Keys Mode: Action

(also known as Hotkey Mode , Function Key Priority Mode , or Multimedia Key Mode ) is a BIOS/UEFI firmware or operating system setting that determines the default behavior of the top-row keys (F1–F12) on a keyboard, particularly on laptops and compact keyboards. The setting toggles between two primary functions:

Different manufacturers implement Action Keys Mode with slight naming and toggling variations. action keys mode

| Mode Setting | Default action (single press) | Action when holding key | |--------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------| | Action Keys Mode = ON (Media Keys default) | Multimedia / system control (e.g., volume up) | Standard F1–F12 function | | Action Keys Mode = OFF (F1–F12 default) | Standard F1–F12 function | Multimedia / system control | (also known as Hotkey Mode , Function Key

If you have ever pressed the key with the volume icon expecting to lower your music, only to have your computer freeze because you accidentally triggered F10, you have been a victim of the legacy keyboard layout. Conversely, if you tried to refresh a webpage using F5, only to accidentally dim your screen to near-blackness, you have felt the frustration of the modern default. Conversely, if you tried to refresh a webpage

Sometime in the early 2010s, as laptops replaced desktops as the primary computing device for the average person, manufacturers began to flip the script. They introduced "Action Keys Mode" (or "Hotkey Mode") as the default.