Fn + F3 and Fn + F3 are not working; it is supposed to trigger Launchpad and Mission Control.

[ariestwn]

I'm using keychrone k2 pro

It's weird that Fn key + F3 or F4 can't trigger launchpad, it happens when I activate the modify event on the device. even when I configure the Fn + Space as a launchpad in Via, it's still not working.

When I change the keyboard layout to another one (ANSI/ISO), the launchpad or Mission Control works, but only a few sec, after that the launchpad or mission control button is not working with Fn+F3 or Fn+F4.

I'm using MacOs 15.0.1

• Update the Karabiner to beta not solve the issue
• Trigger another key to open launchpad/mission control also not working
• The launch pad/mission control work as expected if I uninstall karabiner/disable event on keyboard.

Update: I've tried the karabiner 15.3.0, and the problem still exist.

I also tried Karabiner EventViewer, but when I press Fn+F3 to F6, it doesn't show any events.

[neonfuz]

Similar issue here. Karabiner was working on MacOS 15.0.1, but then I got a dialog saying I needed to update my keyboard driver and reboot. After that my function keys don't work as they did before.

Personally I have a keychron q8, which has 2 Fn keys under each thumb. I used to be able to press Fn1+8 for play/pause, or Fn2+8 for F8, but since the update both of my Fn keys just expose the media layer (IE Fn1+8 and Fn2+8 both do play/pause)

[expe-elenigen]

@ariestwn I had issues with the F keys and I upgraded to the beta version and now it's working again:

[georgo]

Looks like this commit fixed it.

[rsenna]

I’m still experiencing issues after updating to 15.2.2 on my 2020 M1 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

The Issue

On a Touch Bar, function keys only operate as media controls, even though I have direct, visual access to both “media” and “function” keys on the Touch Bar. Each should work as intended, yet they don’t.

Thoughts on Karabiner’s Approach

I really, really appreciate Karabiner; it’s such a powerful tool. Big thanks to the team for their hard work on this open-source project! I'm a developer too, so I understand that complex issues are part of the territory. However, the “Function Keys” feature currently seems not only flawed but, in my opinion, difficult to fix due to accidental complexity/coupling in the implementation.

Key Concerns

1. Touch Bar users can’t consistently access function key behaviour. (My main concern.)
2. Karabiner lacks a way to map both Fx and fn + Fx key behaviours independently.
3. Exceptions to the “Use F1, F2, etc., as standard function keys” in macOS System Settings are not respected by Karabiner (see attached image below for an example.)
4. The “Use F1, F2, etc...” toggle works inconsistently, at least in my case — sometimes working after toggling on, sometimes off. And never in a "permanent" manner (the issue simply comes back after a while...)
5. (Minor & unrelated) Some keyboards have F13-F15 keys, which are currently not configurable.

Suggested Solution

Karabiner’s reliance on the “Use F1, F2, etc. [...]” System Setting might be complicating the implementation and introducing edge scenarios...

If that's the case, then I believe a better solution would simply be to separate “Media keys behaviour” and “Function keys behaviour” into two distinct Karabiner settings (as suggested by the item 2. above). This would likely reduce the need for handling macOS System Setting conflicts. The “default” layer (media or function) could then be determined by the macOS System Setting alone, without further interference from Karabiner.

Of course, this means adding even more settings. I also don’t know the specifics of the current implementation, so this might not be feasible, partially or at all. Regardless, I hope this helps guide a potential solution. Thank you again for this valuable tool!

[ariestwn]

My problem is when I use F1-12 as standard Function Keys.

When I turn this off, I can use the launchpad key,but i can't use all the F1-12 with function key. So when I turn this on, I can't use the Fn with F3 and F4.

[rsenna]

I’ve just downloaded version 15.3.0, and while it’s an improvement, it’s still not quite there.

Some specific configurations work for me, but with caveats.

Configuration 1

This setup shows “fn + f1 -> f1” in Karabiner, but here’s what actually happens:

• Function Keys appear by default on the Touch Bar and function as expected.
• When fn is pressed, Media Keys are displayed and work accordingly.

Configuration 2

Another configuration that works:

This time, Karabiner shows “f1 -> f1”, and the behaviour is:

• Media Keys appear on the Touch Bar by default and work as expected.
• Pressing fn switches to Function Keys, which also work as expected.

Issues

1. Karabiner’s Function Keys page seems to show the opposite of what actually is being set, which can be a bit confusing.
2. This differs from how System Settings work for Touch Bar keyboards without Karabiner. Without Karabiner, the “Use F1, F2, etc...” setting is irrelevant — it’s only meaningful for physical or external keyboards. I expected Karabiner to behave the same.
3. Those configurations above work, but others do not. Maybe I just got lucky by trying many different ways at random...
4. Application exceptions break Function Keys: When adding an app exception, Function Keys revert to Media Keys, but only for that app, and in both configurations. For instance, using Configuration 2, I cannot access Function Keys in Obsidian if I do this:

Conclusion

I understand this is complex, but, again, it's my opinion and advice that coupling the Function Keys settings in Karabiner with "Use F1, F2, etc..." System Setting is adding unnecessary complexity. I think it is putting you into rabbit hole that may be difficult to ever fully get out of... Are you sure that another approach is not possible?

Also, note that some issues above might affect all users. E.g. while Issue 2 seems specific to Touch Bar keyboards, issue 4 might affect all keyboard types (I have not verified that though...)