Fact · Dictation on Mac
Apple says that by default, when you use a function key from F1 through F12 in a VoiceOver command, you must also press the Fn key, and that on some Macs you can change this behavior.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“By default, when you use a function key (F1 through F12) in a VoiceOver command, you must also press the Fn key.”
Control your Mac with keyboard commands (VoiceOver User Guide), Apple Support, 2026, Control your Mac with keyboard commands, Note.
Open the original- What it measures
- This is the rule for VoiceOver commands. It is one reason a VoiceOver key combination with an F-key can seem to do nothing on a laptop where the top row controls screen brightness and similar features.
- What it does not show
- Apple's note is about VoiceOver commands that use the VO modifier, such as VO-Fn-F8. Apple's turn-on-or-off page lists Command-F5 without Fn, so the note does not settle how Command-F5 behaves on every keyboard. Test it on your own Mac.