With the new MacBook Pro, Apple introduced variant with a touch bar at the top of the keyboard. However, to accommodate the touch bar, the company has to let go the function keys. To access function keys, you need to press the fn key which will temporarily display the function keys on the Touch Bar as long as you keep the fn key pressed.
However, if you are someone who often uses the function keys, you can alter the settings to make sure that the touch bar shows the function keys permanently instead of the media control keys for all the apps. Here’s the guide to do so.
Show function keys on Touch Bar by default
- From the top-left Apple menu, select System Preferences
- On the System Preferences dialog, click Keyboard
- Now in the keyboard dialog, in the Touch Bar shows option, select select F1, F2, etc. Keys from the drop-down list
- Also, to choose what to display on the Touch Bar when you press the fn key, select the option from the Press Fn key to dropdown list
- Once you are done, the Touch Bar on your Macbook Pro will show the function keys by default no matter which app is active, including the desktop
If you want to the touch bar to show the function keys only on certain apps, go to the Shortcuts tab on the Keyboard dialog and scroll down to the Function Keys from the left side pane and then click on the ‘+’ sign to select the apps which will show function keys.
