Function Key Pro is a macOS utility that helps you distinguish special function keys (e.g. volume up) and standard ones (F1, F2, etc.) WITHOUT Fn, and LAUNCH apps or complex multi-key hotkeys with a single press.
Oops! I set some Fkeys to launch apps. Then I clicked “Hotkeys” at the top to have a look, and when I went back to “F1,F2 etc” they were all gone! Unexpected behavior. I assume it would have saved them if I’d clicked the Finish button but I still lost my setup time. Maybe rethink this part?
Hello Product Hunters!
I’m Channing, co-author of Function Key Pro with @xinyi_l, and we’re excited to share this macOS utility that makes our own keyboard workflow smoother!
As a cross-platform developer, I need to use lots of hotkeys containing function keys, like Shift+F12 in JetBrain tools. By default, I have to hold an extra Fn key every time to use F12, which is quite inconvenient. macOS does provide an option in Preferences that allows me to use F12 directly. However, the price is that I can no longer change volume up without the annoying Fn key 😟
Why can’t I have BOTH volume up and F12? So we think of a NEW way of interacting with function keys. When you short-press, it’s F12. And if you hold it a little longer, it becomes the volume up key 🔊
One single key is definitely much easier to use than hotkey combinations. I want this more in my everyday workflow. So Function Key Pro doesn’t stop here. You can also use a single function key to launch apps, or even simulate other hotkeys 🪄
We hope you enjoy this new way of using keyboard shortcuts, and we’d like to hear your thoughts! 🤩
Hi, this looks like it would make me more productive, but alas, I can't seem to get anything to work and there really isnt any kind of instructions or setup guide. Maybe I will try again when there is an update.
@christopher_havens Thanks for your feedback, Christopher.
Could you drop an email at functionkey@bopsoft.com to help us address the issue?
* What's your macOS version?
* Have you granted the app Accessibility permission in System Preferences?
* If you open the app's preferences via the menu bar icon, and set short-press of F1 to volume up, does it work?
Hey there Product Hunters👋
I’m Xinyi, cofounder of Function Key Pro with @channing and we’re so excited to share this macOS utility here!
This utility improves my productivity indeed.
🌈Using the long press and short press to distinguish different function keys, I can free one hand and trigger any retained features in one press without Fn.
🌈Beyond that, using Function Key Pro, each function key has three modes: short press/long press/combine with fn. Instead of F12 and Volume up, you can bind any Apps or complex hotkeys to each mode. For example, I’d like to bind ⌃⇧⌘4 (screenshot) with F1+Fn, and google chrome with long press F2. You can launch/switch apps or trigger hotkeys quickly and smoothly.
We'd love to hear your thoughts, and will be happy to answer any questions!🤩
Thanks for your support!!!❤️
Function Key pro is a great innovation for me. It helped me quickly hunt which fcn I want even I can’t remember the hot keys. Recommend it !!! Improve the efficiency a lot. Why not have a try