Make your Mac's top row control brightness and volume again

Why it happens

The top row of keys can work as media keys, for brightness and volume, or as plain F1 to F12 keys. When that switch is on, the keys send F1, F2 and so on, and you have to hold fn or Globe for brightness and volume. Turning it off swaps them back.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and click Keyboard in the sidebar.

2. Click Keyboard Shortcuts…, choose Function Keys in the list on the left, and turn off Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys. Click Done.

   Keyboard›Keyboard Shortcuts…›Function Keys›Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys

3. Press the brightness or volume keys. They should work on their own now. When you need a real F-key, hold fn or Globe and press it.

Still not fixed?

1. On a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, the top row is drawn on the Touch Bar instead. In Keyboard, click Touch Bar Settings… and set Touch Bar shows to App Controls or Expanded Control Strip.

   Keyboard›Touch Bar Settings…

2. On a Touch Bar Mac, also check the Function Keys list in Keyboard Shortcuts…. Apps listed there show F-keys on the Touch Bar while you use them, so remove any you didn't add.

3. If brightness keys work but an external monitor doesn't dim, that's normal for many monitors. Use the monitor's own buttons.

4. On a keyboard from another maker, look for an Fn Lock key or key combination in its manual. If keys type the wrong symbols, use Change Keyboard Type… in Keyboard settings.

   Keyboard›Change Keyboard Type…

5. If one key does nothing in any mode, even with fn held, the key itself may be faulty. Contact Apple Support or a repair shop, since that's a hardware problem.