How to Use the Function Keys on a Logitech Keyboard

AvatarByEric Dawson Computers & Software

To use the function keys on a Logitech keyboard, hold the Fn key and press the F-key you want, or press Fn and Esc together once to lock Fn on so F1 through F12 fire as plain function keys every time. Most Logitech boards ship with media and system shortcuts on the top layer, so volume, brightness and playback answer a bare press until you flip that switch. Some models carry a dedicated Fn lock key marked with a padlock instead of using Esc. For a setting that survives a restart, install Logi Options+ and turn on the option called “Use F1-F12 as standard function keys”, which also lets you give each key a different job in each program.

How to Use the Function Keys on a Logitech Keyboard

Hold Fn and tap an F-key to use that key’s alternate action; release Fn and tap the same key to use whatever Logitech assigned to it by default, usually a media or system shortcut. Pressed on its own it does nothing at all. Held down while you press another key, it triggers that key’s second function, which is the small icon printed on the keycap. Logitech describes the key in exactly those terms on its own Fn key guide.

Most Logitech keyboards ship with the media layer on top. Volume, screen brightness, screenshot capture and playback controls answer to a bare press of F1 through F12, and the classic function keys sit underneath as the secondary layer. That ordering catches people out. A tap on F2 inside a spreadsheet adjusts something on screen instead of editing the cell, and the natural reaction is to assume the keyboard is broken.

So the working rule is short. Hold Fn and tap F5 to send a real F5 to whatever program is in front of you. Let go of Fn and tap F5, and the keyboard sends whatever Logitech printed on the key instead. Everything else in this article is about changing which of those two layers answers first, and how long that change lasts.

How to Switch Between F-Keys and Media Keys

Switch between F-keys and media keys by pressing Fn and Esc together, using a dedicated Fn lock key on some models, or toggling the setting in Logi Options+ software; Logitech calls this switch Fn lock. The three methods differ mostly in how long the change holds, as the sections below explain.

The Fn + Esc Shortcut

Press Fn and Esc together, then let go. That single press toggles Fn lock and swaps the keyboard between hotkey mode, media key mode and standard F-key mode. No holding is required here, which is worth knowing because some other Logitech combinations do need a three second hold. Logitech Support documents the shortcut as a plain press and release.

Look at the Esc key before trying it. On supported models Logitech prints a small padlock icon there, and that icon is the giveaway that Esc doubles as the Fn lock toggle. If Esc carries no padlock on your board, scan the rest of the keycaps for one before deciding the feature is missing.

Models That Have a Dedicated Fn Lock Key

Some Logitech keyboards skip the combination and give Fn lock a key of its own, again marked with a padlock. One press flips the layer and no modifier is involved. Logitech does not publish a model by model list of which boards have the dedicated key and which rely on Esc, so the only reliable test is the keycaps in front of you: check Esc first, then the top row, then the keys around the arrow cluster.

Which Method Survives a Restart

Hardware toggles are not always permanent. Guidance for Logitech keyboards notes that a hardware Fn lock can reset once the keyboard loses power, so a board you switch off at night may greet you in media mode again the next morning. Software is what makes the choice stick, and the table below sets the three methods side by side.

Method Applies to What you press Does the setting hold
Fn + Esc shortcut Most Logitech models Press and release Fn and Esc together May reset after a power cycle when no software is installed
Dedicated Fn lock key Some Logitech models, marked with a padlock One press of the padlock key Handled by the keyboard itself, so it normally holds
Logi Options+ setting All supported Logitech models Logi Options+, Settings, then “Use F1-F12 as standard function keys” Holds across reboots for as long as the app stays installed

Pick the method that matches how you work. Anyone who needs a real function key once a week is perfectly served by holding Fn. Someone who lives in a spreadsheet or a code editor should set the preference once in software and stop thinking about it.

How to Set the F-Keys Permanently in Logi Options+

Set F-keys permanently by installing Logi Options+ and turning on the setting labeled “Use F1-F12 as standard function keys” in the app’s Settings section for your keyboard. Download it from app.logi.com, install it, then connect or pair the keyboard so the app can see the device before you go looking for the toggle.

Installing Logi Options+ and Finding the Setting

  1. Download the app. Go to app.logi.com and get Logi Options+ for Windows or macOS.
  2. Connect the keyboard. Plug in the USB receiver or cable, or pair over Bluetooth, and wait for the keyboard to appear on the app’s device screen.
  3. Open the keyboard. Select your Logitech keyboard from the devices shown so the app loads that device’s own options.
  4. Go to Settings. Open the Settings section for the keyboard rather than the general app preferences.
  5. Find the toggle. Look for the entry labeled “Use F1-F12 as standard function keys”.
  6. Choose a state. Set it On for standard F1 through F12 on a bare press, or Off to keep media and system shortcuts as the default.

Nothing about that toggle removes the other layer. Whichever state you choose, holding Fn still reaches the alternate function, so the setting decides only which layer answers first.

What Each Toggle State Does

Configuration Bare press sends Held with Fn sends
Fn lock off, the factory default Media and system shortcuts Standard F1 through F12
Fn lock on, set from the keyboard Standard F1 through F12 Media and system shortcuts
Logi Options+ toggle set On Standard F1 through F12 Media and system shortcuts
Logi Options+ toggle set Off Media and system shortcuts Standard F1 through F12

Reading across the rows shows why the two hardware states and the two software states mirror each other. Only the persistence differs, along with the fact that the software version can be overridden for individual programs.

Per-Application F-Key Profiles

One layout for every program is rarely what people actually want. Logi Options+ can hold a separate F-key map per application, so the same physical key does one job in a spreadsheet and a completely different job in a browser. Select Add Application inside the app, choose the program, then assign each F-key by hand.

Clicking any F-key brings up the Action Picker on the right side of the screen. From there a key can be set to screen brightness up or down, Task View, Action Center, show or hide the desktop, keyboard backlighting levels, play or pause, next track, previous track, volume up, volume down, mute, the calculator, print screen, scroll lock or a device lock. Smart Actions go further again, launching a chosen app, opening a specific folder or firing a multi step shortcut from a single key.

A Worked Example in Excel and Chrome

Take someone who spends the morning in Excel and the afternoon in Chrome. Logitech uses that exact pairing as its example, because F2 and F4 matter for cell editing in Excel while volume and media controls are the more useful keys in a browser. Serving both without a per-application profile means holding Fn roughly half the day.

Set the global toggle to On first, which makes F1 through F12 behave as standard function keys everywhere, including Excel. Add Chrome as an application in Logi Options+, then map three keys, say F7, F8 and F9, to previous track, play or pause and next track. Excel keeps the standard behavior it needs, Chrome gets the media keys, and the Fn key is still there for whatever falls outside both profiles.

Hidden Fn Shortcuts That Need Three Seconds

A handful of Logitech combinations only fire when both keys are held for a full three seconds. Tapping them does nothing, which is precisely why most people never discover they exist.

  • Fn + O. Switches the keyboard to the Mac layout.
  • Fn + P. Switches the keyboard to the PC layout.
  • Fn + B. Activates the Pause Break function.
  • Fn + U. Swaps the special characters, on Mac only.

Layout switching earns its keep when one keyboard serves two machines. Someone pairing a Logitech board with a Mac at home and a Windows desktop at the office can move the modifier arrangement across instead of living with keys that report the wrong thing. Pause Break deserves a mention too, since compact Logitech keyboards often drop the dedicated key and Fn + B is the only way back to it.

What F1 Through F12 Do in Everyday Programs

F1 through F12 do the same job in most programs: F1 opens help, F5 refreshes a page or document, F11 toggles full screen in a browser, and F12 opens Save As in Word or developer tools in a browser. That predictability is exactly why the layer is worth reclaiming from the media keys, since a key that behaves the same way every time is one you can build a habit around.

Key Common job
F1 Opens help documentation in most programs
F5 Refreshes a web page or a document
F11 Enters or exits full screen mode in browsers
F12 Opens Save As in Word, or developer tools in a browser

Everything outside those four depends on the program, which is exactly why Logitech points people toward per-application profiles rather than one global map. Photoshop, Excel and a video editor all want different things from the same twelve keys.

Where the Software Approach Falls Short

Nothing Logi Options+ changes is written into the keyboard itself. Settings apply while the app is installed, and removing the app returns the keyboard to its factory behavior, media layer first. Anyone planning to wipe a machine should expect to reinstall the app before the F-keys behave again.

Each Windows Profile Needs Its Own Install

Accounts on the same PC do not share the configuration. Every Windows user profile needs Logi Options+ installed and configured separately, so a shared family computer with three logins means setting the same toggle three times. Sign in as each person, install, set the option, and check it with a quick press of F5 in a browser.

Locked-Down Work Computers

Corporate machines frequently block software installation outright. Where that is the case, the Fn + Esc toggle is the only route left, and it may need pressing again after each power cycle. Asking whoever owns the desktop image whether Logi Options+ can be added to the approved list costs nothing and occasionally works.

Older Logitech Software Is Not the Answer

Logitech has discontinued Logitech Options and SetPoint, and the company now directs owners of supported devices to Logi Options+ for the best experience. Anyone still running one of the retired tools on a current keyboard is working without the newer per-application profiles and Smart Actions. Uninstalling the old software before installing Options+ avoids two apps competing for the same keyboard.

I would use the Fn and Esc shortcut if I only needed standard F keys occasionally, but I would choose the Logi Options+ setting for daily spreadsheet or code work. The software option is the one I trust more for keeping the preference after a restart, while a hardware toggle may reset after the keyboard loses power. Its weakness is equally clear: that permanence depends on leaving the app installed, so it is not the best answer for a keyboard used across changing computers.

If Fn Lock Still Doesn’t Work

Restart the device and reconnect the keyboard first, since most Fn lock complaints trace back to something other than the hardware. Work through the checklist below in order before assuming the keyboard itself has failed.

  1. Restart the device. A reboot clears a surprising share of input problems.
  2. Reconnect the keyboard. Unplug and replug the USB connection, or remove and re-pair the Bluetooth link.
  3. Update everything. Bring keyboard drivers and Logi Options+ up to date, since an old app version may not recognize a newer board.
  4. Check the layout. Confirm the keyboard is set to the layout that matches the computer, Mac or PC.
  5. Look for the padlock. Verify your model actually has Fn lock on Esc rather than a dedicated key.
  6. Try the toggle again. After a power cycle, a hardware Fn lock may simply have reverted and need one more press.

On-screen notifications are a useful confirmation along the way. Logitech Support notes that Logi Options+ displays a message when the keyboard switches modes, so silence after pressing Fn and Esc suggests the app is not seeing the keyboard at all. Reconnecting the device usually restores that link.

Layout is the quiet culprit in a lot of cases. A board left on the Mac layout while plugged into a Windows PC, or the reverse, can send the wrong signals across the whole top row and make Fn lock look dead when it is working fine. Holding Fn and P for three seconds puts a keyboard back on the PC layout, and Fn and O for three seconds sends it to the Mac layout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Every Logitech Keyboard Have Fn Lock?

Not every model handles it the same way. Logitech documents Fn + Esc as the toggle on most of its keyboards and a dedicated padlock key on some others, but it does not publish a list of which models fall into which group. Checking your own Esc key for a small padlock icon is the quickest way to find out.

Do I Need Logi Options+ to Use the F-Keys?

No. Holding Fn while pressing an F-key reaches the standard function key on any Logitech board, and Fn + Esc changes the default without any software at all. Logi Options+ matters when you want that choice to survive a power cycle, or when you want different keys in different programs.

Can I Set Different F-Keys for Different Apps?

Yes, through Logi Options+. Choose Add Application, pick the program, then assign each F-key to a shortcut or a Smart Action from the Action Picker. Excel and Chrome are the pairing Logitech itself uses as an example, since cell editing and media playback pull in opposite directions.

What Happened to Logitech Options and SetPoint?

Both have been discontinued. Logitech Support now recommends Logi Options+ for the best experience with supported devices, and the retired tools are no longer where F-key behavior should be changed. Moving across also brings the per-application profiles the older apps never had.

Will My Fn Lock Setting Stay After I Turn the PC Off?

Reliably, only when Logi Options+ is installed. A hardware toggle set with Fn + Esc can reset once the keyboard loses power, which means pressing the combination again the next day. Software settings persist across reboots for as long as the app remains installed on that user profile.

Start at the keyboard before installing anything. Press Fn and Esc, tap F5 in a browser, and one second later you know which layer is on top. Install Logi Options+ when the answer needs to hold overnight or change from program to program, and keep the Fn key in reserve for the occasional press that falls outside whatever you set.

What This Page Does Not Publish

  • I do not list every Logitech model with Fn lock, so check the padlock symbols on your own keyboard.
  • I do not cover BIOS settings, G HUB, or support for older Logitech keyboards here.
  • I do not give personalised advice for multi-computer setups or unusual keyboard behaviour.

References

Author Profile

Eric Dawson
Eric Dawson
I'm Eric Dawson, the writer behind The Money Watch. I live in the Columbus, Ohio area and I write about the ordinary questions that turn out to be complicated: computers, shopping, food, travel, parking, small businesses, fees, rules and products. Every article starts with the official page, the maker or the agency, then the sources that check it, and I say plainly where they disagree and what I would do. More about how I work is on the About page.