and symbols.
  • Fn-H shows the desktop, the same as Fn-F11.
  • Fn-⇧A shows Apps on macOS Tahoe 26 or later, or Launchpad on earlier versions.

A single press of the key is a setting you choose. In System Settings > Keyboard, the "Press fn key to" menu (shown with the Globe symbol on Globe keyboards) offers Change Input Source, Show Emoji & Symbols, Start Dictation (press the key twice) or Do Nothing.

How to use F1, F2 as standard function keys on Mac

If you press F-keys more often than you change the brightness, flip the default so you never need Fn. The steps depend on your macOS version, as Apple's function keys article explains.

macOS Ventura 13 or later

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
  3. Click the Keyboard Shortcuts button, then click Function Keys in the sidebar.
  4. Turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys".

macOS Monterey 12 and earlier

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
  2. Click Keyboard, then click the Keyboard tab.
  3. Select "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys". On some Mac models the option reads "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys on external keyboards".

No option on the screen? Apple says you may be using a keyboard not made by Apple, which can need a utility from the keyboard's manufacturer.

Function keys on a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

A Touch Bar has no physical F-keys. Hold Fn and F1 through F12 appear in the Touch Bar. To show the F-keys automatically in specific apps, follow Apple's Touch Bar function keys steps:

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings (System Preferences on macOS 12), then click Keyboard.
  2. On macOS Ventura or later, click Keyboard Shortcuts, then select Function Keys on the left. On Monterey or earlier, click Shortcuts at the top of the window, then select Function Keys.
  3. Click the add button (+) and choose an app. From then on, the F-keys appear in the Touch Bar whenever that app is in use.

To show F-keys in every app, click Touch Bar Settings in Keyboard settings and set "Touch Bar shows" to F1, F2, etc. Keys. The onscreen Keyboard Viewer is a fallback. Turn on "Show Input menu in menu bar" (on Ventura or later, click Edit next to Input Sources in Keyboard settings), choose Show Keyboard Viewer from the menu bar, and click the viewer's Fn key to reveal the function keys.

External keyboards: Magic Keyboard and PC keyboards

The current Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad has full-height function keys and an extended layout with document navigation keys. Its top row maps like this: F1 and F2 brightness, F3 Mission Control, F4 Spotlight, F5 Dictation or Siri, F6 Do Not Disturb, F7 to F9 media, F10 mute, F11 and F12 volume. The earlier Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad put Launchpad on F4. To send a standard F-key on either keyboard, hold Fn (or Globe) while you press the key.

A PC keyboard works on a Mac with a different modifier map. Apple's equivalents:

  • Alt acts as Option (⌥).
  • Ctrl or the Windows logo key acts as Command (⌘).
  • Scroll Lock is ⌃F14 on keyboards with an F14 key, and you may need to hold Fn too.

To make a PC layout feel right, open System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Modifier Keys and choose what each modifier does. Restore Defaults puts every key back. If the "Use F1, F2" setting does not appear for a PC keyboard, Apple points you to the keyboard maker's own utility.

macOS shortcuts that already use F-keys

macOS keeps several F-key combinations for itself. All of the shortcuts below come from Apple's Mac keyboard shortcuts page.

ShortcutWhat macOS does
Fn-F11 (plain F11 with standard keys on)Shows the desktop
⌃F2Moves focus to the menu bar
⌃F3Moves focus to the Dock
⌃F4Moves focus to the active window or the next window
⌃F5Moves focus to the window toolbar
⌃F6Moves focus to the floating window
⌃F7Changes whether Tab moves through all controls or only text boxes and lists
⌃F8Moves focus to the status menu in the menu bar
⌥⌘F5Shows the Accessibility Shortcuts panel
Option with a brightness or volume keyOpens Displays or Sound settings

Some of the focus shortcuts must be turned on first in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Keyboard. With the default top row, add Fn: Fn-⌃F2 instead of ⌃F2.

How a conflict can hide an app's F-key

Two things can swallow an F-key before an app ever sees the press. The first is the top row itself. With the default setting, F5 on a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad starts Dictation and F3 opens Mission Control, so the app never receives F5 or F3 unless you hold Fn or switch to standard function keys.

The second is a macOS shortcut on the same keys. If a shortcut already exists for another command, the new one won't work. In System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts, select a category such as Mission Control or Spotlight, and look for the warning icon Apple places next to conflicting keyboard shortcuts. Double-click the shortcut to give it new keys, or deselect its checkbox to switch the macOS shortcut off. Then quit and reopen the app.

F keys not working on Mac? Check in this order

  1. Hold Fn (or Globe) and press the key again. If the key works now, the top row is still set to Mac features; turn on the standard function keys setting above.
  2. On a Touch Bar Mac, hold Fn and watch the Touch Bar, or add the app to the Function Keys list.
  3. Look for a warning icon in Keyboard Shortcuts. A macOS shortcut on the same keys can stop the app's shortcut from working.
  4. Check Modifier Keys. If Control or Option was remapped, a combination such as ⌃F2 changes meaning. Restore Defaults undoes the change.
  5. Check the keyboard. On a keyboard not made by Apple, the "Use F1, F2" option may be missing, so use the manufacturer's utility.
  6. Update the app. Apple notes that some shortcuts are unavailable in some apps and recommends the latest version.
  7. Open the app's own settings. Some apps let you customize shortcuts, and the F-key may be assigned to a different command.
  8. As a stopgap, click the F-key in the onscreen Keyboard Viewer.

Why F-keys matter in a Total Commander style file manager

Total Commander on Windows is driven by function keys. F3 views a file, F4 edits it, F5 copies, F8 deletes, all without touching the mouse. Leo Commander, a Total Commander alternative for Mac, keeps the same F-key bar along the bottom of the window:

KeyLeo Commander action
F3View the file in the built-in viewer (text or hex)
F4Edit the file (TextEdit by default)
F5Copy the selection to the other panel
F6Move the selection to the other panel
F7Make a new folder in the active panel
F8Ask first, then move the items to the Trash
⌥F7 or ⌘FFind Files by name, text or size
Alt+F4 (Alt is Option on a Mac)Exit

With the default top row, every F-key press in the table needs Fn, and on a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad a bare F5 starts Dictation instead of a copy. Turning on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" fixes the whole F-key bar in one step. If a key still clashes with something, Leo Commander Pro adds custom keyboard shortcuts.

Other Mac file managers map F-keys differently. ForkLift uses F5 and F6 for copy and move but previews with Quick Look on ⌘Y rather than a viewer on F3, and in Path Finder F7 compresses while F8 decompresses. The full key-by-key list is in our Total Commander shortcuts on Mac guide, and our guide to cutting and pasting files on Mac covers moving files from the keyboard.

Leo Commander is a free download for macOS 12 or later, and Pro is $10 once, tax included, with free updates for life.

Sources

Checked November 8, 2026. Leo Commander is an independent app, not affiliated with Ghisler Software GmbH or Apple Inc.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I use F1 to F12 on a Mac without pressing Fn?

Open System Settings, click Keyboard, click Keyboard Shortcuts, select Function Keys and turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys". On macOS Monterey and earlier, the same checkbox is in System Preferences > Keyboard, on the Keyboard tab. After the change, the top row sends F1 to F12 to the app in front without Fn.

What is the Globe key on a Mac?

On some Mac models and Magic Keyboards, the Fn key carries a Globe symbol. Hold the Globe key with a top-row key to send a standard F-key. Pressed alone, the key does what you choose under "Press fn key to" in Keyboard settings: change the input source, show emoji and symbols, start dictation, or do nothing. Fn-A, Fn-C and Fn-N show or hide the Dock, Control Center and Notification Center.

Why are my function keys not working on Mac?

Hold Fn or Globe and try the key again. If the key works with Fn, the top row is still set to control Mac features, so turn on the standard function keys setting in Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys. If not, look for a conflicting shortcut marked with a warning icon, check Modifier Keys, update the app, and for a non-Apple keyboard check the manufacturer's utility.

How do I show F1 to F12 on the Touch Bar?

Hold the Fn key and the Touch Bar shows F1 through F12. To show the keys automatically in a specific app, open System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys and add the app with the + button. To show the keys in every app, open Touch Bar Settings in Keyboard settings and set "Touch Bar shows" to F1, F2, etc. Keys.

Can I use a Windows keyboard with F-keys on a Mac?

Yes. On a Windows keyboard, Alt acts as Option and Ctrl or the Windows logo key acts as Command, and Modifier Keys in Keyboard Shortcuts lets you remap modifiers. If the "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" option does not appear, Apple says you may need a utility from the keyboard's manufacturer to change how the top row works.

Which F-keys does macOS use for its own shortcuts?

F11 shows the desktop (Fn-F11 with the default top row). Control-F2 through Control-F8 move keyboard focus to the menu bar, Dock, active window, toolbar, floating window and status menu, with Control-F7 changing how Tab moves focus. Option-Command-F5 opens the Accessibility Shortcuts panel. A warning icon in Keyboard Shortcuts marks any shortcut that conflicts with another.

Which F-keys does Leo Commander use?

Leo Commander follows the Total Commander layout: F3 View, F4 Edit, F5 Copy to the other panel, F6 Move, F7 New folder and F8 Delete, which asks first and then moves items to the Trash. Option-F7 opens Find Files. The F-key bar at the bottom of the window shows the keys. Turn on standard function keys so each press works without Fn.

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