Step 4: Click on Troubleshoot to continue with the process. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. 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). Take a look at your Esc key -- do you see Fn Lock or an icon of that sort on there? If that doesn't work, include the Shift key in with that combination and see if that helps. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. 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. But now, I cannot press "Insert" key (which shares the F12 key) without pressing the "fn" key. 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 many ways to do it - I am assuming you are using Windows 10. 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. Your laptop needs to boot into the BIOS mode or UEFI settings which can be accessed before starting Windows. If you liked this guide, make sure you share it using the social media buttons. It's at the top-left corner of … Not all keyboards have an Fn key lock. Check the box next to "Use F1, F2, etc keys as standard function keys," and then close the window. 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. Whichever one you choose as the default, holding the Fn key will cause the F keys to perform the opposite function. It works for all Laptop manufacturers like Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Acer, Samsung, Toshiba and others. These methods will make sure you don’t have to press the Fn key + Function Key to perform a particular function. You can also press and hold Fn while moving your finger up and down on the navigation pad to scroll within a document. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. 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. 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. Step 5: Select Advanced Options, choose UEFI Firmware Settings and click on Restart. keys as standard function keys” option. This article has been viewed 200,033 times. This is purely subject to the make of a keyboard and is not something to do with drivers or a Windows 10 feature. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. In the 15R laptop, you don’t have to use the Fn key in combination to other keys. 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? Step 2: In the Settings menu, click on Update and Security and head to the recovery section. Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services. 5 Kudos Is there anyway through simple programming or software, to assign master volume controls without using the fn key? So these were the two methods to disable Fn key or using the Function keys without pressing the Fn key. If you want to use the hotkey functions of the keyboard, such as toggling Wi-Fi on or off or muting the volume, you can still press. Step 1: Bring up Windows Settings by searching it in the search bar or directly opening it from the Start Menu. That depends on what you mean. On keyboards with an Fn key, hold down Fn and press the key to use the alternate commands. Tech should make life easier, not harder. The keyboard is essential for using laptops and desktops. I use Dell Inspiron 14 3000 Series in this tutorial Press F10 once changed to save and exit the BIOS. This article has been viewed 200,033 times. Does anybody know how to change the settings so that neither F1-F11 (I don't really care about F12) nor "Insert" require pressing the "fn" key? ... 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. There are many buttons on a keyboard with different functions, including a multi-purpose set of keys in the “function” row. Step 3: Click on Restart Now button and your laptop will take you to the UEFI settings. 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. By using our site, you agree to our. We've got the tips you need! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Use the correct steps based on your notebook type to enable or disable this functionality. Think-branded products: Press Fn + Esc to enable Fn Lock and disable the hotkey functionality. Enable or disable fn (function) or action keys mode Mac keyboards now make the F1 – F12 keys act like special hotkeys by default. And that was all, now you can use the function keys, without pressing the Fn key. That should reverse the use of Fn. You can toggle this feature back on by returning to these BIOS settings at any time. 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. However, the process to do that is kind of complicated and not as easy as you may think. If you decide you want to use one of the special functions printed on the F1 – F12 keys, just hold down the. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Without waiting further, let’s get started. The Fn key lock is enabled by holding down two keys; the Fn key, and the Fn lock key. This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. How to configure the Function (Fn) keys to not require use of the Fn key in Windows 8.1, Windows 10 How to use the function keys without pressing Fn in Windows 8.1/10 - … ... By the Way on Windows 10 the way to the BIOS is to go into Recovery Mode you can't get there by tapping F2. How to configure the Function (Fn) keys to not require use of the Fn key in Windows 8.1, Windows 10 How to use the function keys without pressing Fn in Windows 8.1/10 - … I’ve found a website for you that should describe it simple and easy since my description probably would be confusing. Use Win+A or click on the notifications icon on the bottom right of your screen - you will get the option to change brightness. How To Use Function Keys Without Pressing Fn Key [Windows 10] There are two methods that you can apply to use the function keys without pressing the Fn key on your Windows laptop. But I’m assuming that you want to use the F keys as standard function keys. Not all keyboards have a function lock key, so this method won't work for everyone. Multimedia Key – Enable Action Keys mode. Tips. Author. 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. On many modern keyboards (especially on laptops), the F1 – F12 keys at the top of the keyboard now act like hotkeys by default. You can restore the original settings at any time by pressing those two keys again. Save and Exit the BIOS menu (press F10 and then Enter). This video show How to Change Function key (Fn key) behavior in Windows 10 Pro. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. There are two main methods through which you can Enable Function keys. Function Keys Windows 10. Discussion Function keys with or without Fn holding. Make sure you don’t change anything else in there or you may ending up with a laptop that will fail to boot. Right after pressing the power button, start tapping F2 and you will reach the BIOS page; Go to "Configurations" tab and toggle the current "Hotkey" mode setting. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Voila! 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. Does not require pressing Fn key to perform the actions printed on the function keys. menu. On other computers it's the opposite—you'll have to use Fn with a function (Fx) key to use the hotkey feature. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Requires pressing Fn key to perform the actions printed on the function keys. You can save important information, adjust system settings, browse the internet easily with the help of a keyboard. 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. Click the Apple menu and select “System Preferences” to open it, click the “Keyboard” icon, and then click the “Use all F1, F2, etc. For example, if you're using a Lenovo ThinkPad, the. 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 … … The shortcut is different for all laptop manufacturers so make sure you check the right key for your laptop. That’s all. I did this on an HP Envy 17. If you are just talking about the normal functions of the F1-F12 keys then it isn’t necessary to press Fn. The Fn lock key is usually the Escape key and it will have a padlock on it (see image below). Now the behavior of the Fn key has been changed. If not, look for a Function Lock key (it may be called FnLock or have a padlock and the letters "Fn") and press that and the Fn key at the same time. 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. % of people told us that this article helped them. This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. To enter your BIOS Settings you have to make sure that you press F2 or F10 before that logo goes away. 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. Well, you can do that and disable the special features that your laptop offers via the function keys and get access to the regular function keys. Whenever you are starting your laptop you may have noticed a quick screen that shows you the logo for your laptop company. 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. If you want to use the Fn key combinations then the setting in BIOS needs to be changed to ”Function Key First”. On this laptop you press fn+f11/f12 and that requires a huge hand if not two. After enabling or disabling Hotkey Mode, use the hotkey as follows: Enabled: Use the hotkey function by pressing a single Fx key. It was very hard to press the f10,f11 keys by pressing the fn key every time while debugging. Dell inserts this option into the Windows Mobility Center, and some other PC manufacturers may also do this. If you are unable to change the way the Fn key works using any of these methods, you may want to purchase a generic keyboard and use that instead. 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. Voila! I am using dell inspiron 5000 series laptop. 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. You can now use the functions keys without pressing the Fn key. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 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. Save and Exit the BIOS/UEFI Setup. To go to BIOS you need to tap F2 key while restarting the system. If so, press Fn+Esc to toggle your F keys between working as F keys or working as media keys. If you're using a PC, try pressing the Num Lock key and the Fn key at the same time to use the Function keys as desired. 1) … The default setting in BIOS is set to “Multimedia Key First”. If you are using a Windows 10 laptop or a Gaming Keyboard you might be aware of the special function keys that you get on the top row that lead to different shortcuts to certain features or functions. 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. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Many notebooks feature a setting that allows you to use the action keys functionality without pressing the fn key each time. This works for only Windows Laptop. Enabling / Disabling Fn Key through BIOS Settings Figure 1.2. 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. 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. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 200,033 times. Your laptop will now take you to the UEFI settings directly and you’ll be able to make changes to the function keys. Repeat the key combination to return to the original Fn key setting. For those who can’t enter your laptop’s BIOS or UEFI, you can do it from the Windows settings. {"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":"