Controlling the volume on your Mac with the F11 and F12 function keys is easy to set up. Here are step-by-step instructions to get F11 and F12 mapped to control volume up and volume down on a Mac.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Control Volume
The fastest way to control volume on a Mac is by using keyboard shortcuts. By default, the following keyboard shortcuts control volume on a Mac:
- Volume Up: ⌥ + ⇧ + ↑ (Option + Shift + Up Arrow)
- Volume Down: ⌥ + ⇧ + ↓ (Option + Shift + Down Arrow)
While these shortcuts work, they require pressing three keys simultaneously. Mapping Volume Up and Down to the F11 and F12 function keys allows controlling volume with just one key press.
Map Volume Control to F11 and F12
To map volume control to the F11 and F12 keys:
- Go to > System Preferences > Keyboard
- Select the Keyboard tab
- Check the box next to “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys”
- Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab
- Select Volume from the left sidebar
- Click the “+” button below the right pane
- Select F11 from the pop-up menu
- Select Volume Up from the additional pop-up menu
- Click Add
- Repeat steps 6-9 for F12 and Volume Down
This maps the F11 key to Volume Up and the F12 key to Volume Down. Now you can control system volume by just pressing F11 or F12!
Customize Volume Increment
By default, pressing F11 or F12 will increase or decrease volume by 7%. You can customize this increment amount in System Preferences:
- Go back to > System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts
- Select Volume Up (or Volume Down)
- Change the volume increment percentage
- Click OK
This allows setting a smaller or larger volume change amount per key press. For example, changing to 2% for a finer volume control.
Disable macOS Volume HUD
Each time F11 or F12 is pressed to change volume, macOS displays a large volume HUD (heads-up display). This can be distracting and is not necessary since volume level is shown in the menu bar.
To disable the volume HUD:
- Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/)
- Enter the following command:
defaults write com.apple.sound.beep.feedback -bool false
- Press return
- Quit and relaunch Terminal
This will prevent the volume change HUD from appearing when using F11/F12 or any other volume shortcut.
Customize Volume Keys Further with Third-Party Apps
For further customization options, third-party Mac apps can override the system volume keys and provide additional features:
Mute/Unmute Microphone
Apps like Sound Control allow assigning keyboard shortcuts to mute/unmute the microphone.
Fine Volume Control
MB Volume Control lets you set finer increments (e.g. 1% volume change) for volume up/down keys.
System-Wide Shortcuts
Apps like Karabiner-Elements can create volume key shortcuts that work across all apps.
Custom Triggers
Triggering volume keys when pressing caps lock or other unused keys is possible with apps like Lingon.
Conclusion
With just a few steps, the function keys F11 and F12 can be easily mapped to control volume up and down on a Mac:
- Enable “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” in System Preferences > Keyboard
- Assign F11 to Volume Up and F12 to Volume Down in Keyboard Shortcuts
- Customize volume increment amount
- Disable volume HUD in Terminal
For additional customization like fine volume control, mute microphone and system-wide shortcuts, third-party Mac apps can override and enhance the default volume key mappings.
Controlling volume directly from the keyboard makes adjusting audio quick and convenient. Take advantage of the underutilized F11 and F12 keys to avoid reaching for the mouse each time volume needs adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t F11 and F12 control volume on my Mac?
If F11 and F12 don’t control volume after mapping the function keys, make sure “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” is enabled in System Preferences > Keyboard. On some MacBooks this setting may be disabled by default.
Can I customize volume control keys other than F11 and F12?
Yes, any of the function keys F1 through F12 can be mapped to control volume up/down in System Preferences. Additionally, third-party apps allow customizing volume triggers like Caps Lock.
How do I mute audio quickly with a keyboard shortcut?
To mute audio, map one of the function keys to the “Mute” audio function in System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts. Alternatively, apps like Sound Control provide dedicated mute/unmute microphone shortcuts.
Why does macOS show a volume HUD whenever I change volume?
The volume change heads-up display is default macOS behavior. It can be disabled by entering a Terminal command to prevent the HUD from appearing when using keyboard volume shortcuts.
Can I control volume on external displays and TVs connected to my Mac?
Keyboard shortcuts only adjust your Mac’s internal speaker or headphone volume by default. To control volume on external displays, use the volume buttons on the display/TV or an app like Display Menu that adds external display volume to the Mac menu bar.
Video Tutorial
Here is a video walking through how to set up F11 and F12 for volume control on a Mac:
Follow along with the steps in the video to quickly get F11 and F12 controlling volume.
Table Summary
| Function Key | Action |
|---|---|
| F11 | Volume Up |
| F12 | Volume Down |
This table provides a quick summary of the function keys mapped to volume controls.
Other Resources
For more information on customizing keyboard shortcuts on a Mac, check out these additional resources: