Three function keys on my new M1 MacBook Air appear to be dead: Spotlight Search (luckily it’s also on the menu bar), Siri (also on the menu bar), and Do Not Disturb (never need it). What gives? Is this normal? Assuming I thought it worth fixing, would it be fixable, or at least verifiable?
Hi dougbale,
Here are a few other options you can look at.
Check to see if you may have accidentally set an option that changes how your keyboard operates.
If you are still unable to get the keys to function correctly, you will want to reach out to Apple Support. You can reach them here: Get Support.
Take care!
Hello dougbale,
Thank you for posting in Apple Support Communities.
We certainly understand wanting your new MacBook Air to work as expected.
What happens when you try to use these function keys? Have you seen “Change the default function key behavior” found in How to use the function keys on your Mac?
Let us know more about what’s happening when you try to use those keys.
Take care!
Hi dougbale,
Don’t let that third step bother you. It was just to make sure there wasn’t another keyboard layout installed and selected that you may have been unaware of on your Mac.
We recommend reaching out to Apple at Get Support for further assistance.
Have a great weekend!
Nothing whatever happens. As you suggested. I did go to the keyboard preferences pane (again) and the option you named was checked (I presume by default). I had first thought that the keys’ might have been unresponsive because last the time happened to be in some application that didn’t permit their use. But it’s the same thing in Finder. Nada.
One function key in particular that does function is the one that sends all open pages zooming outwards separately. I’d be very happy to prevent that distracting effect blocked altogether, whether from the function key or the combination of regular keys that is the other trigger for it.
Thanks, Mingoslkd. We may be getting there by degrees, Slow Keys and Mouse Keys were off, but I’m stymied by your third suggestion, to check that the correct keyboard layout is selected. Only one keyboard is shown as being available (Canadian English), but it doesn't show function keys at all.
Some MacBook Air function keys don’t function
