Call up hitting the F5 key to refresh on your Windows 95 computer? It was almost obsessive. Dorsum in the mean solar day, the F1–F12 keys had just ane function each, but modern keyboards oftentimes include actress functions that you admission with an Fn key (also chosen the Role cardinal).

How are Fn Keys Helpful?

The Fn key turns the F1–F12 keys into dual-purpose keys. Essentially, it works as a default hotkey, but at that place's a slight difference. The combinations differ among manufacturers and models. You'll mostly observe them on laptops (where yous can commonly change things like screen brightness), but you'll also discover them on some specialty keyboards (like gaming or productivity-centric boards).

For instance, on a Dell XPS15z, Fn + F5 increases the brightness, while on a Lenovo G560, the same combination will display the wireless device settings.

In addition to F-keys, you can also utilise Fn keys with other keys similar PgUp, Insert, and arrow keys. Using a combination of Fn along with one of these keys comes in handy for doing a wide range of things, including adjusting the screen brightness, turning off the display, or controlling the volume, among many other things.

Even so, sometimes, you find that just pressing an F-key (without the Fn key) triggers a command like increasing the playback volume. In such cases, you'll exist unable to utilize F-keys for standard keyboard shortcuts like hit the F5 fundamental for refreshing.

There's a uncomplicated ready for this. You lot tin tinker with the Fn key settings in several ways, and that's what we'll walk you lot through in this guide.

Disable the Fn Lock

Modern desktop and laptop keyboards have an Fn Lock key (i.e., a cardinal with a lock icon). In nigh cases, you'll observe a lock icon printed on your Esc primal, but it's besides possible that your keyboard has the lock on the Shift fundamental or the Num Lock key.

When you press Fn + Esc (or the cardinal with the lock icon), it toggles the Fn lock.

Once y'all've done this, you won't need to press the Fn key for performing functions similar adjusting the screen effulgence or enabling and disabling WiFi or Bluetooth. Just press the relevant F-key, and that should piece of work. Information technology's similar to how you utilize Caps Lock. You won't demand to agree the Shift key for typing caps when Caps Lock is enabled.

If you're experiencing something similar but want to use your standard F-keys, you'll demand to disable the Fn lock. You tin can disable it the same fashion as you'd enable it. Press the key with the lock icon forth with the Fn key.

Alter Fn Key Settings from Within Windows

You can as well change Fn central settings from inside your operating system. If you ain a Dell laptop that runs Microsoft Windows x or eight, yous tin can change function fundamental settings from Windows Mobility Centre.

Printing Win + X or right-click the Start Menu push on Windows 10 to open up the ability card and select Mobility Middle. Alternatively, you can become to the Control Panel and navigate to Hardware and Audio > Windows Mobility Centre.

Select the drop-down menu under the Function Key Row option under the Customized by Dell Inc. section. Y'all'll run across ii options here: Office key and Multimedia key.

Select Role cardinal if you'd like to utilise the F-keys for standard functions, and Multimedia cardinal if you want to employ F-keys for performing functions that would otherwise require y'all to printing the Fn key.

Similarly, on laptops from other manufacturers, yous might find the option to modify role key options in its system configuration tool. For instance, on Lenovo, you lot can use the Lenovo Keyboard Director or the Samsung Settings app on a Samsung laptop to alter role central beliefs.

Change Fn Key Settings in BIOS

In nigh cases, the previous two methods should help you alter Fn central settings, but on the off chance that they didn't, you can employ the BIOS settings.

Notation that you lot shouldn't mess around with any settings you don't fully sympathize because it can return your figurer unbootable.

Many, though not all, laptops volition permit you to change Fn central settings from the BIOS or UEFI firmware. Yous can enter your BIOS setup with a reboot. Printing F2, F10, or Delete (the keys differ among manufacturers) at the startup when your calculator is however booting. Alternatively, you can utilise the new way of accessing the BIOS on Windows x.

At this point, you'll need to look around a little because UEFI settings are placed under different sections based on the BIOS interface, which differs amid manufacturers.

For case, on my HP laptop, the setting is nether the Organisation Configuration tab. Changing the Activity Keys Mode to Enabled will brand the F-keys function similar normal, i.eastward., yous'll demand to use the Fn key along with an F-cardinal to perform a relevant function.

Fn Primal Makes Life Easy

If an OS upgrade or an accidental change in settings has acquired your Fn cardinal to not work as it should, it tin crusade you momentary annoyance.

However, the Fn key is still one of the most helpful keys on your keyboard. It eliminates a few clicks for plenty of functions and lets you perform them just by pressing a combination of keys.

Fn key is too bachelor on several Apple keyboards. If information technology'due south not working correctly, you can troubleshoot Fn key problems on Mac Bone as well.