Laptop fn key commands?

montylee · 06-29-2012, 10:24 AM

I've done a search here (and Google) and cannot find out anything about the MacBook Pro fn key combinations. Everything on this forum seems to refer to the Function keys (F1-F12), not the fn key. Is there a place for the fn key combinations? It seems that fn - up moves a page up arrow, and fn - down arrow moves it a page down, but what other options are there? Is there a fn key combination that moves to the very beginning or to the very end? These keys exist on the desktop, so I'm sure there has got to be something for the laptop.

MacBook Pro, Lion 10.7.4

Thanks.

benwiggy · 06-29-2012, 11:22 AM

Here's Apple's list of shortcuts.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343

The purpose of the fn key is to toggle other keys that provide dual functions, either because the necessary keys are not on the short keyboard (e.g. page up, Home, etc); or because Apple uses the F keys for its own functions (brightness, iTunes, etc).

In your example, FN-up provides the missing function of the Page Up key, which isn't on short keyboards. (Interestingly, this isn't mentioned on this Apple page.) Fn-Left mirrors Home and Fn-right mirrors End. But that's pretty much it.

You can of course toggle the Function key behaviour itself in System Preferences, so that using Fn activates the Apple commands, not the standard F-number key command..!

I am not aware that there are necessarily any "different" shortcuts between desktop and laptop: there should be the same functions, which might be accessed by slightly different methods, as some keys will hold two functions.

montylee · 06-29-2012, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	Here's Apple's list of shortcuts. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343 The purpose of the fn key is to toggle other keys that provide dual functions, either because the necessary keys are on the short keyboard (e.g. page up, Home, etc); or because Apple uses the F keys for its own functions (brightness, iTunes, etc). In your example, FN-up provides the missing function of the Page Up key, which isn't on short keyboards. (Interestingly, this isn't mentioned on this Apple page.)

Right, so my question is where is the information on the mapping of the fn keys to get the respective action (page up, page down, home, end, et al)?

benwiggy · 06-29-2012, 11:35 AM

If you can't find it, it probably doesn't exist. It is only four arrow keys and the F-keys, so I suspect it might be something that Apple considers "intuitive".

You can always hold down the fn key and start hitting other keys and see if anything happens!

montylee · 06-29-2012, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	If you can't find it, it probably doesn't exist. It is only four arrow keys and the F-keys, so I suspect it might be something that Apple considers "intuitive". You can always hold down the fn key and start hitting other keys and see if anything happens!

OK. It obviously isn't intuitive as nothing seems to work, and I've tried many combinations. The Apple Genius bar didn't know (he didn't even know about the fn up arrow capability). So those that know choose to keep it a secret.

benwiggy · 06-29-2012, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montylee


	OK. It obviously isn't intuitive as nothing seems to work, and I've tried many combinations.

Well, then you have learnt that there is no fn shortcut associated with the keys you've tried.

It's intuitive that Fn-return may do Enter, or that fn-tab might do Back tab. (They don't.)

But there's not going to be an fn alternative for all the alphanumerics. There's nothing intuitive about Function H.

That's what I mean. I think you're looking for some vast secret that isn't really there.

mclbruce · 06-29-2012, 12:01 PM

According to this page Fn-backspace is forward delete. The page has not been updated in quite a while though.

http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html

DeltaMac · 06-29-2012, 01:32 PM

http://www.danrodney.com/mac/index.html
or
http://3rr0rists.net/macintosh/mac-o...shortcuts.html

NaOH · 06-29-2012, 01:35 PM

The Fn key can also be useful for third-party applications which use F-keys for commands (Microsoft and Adobe software come to mind). On top of that, if System Preferences > Keyboard > Use All F1, F2, Etc. Keys As Standard Function Keys is disabled, then the Fn key becomes necessary to perform the default functions of these keys. I set my machine this way because I use third-party software to assign application-lanching to the F-keys instead of built-in things like Exposé, Brightness, etc.

chabig · 06-29-2012, 02:38 PM

fn-up arrow = page up
fn-down arrow = page down
fn-left arrow = home
fn-right arrow = end
fn-delete = forward delete

montylee · 07-01-2012, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chabig


	fn-up arrow = page up fn-down arrow = page down fn-left arrow = home fn-right arrow = end fn-delete = forward delete

Those work pretty good with all apps. Didn't know if there were others using modifiers like the SHIFT key. But thanks for the info.

benwiggy · 07-01-2012, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montylee


	Those work pretty good with all apps. Didn't know if there were others using modifiers like the SHIFT key. But thanks for the info.

As far as the function keys are concerned, some apps do use <shift>F5, etc, but you still have to bypass the Apple "special" key effect.

So, <Fn><Shift><F5> is <shift> F5, instead of "slowly reveal the Desktop", which is the Apple effect.

macosnoob · 06-29-2012, 03:35 PM

And there's Universal Access > Mouse & Trackpad > Mouse Keys:

Fn + keypad numbers to manipulate a virtual mouse.

(Listed in some of the links that have been provided. An often overlooked feature of the OS.)

AHunter3 · 06-30-2012, 06:40 PM

fn-Return = keypad Enter

benwiggy · 07-01-2012, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHunter3


	fn-Return = keypad Enter

Really? I tried that earlier, in some software that denotes a difference between the two, and I didn't get the expected result.

I thought <alt><return> did enter on the short keyboards, too?

AHunter3 · 07-05-2012, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	Really? I tried that [fn-Return for Enter] earlier, in some software that denotes a difference between the two, and I didn't get the expected result.

Works in FileMaker, where during data entry Return means "make a hard return" whereas Enter means "commit this record, I'm done doing data entry here".

NovaScotian · 07-05-2012, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHunter3


	fn-Return = keypad Enter

Certainly true on my Lion MBP, at least in Script Debugger

NaOH · 07-05-2012, 12:52 PM

Another place to test is iTunes. Selecting a song and pressing Return begins playing the track. Pressing Fn-Return is like pressing Enter, and instead of playing the track it allows you to edit the track name.

(And on my 2006 MacBook Pro, the Return key also says "enter" on it, subtly denoting how Fn will alter how the key behaves.)

06-29-2012, 10:24 AM	#1
montylee Triple-A Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 129	Laptop fn key commands? I've done a search here (and Google) and cannot find out anything about the MacBook Pro fn key combinations. Everything on this forum seems to refer to the Function keys (F1-F12), not the fn key. Is there a place for the fn key combinations? It seems that fn - up moves a page up arrow, and fn - down arrow moves it a page down, but what other options are there? Is there a fn key combination that moves to the very beginning or to the very end? These keys exist on the desktop, so I'm sure there has got to be something for the laptop. MacBook Pro, Lion 10.7.4 Thanks.

06-29-2012, 11:22 AM	#2
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,040	Here's Apple's list of shortcuts. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343 The purpose of the fn key is to toggle other keys that provide dual functions, either because the necessary keys are not on the short keyboard (e.g. page up, Home, etc); or because Apple uses the F keys for its own functions (brightness, iTunes, etc). In your example, FN-up provides the missing function of the Page Up key, which isn't on short keyboards. (Interestingly, this isn't mentioned on this Apple page.) Fn-Left mirrors Home and Fn-right mirrors End. But that's pretty much it. You can of course toggle the Function key behaviour itself in System Preferences, so that using Fn activates the Apple commands, not the standard F-number key command..! I am not aware that there are necessarily any "different" shortcuts between desktop and laptop: there should be the same functions, which might be accessed by slightly different methods, as some keys will hold two functions. Last edited by benwiggy; 06-29-2012 at 11:31 AM.

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06-29-2012, 11:35 AM	#4
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,040	If you can't find it, it probably doesn't exist. It is only four arrow keys and the F-keys, so I suspect it might be something that Apple considers "intuitive". You can always hold down the fn key and start hitting other keys and see if anything happens!

06-29-2012, 12:01 PM	#7
mclbruce Hall of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 3,870	According to this page Fn-backspace is forward delete. The page has not been updated in quite a while though. http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html

06-29-2012, 01:32 PM	#8
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,962	http://www.danrodney.com/mac/index.html or http://3rr0rists.net/macintosh/mac-o...shortcuts.html

06-29-2012, 01:35 PM	#9
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,642	The Fn key can also be useful for third-party applications which use F-keys for commands (Microsoft and Adobe software come to mind). On top of that, if System Preferences > Keyboard > Use All F1, F2, Etc. Keys As Standard Function Keys is disabled, then the Fn key becomes necessary to perform the default functions of these keys. I set my machine this way because I use third-party software to assign application-lanching to the F-keys instead of built-in things like Exposé, Brightness, etc.

06-29-2012, 02:38 PM	#10
chabig Hall of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,934	fn-up arrow = page up fn-down arrow = page down fn-left arrow = home fn-right arrow = end fn-delete = forward delete

06-29-2012, 03:35 PM	#13
macosnoob MVP Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,751	And there's Universal Access > Mouse & Trackpad > Mouse Keys: Fn + keypad numbers to manipulate a virtual mouse. (Listed in some of the links that have been provided. An often overlooked feature of the OS.)

06-30-2012, 06:40 PM	#14
AHunter3 Hall of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 3,003	fn-Return = keypad Enter

07-05-2012, 12:52 PM	#18
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,642	Another place to test is iTunes. Selecting a song and pressing Return begins playing the track. Pressing Fn-Return is like pressing Enter, and instead of playing the track it allows you to edit the track name. (And on my 2006 MacBook Pro, the Return key also says "enter" on it, subtly denoting how Fn will alter how the key behaves.)