Karabiner-elements: Incorrect function key behaviors in new M1 MacBook Air

[xiao-zang]

The newly released MacBook Air with M1 processor has the following change to the function keys:

F4: Launchpad --> Spotlight
F5: Decrease keyboard brightness --> Dictation
F6: Increase keyboard brightness --> Toggle do not disturb

Turning on Karabiner Elements overrides those new defaults to the defaults of old keyboard layouts. Also, since Spotlight, Dictation and Toggle do not disturb are not included in the function key settings of Karabiner Elements Preferences, I cannot manually modify those function keys to what they are supposed to do on this new Mac (unless I turn off Karabiner Elements).

Therefore, could you add those three functions (Spotlight, Dictation and Toggle do not disturb) to the function key settings in Karabiner Elements Preferences? Then the users of new MacBook Air can change the functions of F4-F6 to match the new layout. Automatically detecting the new M1 model and adjusting the default settings to match the new layout will be a plus, but is not urgent.

Thank you!

[rickybright]

Exactly this. Adding them as functions might also benefit people using multiple computers by having key consistency.

[taylornd]

Spot on. I thought dictation wasn't working until I discovered this thread

[Muirium]

Another M1 Air user here looking forward to this fix! Consistency with function key legends is appreciated. (Indeed, those new legends are the one sneaky little physical tell for these all new Macs.)

[mrtolkien]

Same issue here, is there a possible workaround while this is getting worked on? As long as we know the keycode those new functions are supposed to send, it should be pretty easy to change their behaviour.

[Muirium]

I have tried that approach. You can remap Do Not Disturb to any key you like (so I used the underlying F-key) but Dictation doesn’t show up in System Preferences so I haven’t been able to restore that second key.

Ideally, assuming these new function keys are added to Karabiner, I’d map both of them to physical F-keys on my external keyboards too.

[anzksdk]

just figure this out, here is how I do it

[taylornd]

Brilliant. Just waiting for the crash fix now and we are good to go...

[Muirium]

Reassigning the Dictation key to F5 didn't seem to work for me. But then I disabled Siri, system-wide, and the modification sticks. There seems to be some kind of squabbling between the two functions (which Mac OS expects to be on the same key, one as quick press and one as hold). But as long as Siri isn't involved, dictation works.

Dictation mode is a little trigger-happy about turning off on key release however! Half the time I press F5 to trigger it, it immediately cancels. Native support for the Dictation key in Karabiner will be welcome for sure!

Also: Spotlight doesn't work well on F4. I have Command + Space deep wired into my mind, having been on the Mac back in Tiger when it first appeared. So I don't want to move Spotlight's main trigger. It does gave a secondary mode (to bring up a Finder window with an active Spotlight search) but assigning that to F4 in Sys Prefs just doesn't seem to do anything. EventViewer shows F4 is firing fine, but the system is plain ignoring it.

[ryankhart]

@anzksdk Thank you for those screenshots!

I ended up rebinding the Spotlight, Dictation, and Do Not Disturb function buttons as F13, F14, and F15 respectively just in case I end up using some obscure app in the future that requires me to actually use F10, F11, or F12. Anything after F12 usually seems to be a blank slate as most keyboards don't even have those keys on the keyboard.

[DETstru]

Throwing in another hat to the want-to-see and update mix. thanks

[tekezo]

Thank you for feedbacks!
I've added spotlight and dictation key at the latest beta version.

How to upgrade Karabiner-Elements to the latest beta version:
https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/docs/manual/operation/check-for-updates/

I'm searching the HID usage page / usage of toggle do not distrub key, however it is not found yet.
Please assign shortcut for Do Not Disturb as above.

[Muirium]

Brilliant! Just installed and loving the update. Leaving F6 mapped to F6, and Do Not Disturb set to F6 in Preferences, works well enough. The real win is getting Spotlight and Dictate keys back, as they were fiddlier. You have my gratitude!

Now I wonder where Apple tucked away the Do Not Disturb HID code, and indeed why!