When Apple designed the MacBook keyboards, they were probably thinking of which commands we will be using the most when they assigned shortcuts to specific functions, but as with everything else that is being used by millions of people, actual usage does not always align with intended purpose, so many default keys are left unused while some missing keys remain desired. If you have a lot of unused keyboard shortcuts yourself and would like to replace their functions with something that you actually use, below is a guide on how to remap keys on your Mac.
May 27, 2019 Turn the key over to make sure that the part of the key that latches onto the keyboard is still in place. You should see a small plastic piece that will attach back onto the keyboard base. Compare the key to the base of the keyboard where you plan to reattach it to make sure that this latch is present. 30 keyboard shortcuts Mac users need to know This collection of keyboard shortcuts for macOS can help users get the most from their iMacs, MacBook Pro and MacBook laptops.
Which Keys Can You Remap?
There are several sets of keys on your Mac keyboard that perform individual functions. You can modify the functions of some keys, but there are some that you cannot. Among the sets of keys that the functions of which you can easily change and remap according to your needs are the function and modifier keys.
The function keys are usually located at the top most part of your keyboard and are either marked with a letter F followed by a number (e.g. F1, F2, F3, etc.) or an icon that signifies what they do (e.g. sun icon for brightness and speaker icon for volume).
The modifier keys, on the other hand, are the sets of keys that you use in combination with another key to perform specific functions like the CMD, CTRL, Caps Lock, Shift, and Option keys.
What Do Function Keys Do?
Traditionally, Function keys were designed to work as shortcuts to system-related commands usually buried under convoluted menus and submenus; however, since they are not frequently used by the average user, Function keys have been increasingly remapped to provide quick access to basic customization tools (like brightness or volume control) although their traditional functions have not been completely removed but simply delegated to the backseat instead.*
For example, in the current Mac keyboard design,
- Pressing F1 reduces brightness.
- Pressing F2 increases brightness.
- Pressing F3 lets you switch to 'Expose' view to see all running programs or apps.
- Pressing F4 gives you quick access to business, communication and Internet tools.
- Pressing F7 lets you rewind a video that you were watching.
- Pressing F8 displays thumbnails of your current work spaces.
- Pressing F9 launches 'Mission Control.'
- Pressing F10 shows all open windows for the active application.
- Pressing F11 hides all open windows and shows the desktop instead.
- Pressing F12 shows or hide the dashboard.
*To use the traditional functions of the Function keys, you have to press F1 or F2 together with the Fn key.
**F5 and F6 has no specific function attached to it by default.
What Do Modifier Keys Do?
Like Function keys, modifier keys also work as keyboard shortcuts to frequently used commands. Some examples of commands that your modifier keys are assigned to perform by default are:
- Command+A which selects all items in the active window
- Command+C which copies highlighted items.
- Command+X Cuts the selected items
- Command+F which opens the 'Find' dialog
- Command+I which shows additional information about the currently selected item.
- Command+M which minimizes the active window
- Command+Z which undoes a previous action
- Command+V which pastes items previously cut or copied
- Command+O which opens the selected item
- Command+W which closes the active window
Aside from being used as keyboard shortcuts for system-wide commands, modifier keys can also be used to execute application-specific commands like:
- Command+Option+Space which opens the 'Spotlight' menu.
- Command+Shift+A which opens the 'Applications' folder.
- Command+Shift+U which opens the 'Utilities' folder
- Command+Shift+I which connects you to your iDisk
- Shift–Command–(?) which opens the 'Help' menu.
How to Remap Keys on Your Mac
If you are not happy with the default functions of your Function and Modifier keys, you can easily remap the keys on your Mac to assign keyboard shortcuts according to your specific needs and preferences.
To remap the Function keys and change how they work,
Go to the Apple menu Apple yosemite download link.
- Open 'System Preferences,'
- Click on the 'Keyboard' tab.
- Select 'Shortcuts.'
- Select 'Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.
To remap the modifier keys and assigned new key combinations for shortcuts,
- Follow Steps 1 to 3
- Click on 'Modifier Keys.'
- Select the modifier key that the function of which you wish to change.
- Choose the new action that you want the modifier key to do when clicked on.
This works for system-wide commands; however, you can also remap keys to perform certain functions while particular certain apps.
To do this,
- Follow Steps 1 to 4
- Select 'App Shortcuts.'
- Click on the 'Add' button (the one with the plus icon).
- Click on 'Application'
- Choose the application for which you want to use the new keyboard shortcut.
- If you can't find the app that you want on the list, choose 'Other' then find the app by using the 'Open' dialog (note that some apps do not allow users to create custom keyboard shortcuts).
- If you want to use the same shortcut for multiple applications, select 'All Applications.'
- Go to the 'Menu Title' field.
- Type the menu command for which you want to create a new shortcut, like 'Merge All Windows,' for example.
- If the menu command that you wish to make a shortcut for takes several steps to reach, type the menu command in the exact order of steps that you need to do to reach that particular command, with each step separated by the '>' character. For example, if you want to create a shortcut to the 'Export to PDF' command, type in 'File > Export to PDF' in the 'Menu Title' field.
- After that, go to the 'Keyboard Shortcut' field, then press the combination of keys that you want to use for your custom keyboard shortcut.
- Click 'Add.'
- Follow the same steps if you want to create separate keyboard shortcuts for specific apps.
Apple Keyboard Insert Keys
Just make sure that the new keyboard shortcut that you created isn't already assigned to another command. Otherwise, it's not going to work unless you will change the shortcut that was created first. If you don't know which keyboard shortcuts have already been assigned to which commands, you can use this detailed list for reference.
Sometimes displayed as Ins, the Insert key is a key on most computer keyboards near or next to the backspace key. The Insert key toggles how text is inserted by inserting text in front of other text or overwriting text after the cursor as you type.
Where is the Insert key on the keyboard?
Below is an overview of a computer QWERTY keyboard with the insert keys highlighted in blue on the main keyboard and numeric keypad. For the Insert key to work on the number pad, the Num Lock key must be turned off.
NoteIf your keyboard layout is different than the above example, see the following sections for help with finding the Insert key on other types of keyboards.
Where is the Insert key on Apple keyboards?
If you have an Apple computer, Apple laptop (MacBook), or Apple keyboard, the Insert key is replaced by the Fn key. To simulate an Insert key on an Apple Mac keyboard, press the keyboard shortcut Fn+Enter.
Where is the Insert key on a PC laptop keyboard?
The Insert key on a laptop is often part of another key around the Backspace as shown in the picture. If a laptop uses two keys as one key, you must press the Fn with the second key you want to use. In our example picture, the Scr Lk, Pause, and Break are all blue and a different color than the other keys.
To use these keys, press the Fn and the key with the blue text you want to use. With our example picture, if you needed Insert functionality, you'd press the Insert by itself. To use the Pause functionality, press and hold the Fn, then press the Pause.
NoteWith PC laptops, there's no standard placement for the insert key. Your laptop may not have the same configuration as shown in the picture. However, all PCs follow the same steps mentioned above.
Where is the Insert key on a Google Chromebook?
On Google Chromebooks, you can simulate an Insert key or enter overwrite mode by pressing the Search and the . (period key) at the same time.
Where is the inset key on smaller keyboards?
With smaller keyboards, the Insert key may be part of a function key or another key. To use these keys, press the Fn and the corresponding key with Insert. For example, with some smaller Logitech keyboards (e.g., Logitech K480) 'ns' is on the F12 key, pressing Fn+12 is the same as pressing the insert key.
Example of using the Insert key
For example, in a word processor, if the I-cursor is placed in front of any text, nothing is overwritten as you type. However, if the Insert key is pressed and the I-cursor changes to a block cursor or enters overtype mode, as you type, the text is overwritten.
Cached
In the example animated picture, you can see each mode in action. In the Overtype mode, when 'test' is being typed, it overwrites (replaces) 'Computer' to become 'test tee' with the text being overwritten.
NoteNot all programs allow you to change the insert method with the Insert key. If the cursor does not change when you press the Insert key, text input mode toggling it is not supported.
Insert mode and insert cursor
In the example image, you can see the different cursors (I-beam cursor on the top and block cursor on the bottom). In the top portion, if we were to type 'test ' in front of 'Computer Hope example,' it would become 'test Computer Hope example.' However, if we pressed the Insert key to change the insert method, the result would be different. Typing 'test' in this instance (bottom portion of the image) would make the text 'test ter Hope example' because the first part of the text would be overwritten. In other words, as you type the new text is written over the existing text.
What is the point of the Insert key?
Today, the Insert key's function is most often used as a shortcut key. For example, pressing the Shift+Insert on the keyboard it is another way to paste text on a computer. The Insert key is also another way to make corrections to existing text. Instead of moving the cursor to an error, pressing Backspace, then typing the correction, you could move the cursor in front of an error, press Insert, then overwrite the error.
TipBecause many programs do not use the Insert key, you can also use the key for any custom keyboard shortcuts. For example, we use PureText and the shortcut key Windows key+Insert to paste unformatted text in any program.
What keyboard shortcuts use the Ins key?
Below are links to keyboard shortcut keys that use the Ins key.
Related Insert key pages
To remap the modifier keys and assigned new key combinations for shortcuts,
- Follow Steps 1 to 3
- Click on 'Modifier Keys.'
- Select the modifier key that the function of which you wish to change.
- Choose the new action that you want the modifier key to do when clicked on.
This works for system-wide commands; however, you can also remap keys to perform certain functions while particular certain apps.
To do this,
- Follow Steps 1 to 4
- Select 'App Shortcuts.'
- Click on the 'Add' button (the one with the plus icon).
- Click on 'Application'
- Choose the application for which you want to use the new keyboard shortcut.
- If you can't find the app that you want on the list, choose 'Other' then find the app by using the 'Open' dialog (note that some apps do not allow users to create custom keyboard shortcuts).
- If you want to use the same shortcut for multiple applications, select 'All Applications.'
- Go to the 'Menu Title' field.
- Type the menu command for which you want to create a new shortcut, like 'Merge All Windows,' for example.
- If the menu command that you wish to make a shortcut for takes several steps to reach, type the menu command in the exact order of steps that you need to do to reach that particular command, with each step separated by the '>' character. For example, if you want to create a shortcut to the 'Export to PDF' command, type in 'File > Export to PDF' in the 'Menu Title' field.
- After that, go to the 'Keyboard Shortcut' field, then press the combination of keys that you want to use for your custom keyboard shortcut.
- Click 'Add.'
- Follow the same steps if you want to create separate keyboard shortcuts for specific apps.
Apple Keyboard Insert Keys
Just make sure that the new keyboard shortcut that you created isn't already assigned to another command. Otherwise, it's not going to work unless you will change the shortcut that was created first. If you don't know which keyboard shortcuts have already been assigned to which commands, you can use this detailed list for reference.
Sometimes displayed as Ins, the Insert key is a key on most computer keyboards near or next to the backspace key. The Insert key toggles how text is inserted by inserting text in front of other text or overwriting text after the cursor as you type.
Where is the Insert key on the keyboard?
Below is an overview of a computer QWERTY keyboard with the insert keys highlighted in blue on the main keyboard and numeric keypad. For the Insert key to work on the number pad, the Num Lock key must be turned off.
NoteIf your keyboard layout is different than the above example, see the following sections for help with finding the Insert key on other types of keyboards.
Where is the Insert key on Apple keyboards?
If you have an Apple computer, Apple laptop (MacBook), or Apple keyboard, the Insert key is replaced by the Fn key. To simulate an Insert key on an Apple Mac keyboard, press the keyboard shortcut Fn+Enter.
Where is the Insert key on a PC laptop keyboard?
The Insert key on a laptop is often part of another key around the Backspace as shown in the picture. If a laptop uses two keys as one key, you must press the Fn with the second key you want to use. In our example picture, the Scr Lk, Pause, and Break are all blue and a different color than the other keys.
To use these keys, press the Fn and the key with the blue text you want to use. With our example picture, if you needed Insert functionality, you'd press the Insert by itself. To use the Pause functionality, press and hold the Fn, then press the Pause.
NoteWith PC laptops, there's no standard placement for the insert key. Your laptop may not have the same configuration as shown in the picture. However, all PCs follow the same steps mentioned above.
Where is the Insert key on a Google Chromebook?
On Google Chromebooks, you can simulate an Insert key or enter overwrite mode by pressing the Search and the . (period key) at the same time.
Where is the inset key on smaller keyboards?
With smaller keyboards, the Insert key may be part of a function key or another key. To use these keys, press the Fn and the corresponding key with Insert. For example, with some smaller Logitech keyboards (e.g., Logitech K480) 'ns' is on the F12 key, pressing Fn+12 is the same as pressing the insert key.
Example of using the Insert key
For example, in a word processor, if the I-cursor is placed in front of any text, nothing is overwritten as you type. However, if the Insert key is pressed and the I-cursor changes to a block cursor or enters overtype mode, as you type, the text is overwritten.
Cached
In the example animated picture, you can see each mode in action. In the Overtype mode, when 'test' is being typed, it overwrites (replaces) 'Computer' to become 'test tee' with the text being overwritten.
NoteNot all programs allow you to change the insert method with the Insert key. If the cursor does not change when you press the Insert key, text input mode toggling it is not supported.
Insert mode and insert cursor
In the example image, you can see the different cursors (I-beam cursor on the top and block cursor on the bottom). In the top portion, if we were to type 'test ' in front of 'Computer Hope example,' it would become 'test Computer Hope example.' However, if we pressed the Insert key to change the insert method, the result would be different. Typing 'test' in this instance (bottom portion of the image) would make the text 'test ter Hope example' because the first part of the text would be overwritten. In other words, as you type the new text is written over the existing text.
What is the point of the Insert key?
Today, the Insert key's function is most often used as a shortcut key. For example, pressing the Shift+Insert on the keyboard it is another way to paste text on a computer. The Insert key is also another way to make corrections to existing text. Instead of moving the cursor to an error, pressing Backspace, then typing the correction, you could move the cursor in front of an error, press Insert, then overwrite the error.
TipBecause many programs do not use the Insert key, you can also use the key for any custom keyboard shortcuts. For example, we use PureText and the shortcut key Windows key+Insert to paste unformatted text in any program.
What keyboard shortcuts use the Ins key?
Below are links to keyboard shortcut keys that use the Ins key.
Related Insert key pages
Control keys, Insert, Insert mode, Keyboard terms, Overtype mode