How to access Dashboard in Lion on Macbook Air?

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Level 1

31 points

How to access Dashboard in Lion on Macbook Air?

Older versions of the Macbook Air had a "Dashboard" button on the F4 key, but now on the new Macbook Air units, the F4 key triggers "Mission Control" instead. You can see the difference here:

http://applemonday.com/2011/07/macbook-air-2011-f-key/

I like being able to get into the Dashboard quickly, and I used to rely on that key. Now with my new Macbook Air, I can no longer get into Dashboard with a single keystroke. When I go into System Preferences, I see a preferences pane called "Mission Control" and it seems to offer a setting that would allow me to assign a function key to Dashboard, seen here:

https://img.skitch.com/20110819-mckh76cbf2ym9u9bji8614da2t.png

I set "F9" to trigger dashboard. On my Macbook Air, the F9 key has a "fast forward" icon on it, perhaps meant to be used for controlling music and video. For whatever reason, even though I have assigned "F9" to Dashboard, pressing F9 does not actually do anything at all.

Further, there is no gesture that can trigger Dashboard.

Note I am not using Dashboard as a Space because that is an awful idea.

How can I assing a function key to trigger the Dashboard in Mac OS X Lion on my new Macbook Air?

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Aug 19, 2011 9:06 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 19, 2011 9:53 AM in response to Angus Davis

There are third party apps which allow you to reassign function keys. Try searching in Google 🙂

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Answer 2

CT

Level 7

23,987 points

Aug 19, 2011 10:03 AM in response to Angus Davis

If you hold fn and F9, does that work?

On my MBP fn-F12 opens Dashboard.

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Answer 3

dobes918

Level 4

1,440 points

Aug 19, 2011 10:12 AM in response to Angus Davis

You can set the function key for dashboard in Mission Control preferences - you just have to press the fn key AND the key you set. So set it to F4 since you are used to that (or f9 if you prefer), and then press fn f4.

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Answer 4

Aug 19, 2011 10:27 AM in response to Angus Davis

give us a screen shot of your mission control window. make F4 be your dashboard (it'll just work). When you change the f# shortcuts you'll need to hold fn and then f9 (just tried this out myself). But again, if you assign f4 to be dashboard, it'll just work without holding fn.

a solution might be to make dashboard into a hot coner.

you do this in system prefs, mission control, hot corners, then choose whichever one you want.

I know you said you don't like dashboard as a space, but you can set it to be a space and then have a gesture that brings up dashboard by swiping to the left.

There is also a third part option called better touch tool it's free and you can donate if you want. but in it, there are a whole list of actions that you can envoke with a gesture of your choice, dashboard being one of them.

you've got options.

Message was edited by: TheSmokeMonster

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Answer 5

Angus Davis Author

Level 1

31 points

Aug 19, 2011 10:24 AM in response to TheSmokeMonster

I did give a screen shot of my mission control window, here it is again:

https://img.skitch.com/20110819-mckh76cbf2ym9u9bji8614da2t.png

As you see, I have set F9 to be the function key for dashboard. However, pressing F9 does nothing.

Pressing "Fn + F9" does trigger the dashboard, however this is not the preference I chose. I chose F9, not Fn + F9. There is a bug in the System Preferences, because if it says "F9" is assigned to Dashboard, it should do what it says.

The hot corners approach is what I am using as a workaround; it is easier than pressing Fn + F9. My goal is to simply press F9 (or some other single key) and access dashboard, and I remain open for suggestions to accomplish that. I also think Apple has a bug in their system preferences pane for these keyboard shortcuts.

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Answer 6

Aug 19, 2011 10:29 AM in response to Angus Davis

assign dashboard to be f4, it'll just work.

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Answer 7

Angus Davis Author

Level 1

31 points

Aug 19, 2011 10:36 AM in response to TheSmokeMonster

No, assigning Dashboard to F4 (and moving Mission Control to F9) does not work. Pressing F4 triggers Mission Control regardless of the settings in this dialog. That is why as I have noted, Apple has a bug with this preferences pane. The user assignments made in this preferences page do not work on hardware where the fuction keys have an icon on them, as is the case in late 2011-released Macbook Airs which assign icons to every single function key on the keyboard. In effect, it is impossible to use this preferences pane to make any function key assingments on late 2011 Macbook Airs.

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Answer 8

Aug 19, 2011 10:53 AM in response to Angus Davis

you want to click the function keys to be standard in keyboard preferences.

then go to the keyboard shortcuts and choose which key you want dashboard to be. you'll have to hit fn and the f4 or f9 after double clicking what it is set at now.

However! after this, you'll be able to just hit the f key of your choice without having to hold fn.

This will however make you have to hit the fn key to initiate the pictured functions for the f keys unless you set them how you want to.

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Answer 9

Angus Davis Author

Level 1

31 points

Aug 19, 2011 11:00 AM in response to TheSmokeMonster

Thanks, that would allow me to assign F4 or F9 to access the Dashboard.

However, it forces me to now press Fn+(F1, F2, whatever) in order to do things like increase / decrease volume, screen brightness, etc. I don't think it's worth it, as I frequently access those other functions by pressing a single key, and I do not want to lose that capability.

It would be nice if the preferences dialog that purports to allow the user to assign function keys like F9 to tasks like "Show Dashboard" actually worked. There is no way in a late-2011 Macbook Air to access Dashboard with a single key without giving up ability to access volume, brightness and other single key press functions.

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Answer 10

Aug 19, 2011 11:36 AM in response to Angus Davis

this isn't a bug, this is how it is supposed to work. somehow I made it so my bluetooth keyboard controls my backlit keyboard on my macbook pro but I can't seem to find how I changed that but I'm sure I did since it didn't work out of box. I might be wrong.

anyway. you have a hot corner now, and you have third party options.

Message was edited by: TheSmokeMonster http://kevingessner.com/software/functionflip/ directly address your issue http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/32953/bettertouchtool

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Answer 11

Angus Davis Author

Level 1

31 points

Aug 19, 2011 11:50 AM in response to TheSmokeMonster

I am not aware of any third-party option that lets you over-ride the behavior of F9, but would love to hear about one.

As for whether or not it is a bug, when you make these selections on the Mission Control preferences:

...they do not actually work. That's a bug. The preferences panel should either 1) not let you select a function key that is already hard-coded to another function, or 2) it should honor the preferences selected on this screen.

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Answer 12

Aug 19, 2011 12:20 PM in response to Angus Davis

these work you just need to hit FN, did you miss where I give you the link to the third party solutions?

http://kevingessner.com/software/functionflip/

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/32953/bettertouchtool

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Answer 13

Angus Davis Author

Level 1

31 points

Aug 19, 2011 1:11 PM in response to TheSmokeMonster

Thanks, Functionflip is a great workaround the issue and it solved my problem.

The preferences panel is misleading and the lack of properly labeling the keyboard shortcut is a bug. If the assignment requires holding "fn" in addition to the function key, the interface would look like this:

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Answer 14

Sep 30, 2012 11:01 AM in response to Angus Davis

on my MBA (mid 2012 model) running Lion I found that fn F12 opens Dashboard, and toggles it closed again.

Jon

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Answer 15

Oct 10, 2012 8:12 AM in response to TheSmokeMonster

Your solution misses one key point. You are suggesting people use "f4" without changing the Keyboard preference to "f1.. performs function keys." In reality this means you are suggesting the actual keystroke "fn-MissionControl" which is not convenient or what people want (one-button access).

In order for this solution to be complete and convenient how do I map all of the rest of the F-keys to their intended function based on their apple labels? I still want Mute to perform the mute function when I press F10.

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