Tutorial: Different ways to lock and unlock the Fn key in Windows 10 and 11

Understanding how to use the function keys or F keys on your keyboard can make your life easier. Just one key in this group can perform two sets of commands, whether they are multimedia commands or specific tasks. By pressing the Fn key together with one of the keys, you can instantly change the way these keys work. However, doing this every time you use it is not necessary, as you can simply lock and unlock the Fn key in your Windows 10 or Windows 11.

How to use the Fn key with function keys

The Fn key on your keyboard is basically like the Shift and CapsLock buttons. If you create documents often, you know how they work: you hold down the Shift key to capitalize a letter or two, release it to quickly go back to smaller letters, and a single press of the CapsLock key allows you to write an entire sentence in uppercase without having to press another key.

This is where Fn comes in with the standard function keys F1 through F12. Pressing one of these keys without using Fn will let you use the standard commands that improve productivity: volume or brightness adjustment, audio mute, activate/deactivate Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, play media, etc. On the other hand, mixing the F1 to F12 keys with Fn will give you access to the alternate commands for these keys. You can release the lock on this Fn key if you want to immediately go back to the standard use of the function keys.

Also, in Windows 10 or 11, locking the Fn key is placing the function key permanently in its alternate command until the lock is disabled. With it locked, you can also press the Fn key to quickly access the function key's standard commands: just like when your keyboard is in CapsLock and you use the Shift key to enter lowercase letters.

Lock and unlock the Fn key

Locking and unlocking the Fn key depends on the computer you are using, or more specifically, on the brand of computer you have. Also, not all computers have the same commands for F1 through F12, and not all keyboards have the same keys dedicated to locking and unlocking the Fn key. Thankfully, there are multiple ways to do this.

Keyboard

The easiest way to lock the Fn key is to use your keyboard. However, this is where many computers differ, as not all have this feature.

One way to use the keyboard to lock the Fn key is through the F-lock key, which you can simply press to toggle between standard and alternate commands. Keyboards that have this feature usually have a light signal to indicate whether the F lock key is activated.

If you don't have the F lock key, you can look for "FnLock", which also sometimes comes in the form of a padlock that says Fn. Sometimes the FnLock or icon is printed with the Esc key, but in some manufacturers it is in the Shift or CapsLock key. Just press and hold the Fn key first, then press the FnLock or padlock icon. This will activate the lock. To reverse it, just press and hold the Fn key again, then press the FnLock or padlock icon.

Windows Mobility Center

To launch your Mobility Center, you can simply press Win + X or right-click on the Windows icon to open the Quick Access menu on your Windows 10 and 11. When that option appears, look for Mobility Center and select it. This will open a window that shows you some of the controls for your computer. Look for the "Function Key Row" section. You will see a drop-down menu there, clicking on it will let you choose either "Function Keys" or "Multimedia Keys". Selecting the former will lock the Fn key, while the latter will provide you with your standard commands.

You can always open your Windows Mobile Center and lock or unlock the Fn key in this way. However, please note that not all computers have this feature. Your computer can always show you the Mobile Center, but you should be aware that some of the function keys are not available in some cases.

BIOS

BIOS (UEFI on some PCs) is a useful tool that will allow you to configure the hardware features of your computer in a number of ways, and one of the things it can do is lock and unlock the Fn key on Windows 10 and 11. There are many ways to access this low-level software, the easiest way is to click the Start button, click the power icon and hold Shift while clicking Restart. once you see a blue screen with different options, go to Troubleshooting > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings. Select "Reboot" and your computer will reboot and automatically enter the BIOS.

In the BIOS you will not be able to use the mouse, but the cursor keys on your keyboard should allow you to navigate through the tools. Go to the main tab, then look for the "Function key behavior" option and select it. In the new option that will appear, select Function key to activate the Fn lock. After that, press F10 to save the changes and confirm the prompt by selecting Yes.