What about external keyboards?

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Level 1

7 points

What about external keyboards?

On macOS Ventura on a Macbook Air, the proposed settings only affect the internal keyboard. Using an external USB Mac keyboard, the behavior of the F1, etc keys is unchanged.

Posted on Dec 9, 2022 7:18 AM

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Answer 1

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,094 points

Dec 9, 2022 10:05 AM in response to tl927

tl927 wrote: However, on the external USB Mac keyboard, the same keys continue to have the system-defined behavior (F4, for instance, still brings the Spotlight search window). I still need to press Fn+F4 to get the "F4 function key".

Item 3 at

Use keyboard function keys on Mac - Apple Support

says you may be able to select “Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys on external keyboards” (depending on your Mac model).

I gather you don't have that option?

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Answer 2

van-adam

Level 1

8 points

Dec 11, 2022 11:56 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Dear Tom and tl927,

I do not have that opinion since it's just not there for me either. Only for the native keyboard the last checkbox works.

I have an external keyboard connected via Bluetooth and it hits the special features, as Brightness +/- and such, without pressing Fn key. When I select the last checkbox below it does the exact same thing. Hence, I conclude the setting for external keyboards is missing.

Mac OS: 12.6.1

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Answer 3

tl927 Author

Level 1

7 points

Dec 9, 2022 9:31 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

The article describes the systems settings “Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys”. When set, the top-row keys of the integrated Macbook keyboard do act as F1, F2, etc. So, the settings are correctly applied on the integrated keyboard.

However, on the external USB Mac keyboard, the same keys continue to have the system-defined behavior (F4, for instance, still brings the Spotlight search window). I still need to press Fn+F4 to get the "F4 function key". I would expect that, just like the integrated keyboard, the F4 key of the external USB keyboard would behave as the "F4 function key" (and Fn+F4 would bring the Spotlight window).

At the office, I use a dock with a large screen, keyboard and mouse and I keep the MacBook lid closed. I would expect the same typing experience as with the laptop on the road.

Thanks for taking the time to read my question.

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Answer 4

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,094 points

Dec 9, 2022 8:31 AM in response to tl927

What is your question? What is it you want your external keyboard to do that it is not doing?

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What about external keyboards?

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