Mac OS X: Portables - Using Function keys with Exposé, applications, games

The function keys of some portable computers, such as F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, and F12, also serve as volume and brightness control buttons, which may present issues when you want to use the same key with an application, game, or Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's Exposé feature.
To use a function key as a function key instead of a volume or brightness control, hold the Function (fn) key while pressing the key (for example, Function-F1).

Tip: Mac OS X 10.3.3 or later includes a setting in Keyboard & Mouse preferences to change this behavior if desired, for portable computers. To use a function key for custom actions without having to hold the Function (fn) key, open Keyboard & Mouse preferences and enable "Use the F1-F12 keys for custom actions". If this option is enabled, you must hold the Fn key and a function key to perform actions such as changing the screen brightness (Fn-F1 or Fn-F2 instead of F1 or F2) or ejecting the optical drive tray (Fn-F12 instead of just F12).

Alternatively, if your application allows, you may be able to "reassign" the software function to be associated with a different key. For Mac OS X 10.3, the Exposé preference allows you to assign Exposé functions to different function keys or some other keys (such as Right Control or Shift-F12), or to a mouse button if you have a third-party mouse which has multiple buttons.


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Published Date: Oct 10, 2016