INTRODUCTION:

When we talk about Function Keys many people use them very rarely and many are not yet aware of the functionalities which Function Keys provides to its users. But if you make a practice of using them on regular basis then it can save you a lot of time in performing the daily operation which usually takes more time in completing.

Function Keys are available on almost all keyboards today, Function Keys are usually found on the first row of any keyboard on which numbers are arranged with the alphabet “F”, all these Function Keys from F1 – F9 are usually used as shortcuts for performing some specific tasks such as refreshing a page, printing & renaming a file, etc.

Computer users usually use these keys to perform some basic tasks quickly to save some time like F1 key is used as a help key and the F2 key is usually used to refresh or reload a web page on any specific Browser, to make it simple and easy all these Function Keys are used to perform different tasks on different places and the use of these Function Keys may vary based upon Document Type, Internet Browser or Operating Systems.

Today almost every keyboard has Function Keys from F1 – F12 as it is mandatory because of the ease it provides to its users in performing simple tasks, In some cases compact keyboards and multimedia keyboards use these Function Keys to perform some secondary function such as volume control, brightness control and multimedia controls, in such keyboards a special “FN” key is provided separately to use the primary functions of Function Keys, “FN” key basically means “Function Key”.

For Example: If the F2 Key in a keyboard also has a brightness control feature in it, so if you want to use the brightness control feature you will press the F2 Function Key directly but if you are willing to perform the primary function of the F2 key which is basically to rename a file or document then you have to first press the “FN + F2” keys together for using the primary function.

Every Function Keys on the keyboard is designed to perform a specific task that is assigned to it, these tasks may differ based upon the type of program or operating system which you are using.

Let’s try to list down some of the main functionalities which a user can perform through the Function Keys from F1 to F12.

IMPORTANT TAKE AWAY: In early days IBM used to have 2 rows of Function Keys in their computer systems, 1^st row used to have Function Keys from F1 to F12 and the second row continued it from F13 to F24.

F1 FUNCTION KEY:

• All the programs these days use F1 Function Key to open the Help and Support window.
• Windows + F1 Key opens up the Windows Help and Support Center.
• The F1 Function Key can also be used to enter the CMOS setup.

F2 FUNCTION KEY:

• F2 Function Key is amongst one of the most popular Function Keys which is used to quickly rename any file, folder, or document.
• F2 Function Key is also one of the shortcuts to enter the CMOS setup.
• Ctrl + F2 Function Key is also used for viewing the print preview screen on any Microsoft Office Document.
• Shift + F2 Function Key is a shortcut for adding any sort of comments in the Microsoft Excel comment box.
• Alt + F2 Function Key is used as a shortcut to quickly access the “Save As” Windows on Microsoft Excel.
• Alt + Ctrl + F2 is used as a shortcut to access the “Document Windows” on Microsoft Office.

F3 FUNCTION KEY:

• F3 Function Key is usually used to access the search bar of the program you are currently using.
• Similarly, in most Internet Browsers the F3 Function Key is used to access the Search Bar.
• In Microsoft Word, the combination of Shift + F3 Function key is used to change the written text from upper case to lower case or even to all upper case (capital) letters.
• In Microsoft DOS and Windows CMD (Command Prompt), the F3 Function Key is used to repeat the last written command.

F4 FUNCTION KEY:

• The F4 Function Key is basically used to access the Address Bar in Microsoft Built-In browsers such as Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge Browser.
• In Microsoft Word, the F4 Function Key is used to repeat the last command entered by the user.
• If you are on your Desktop Screen and no application is opened or selected then upon pressing the F4 Function Key launches the Windows Shutdown pop up.
• The combination of Ctrl + F4 is used to close a specific program window within another program,

For Example: If a word Document is opened on your screen then upon selecting the Ctrl + F4 your opened document will be but your Microsoft Word Application will remain open.

F5 FUNCTION KEY:

• The F5 Function Key is also a very popular Function Key that is used by many users across the world, especially for Reloading and Refreshing the web page of any specific internet browser.
• In Microsoft Word, the F5 Function Key is used to open the Find and Replace Window.
• The F5 Function Key is also used in Microsoft Excel to open the Go To option.
• F5 Function Key is also used in Microsoft PowerPoint to start any slide show.

F6 FUNCTION KEY:

• Almost all the Internet Browsers these days available in the market use F6 Function Key as a shortcut for their users to quickly select its address bar because they want their users to start their searching quickly.
• The combination of Ctrl + F6 Function Key is used to jump or toggle between multiple Microsoft Word Documents opened at the same time.

F7 FUNCTION KEY:

• F7 Function Key is very popular among those users who use Microsoft Office Programs more frequently because this shortcut key is used for launching Spelling & Grammar Dialog Box in Microsoft Office programs such as Microsoft Word & Excel.
• The combination of Shift + F7 is also quite popular as it is used for opening the Research Window in the Microsoft Office programs.
• The F7 Function Key is also used for switching on Caret Browsing Feature in some Internet Browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge browser.

F8 FUNCTION KEY:

• The F8 Function key is a very useful shortcut key, it can be used for entering the Windows Safe Mode process while booting Windows operating system on any PC.
• Not only in Windows but it is very helpful in Mac OS also because the F8 Function Key is used for displaying the thumbnail images of all the workspaces available in the Mac OS operating system.

F9 FUNCTION KEY:

• The F9 Function Key is a very frequently used shortcut key by many computer users today, the main purpose behind the use of this shortcut key is that it is used for sending emails in software like Microsoft Outlook or Siebel CRM.
• The combinations of Ctrl + F9 and Alt + F9 are also used for creating mail merge documents in Microsoft Word.
• F9 Function Key is also quite popular amongst programmers/developers because it is used for the compilation and execution of code in many editors or platforms used for programming and development.

F10 FUNCTION KEY:

• F10 Function Key is used with the combination of Shift to access the menu windows which is equal to right-clicking on the mouse.
• The F10 Function key is used to show the menu bar in Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge browser or it is also used to highlight the same in many programs.
• The F10 Function Key is also used for entering the CMOS setup sometimes.

F11 FUNCTION KEY:

• The F11 Function Key is used for entering and exiting the full-screen mode or feature in almost all the internet browsers available these days.
• The F11 Function Keys are also used with the combination of Shift and Ctrl in Microsoft Excel like Shift + F11 is used to add a new sheet in Microsoft Excel and Ctrl + F11 is used to add a new macro to the workbook.
• This F11 Function Key combination also works in Microsoft Office Programs with Alt + F11 which is basically used to invoke the Microsoft Visual Basics window for that document.

F12 FUNCTION KEY:

• The F12 Function Key is used in Microsoft Office programs to access the “Save As” Window which is used for saving documents on a local PC.
• Similarly, the Combination of Shift + Ctrl + F12 shortcut key is used for accessing the Print Window in Microsoft Programs.
• The F12 Function is also used with Ctrl which means Ctrl + F12 is used to open a document in Microsoft Office
• This F12 Function Key is also used for opening and closing the developer tools in most of the internet browsers currently available in the market.

Conclusion:

All these Function Keys can play a very crucial role in our daily life, because all these tasks which we can easily perform through these function keys within seconds might sometimes take us a few minutes in performing the same tasks without using these function keys, in the early days IBM used manufacture keyboards having function keys from F1 to F24, But later on, it was discontinued and the standard of F1 to F12 Function Keys ways set.