Function keys in shortcuts

[Marciano#1]

Macbook 16" M1 (no touch bar) 
From another Mac I imported a .kys file with several keyboard shortcuts I use.
It includes many F buttons like F9 = Image Size
From the Edit presets I switched from defaults to my .kys file
Restarted PS
Function keys are still set as Mac system keys despite I'm in PS
How to fix that?
Thank you

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

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@Marciano#1 wrote:

Function keys are still set as Mac system keys despite I'm in PS How to fix that?

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Hi

You need to change it in macOS. This is from Apple Help:

Change the default function key behavior

If you want to change the top row of keys to work as standard function keys without holding the Fn key, follow these steps:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences.
2. Click Keyboard.
3. Select "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys". 

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204436

Jane

[Marciano#1]

Is it possible to only change that when Photoshop is the active program in use only?
If I'm in Finder F5 is to start recording audio from the microphone, for example.
Making suggested change all function key are disabled in Finder.
Thank you

[jane-e]

@Marciano#1 

No, changing the behavior of the function keys in macOS is global. To toggle to whichever you have not set as the default, you need to hold down the fn key.

Jane

[Conrad_C]

Is it possible to only change that when Photoshop is the active program in use only?

By @Marciano#1

That isn’t a feature in macOS or Photoshop. If you look around, it might be possible to find Mac utility software that lets you restrict it by application, if it exists. For example, I used to use a utility called FunctionFlip that lets you choose which media keys work as F keys. Although that software won’t solve this problem, it’s an example of what might exist.

The other way to approach this is to simply note that the reason you can start Dictation by pressing the media key on the top row with the microphone icon printed on it is because macOS set that as the default shortcut for Dictation. This means you could still enable Dictation with a keyboard shortcut, while leaving the keyboard in function key mode (for Photoshop), by doing either of the following:

• When you want to use the microphone, press Fn+F5 instead of F5. This takes advantage of the macOS feature where the Fn key temporarily swaps the top row between media key and function key modes. 
• Change the macOS keyboard shortcut for enabling Dictation. It only defaults to the microphone media key, but you can Customize to another shortcut you like, as shown below. 

Another alternative is to leave the top row in macOS media key mode so that the microphone key always enables dictation, and when you’re in an application where you want to use the top row as function keys, such as Photoshop, hold down Fn when you press a top row key, to temporarily swap it to function key mode.

So if you leave the keyboard in macOS default mode (top row is media keys), and you want to press F9 for a Photoshop shortcut, press Fn+F9.