The keyboard is essential for using laptops and desktops. Use the correct steps based on your notebook type to enable or disable this functionality. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. Press the up-arrow or down-arrow keys to navigate to the Action Keys Mode option, and then press the Enter key to display the Enable / Disable menu. Whenever you are starting your laptop you may have noticed a quick screen that shows you the logo for your laptop company. Enable or disable fn (function) or action keys mode Is there anyway through simple programming or software, to assign master volume controls without using the fn key? Not all keyboards have a function lock key, so this method won't work for everyone. If you don't have a UEFI settings option, search for your computer model to figure out which key you need to use to enter the BIOS. If you're using a Mac, click the Apple menu, select System Preferences, and then click Keyboard. % of people told us that this article helped them. That depends on what you mean. Note: Every laptop manufacturer offers its own UEFI depending on the laptop model and you may need to search and locate the function key shortcut somewhere in the settings. Tech should make life easier, not harder. You can save important information, adjust system settings, browse the internet easily with the help of a keyboard. If you are just talking about the normal functions of the F1-F12 keys then it isn’t necessary to press Fn. This article has been viewed 200,033 times. It's at the top-left corner of … You can help protect yourself from scammers by verifying that the contact is a Microsoft Agent or Microsoft Employee and that the phone number is an official Microsoft global customer service number. I use Dell Inspiron 14 3000 Series in this tutorial It was very hard to press the f10,f11 keys by pressing the fn key every time while debugging. Check the box next to "Use F1, F2, etc keys as standard function keys," and then close the window. This works for only Windows Laptop. Make sure you don’t change anything else in there or you may ending up with a laptop that will fail to boot. This is probably the easiest method to use function keys without pressing the Fn key however this method would only work if you have a Windows laptop with the Fn lock key on the keyboard which is hard to find on laptops these days. If so, press Fn+Esc to toggle your F keys between working as F keys or working as media keys. Press F10 once changed to save and exit the BIOS. I’ve found a website for you that should describe it simple and easy since my description probably would be confusing. If you want to use the Fn key combinations then the setting in BIOS needs to be changed to ”Function Key First”. To use the standard function keys, you can always hold the fn key when pressing a function key, but if you want to change the top row of keys to work as standard function keys without … Can you please give me the solution how can I be able to access directly the function keys without pressing fn key. Once you find the Fn lock key on your laptop press the Fn Key + Function Lock key simultaneously to enable or disable the standard F1, F2, …F12 keys. Step 3: Click on Restart Now button and your laptop will take you to the UEFI settings. How to use Function Keys without pressing Fn key on Windows 10, How to check Apple M1 optimized apps on your Mac device, How to install apps using the Windows 10 Package Manager on your PC, How to add Clocks from different time zones in Windows 10, How to disable User Account Control (UAC) on Windows 10, How to set your printer as the default in Windows 10, How to make your Windows 10 PC boot faster. But I’m assuming that you want to use the F keys as standard function keys. Step 1: Bring up Windows Settings by searching it in the search bar or directly opening it from the Start Menu. To enter your BIOS Settings you have to make sure that you press F2 or F10 before that logo goes away. There are many ways to do it - I am assuming you are using Windows 10. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. mine does not require me to hit function The default behavior is to need to hit Fn to hit the F# keys on many newer laptops, since very few people use them but they do use the volume/brightness controls much more frequently. Your laptop needs to boot into the BIOS mode or UEFI settings which can be accessed before starting Windows. It works for all Laptop manufacturers like Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Acer, Samsung, Toshiba and others. These function keys come in handy sometimes however most of the Windows 10 systems also come with a specific Fn key that gives access to the normal Function Keys like F1 and F2 and disables these features. This wikiHow teaches you to change how the Fn key on your PC or Mac's keyboard works with the function (Fx) keys on the keyboard. This means if you're using an app or game that asks you to press F12, you have to hold down Fn at the same time as F12 to enter the right command instead of raising the volume (or whatever F12's hotkey task is). Not all keyboards have an Fn key lock. Problem is, I listen to music or watch youtube or whatever, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to control the master volume on the keyboard without using two hands. The default setting in BIOS is set to “Multimedia Key First”. On this laptop you press fn+f11/f12 and that requires a huge hand if not two. Click the Apple menu and select “System Preferences” to open it, click the “Keyboard” icon, and then click the “Use all F1, F2, etc. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. On many modern keyboards (especially on laptops), the F1 – F12 keys at the top of the keyboard now act like hotkeys by default. Enabling / Disabling Fn Key through BIOS Settings Figure 1.2. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Tips. Before we dig more into this topic, keep in mind that F1 to F12 (Functions Keys) are fully customizable.Application Developers can customize the Function Keys and can call a specific action to run when the user presses a specific Function Key within that particular application. These methods will make sure you don’t have to press the Fn key + Function Key to perform a particular function. Mac keyboards now make the F1 – F12 keys act like special hotkeys by default. To go to BIOS you need to tap F2 key while restarting the system. Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Function keys allow you to do play around with a lot of stuff, you can change your brightness levels, you can adjust the volume, you can change your fan profiles and In addition to this, you can also put your laptop to sleep. … ... it is not necessary to press the Fn key to use the F1 to F12 function keys when starting your computer (ie, coldbooting) or when using the BIOS. 5 Kudos Hence, in this guide, we are going to show you How to use Function Keys without pressing the Fn key on Windows 10. There are two main methods through which you can Enable Function keys. This is purely subject to the make of a keyboard and is not something to do with drivers or a Windows 10 feature. What if you don’t want to press double keys (Fn key along with F1, F2, F3, etc) to work with the actual Function keys? I did this on an HP Envy 17. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If that doesn't work, include the Shift key in with that combination and see if that helps. Function Keys Windows 10. That’s all. Step 4: Click on Troubleshoot to continue with the process. For those who can’t enter your laptop’s BIOS or UEFI, you can do it from the Windows settings. That should reverse the use of Fn. And that was all, now you can use the function keys, without pressing the Fn key. Select the desired mode: Disabled : Requires pressing and holding the function key (fn) while pressing one of the f1 through f12 keys to use the action indicated on the action key. Many notebooks feature a setting that allows you to use the action keys functionality without pressing the fn key each time. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Your Laptop either comes with a software that allows you to disable the function key features else you have to disable it from your BIOS or UEFI settings. If you decide you want to use one of the special functions printed on the F1 – F12 keys, just hold down the. 1) … So these were the two methods to disable Fn key or using the Function keys without pressing the Fn key. Step 2: In the Settings menu, click on Update and Security and head to the recovery section. In the 15R laptop, you don’t have to use the Fn key in combination to other keys. We've got the tips you need! Once you enter the BIOS or UEFI settings, locate to the function keys option in the system configuration or advanced settings, once you find it, enable or disable the function keys as desired. menu. Multimedia Key – Enable Action Keys mode. But now, I cannot press "Insert" key (which shares the F12 key) without pressing the "fn" key. Dell inserts this option into the Windows Mobility Center, and some other PC manufacturers may also do this. Discussion Function keys with or without Fn holding. Take a look at your Esc key -- do you see Fn Lock or an icon of that sort on there? Once you find the Fn lock key on your laptop press the Fn Key + Function Lock key simultaneously to enable or disable the standard F1, F2, …F12 keys. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Think-branded products: Press Fn + Esc to enable Fn Lock and disable the hotkey functionality. First, make sure you locate the Fn lock key on your keyboard, and once you find it all you need to do is simultaneously press the Fn key along the standard F1, F2 key that you wish to use. If neither of these work for you, boot into the BIOS, enter the Configuration tab, and disable "Hotkey Mode" or "Action Keys." Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. However, the process to do that is kind of complicated and not as easy as you may think. Changing Function Key Behavior on a Mac Click the Apple menu. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Use Win+A or click on the notifications icon on the bottom right of your screen - you will get the option to change brightness. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/9f\/Disable-the-Function-Key-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Disable-the-Function-Key-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/9f\/Disable-the-Function-Key-Step-1.jpg\/aid10750894-v4-728px-Disable-the-Function-Key-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":346,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":547,"licensing":"