*macOS keyboard pane**pre-2022 system preferences*

*5 TABS*

Change Keyboard preferences on Mac

On your Mac, use the Keyboard pane of Keyboard System Preferences to change options for keyboard and function keys and for keyboard brightness.

If your Mac has a Touch Bar, you can change options for the behavior of the Touch Bar and the Fn keyboard key.

To open this pane, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Keyboard.

Open the Keyboard pane for me

Option

Description

Key Repeat, Delay Until Repeat

How fast characters repeat when you press and hold certain keyboard keys, and how long to wait before repeating them.

See Set how quickly a key repeats on Mac.

Adjust keyboard brightness in low light

If your portable Mac has a backlit keyboard, have it automatically adjust the level of backlighting in low light conditions.

Turn keyboard backlight off after [time period] of inactivity

If your portable Mac has a backlit keyboard, have it automatically turn backlighting off after your Mac is idle for the specified time period.

App Controls;

Touch Bar shows

If your Mac has a Touch Bar, choose what is shown in it:

Expanded Control Strip;

F1, F2, etc. Keys;

Quick Actions;

or Spaces.
Show Control Strip

If your Mac has a Touch Bar, choose whether or not to display the Control Strip when you choose App Controls, Quick Actions, or Spaces from the “Touch Bar shows” pop-up menu.

Press Fn key to…

If your Mac has a Touch Bar, choose what happens when you press the Fn key:

Expand Control Strip;

Show Control Strip;

Show F1, F2, etc. Keys;

Note:

Show Quick Actions;

or Show Spaces.

The choices available depend on the setting in the “Touch Bar shows” pop-up menu.

You can always show function keys (F1, F2, and so on) in the Touch Bar for specific apps.

In Keyboard preferences, click Shortcuts, select Function Keys in the list on the left, then add the apps on the right.

Open the Shortcuts pane for me

Show keyboard and emoji viewers in menu bar

Include the Show Emoji & Symbols menu in the menu bar for easy access to the Character Viewer and the Keyboard Viewer

Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys

Use the (unshown) keyboard function keys for keyboard shortcuts without pressing the Fn keyboard key

*when it is ON* –>

(you need to hit ‘function key’ while pressing the ‘function button’ in order to use the action labeled on the ‘function key’)

(so ‘F3’ brightens screen)

(so ‘function F3’ launches ‘mission control’)

(which does not work on external keyboard for me)

*when it is OFF’

(so hitting ‘F3’ launches ‘mission control’)

Customize Control Strip

Change which buttons are shown in the Control Strip portion of the Touch Bar.

You can also customize the Control Strip directly in apps.

Modifier Keys

Change the default behavior of the Caps Lock, Control, Option, and Command modifier keys

Set Up Bluetooth Keyboard

(the bottom is located in ‘bottom right corner’)

Use an Apple wireless keyboard, mouse, or trackpad with Mac.

You must enable Touch Bar extensions to make them available in the Touch Bar or from the Quick Actions button in the Touch Bar.

See Change Extensions preferences.