To use F5 as a standard function key, focus the app you want to refresh and press F5. If the key instead changes a hardware setting—or does nothing—try Fn+F5, check the keyboard’s function-key mode, and confirm the intended app has focus. On a Mac, hold Fn/Globe with F5 or change the function-key setting in macOS.
What F5 normally does
In Windows, F5 refreshes the active window. It also refreshes the window in File Explorer. The command goes to the focused app, so click the window you want to refresh before pressing the key. Some applications assign their own actions to function keys.
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Microsoft’s Windows keyboard-shortcut reference lists F5 as refreshing the active window.
Use F5 on Windows
- Click the app or window you want to refresh.
- Press F5 once.
- If the key triggers a hardware action instead, press Fn+F5 once. If that sends the refresh command, the keyboard’s top row is likely prioritizing its alternate action.
Some keyboards provide a mode switch such as Fn Lock or F Lock; laptops may also have a manufacturer-specific hotkey setting. Names and behavior vary by model, so consult the documentation for the exact computer or keyboard rather than assuming a setting path applies universally.
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Use F5 on a Mac
Apple keyboards can use the top row for built-in Mac features by default. To send the standard F5 command, hold Fn or Globe while pressing F5.
To make standard function keys the default on macOS Ventura or later, open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys, then enable Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys. On earlier macOS releases, Apple’s documented route is Apple menu > System Preferences > Keyboard, where you select the same option. The standard-function-key preference may not appear for a non-Apple keyboard; in that case, check the keyboard maker’s utility or documentation.
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Apple’s function-key guidance explains the top-row behavior and setting. What standard F5 does after it reaches an app depends on that app.
Recommended Free Tools
Understand Fn, Fn Lock, and F Lock
Many keyboards put a standard F-key command and a hardware action on the same key. The Fn key can switch between them, but which action happens by default—and whether Fn Lock is available—depends on the keyboard.
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- Low profile keys for a more comfortable and quiet keystroke, desktop-centric design, splash resistant
On some Microsoft keyboards, F Lock toggles standard and alternate commands. Microsoft documents that, on those keyboards, an illuminated F Lock means standard F1–F12 commands are active; with the light off, alternate commands are active. That light convention applies to the described keyboard designs, not every manufacturer’s keyboard.
Microsoft’s keyboard guidance describes Fn and F Lock behavior for its accessories. For a laptop-specific example, Lenovo’s E41-50 manual shows F5 as refresh and describes a UEFI hotkey mode that determines whether a hotkey works directly or with Fn. That configuration should not be assumed for other models.
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Troubleshoot when F5 does not work
- It refreshes the wrong window or appears to do nothing: focus the intended app first. The active app receives the shortcut, and its own function-key assignments may affect the result.
- It changes brightness, volume, or another hardware feature: try Fn+F5. If that gives you standard F5, check for Fn Lock, F Lock, or a model-specific hotkey mode.
- On a Mac, it controls a built-in feature: hold Fn/Globe with F5, or change the standard-function-key preference in Keyboard settings.
- The combination still fails: check the exact keyboard or computer model’s documentation. Without the model, operating system, and current key behavior, a precise mode-switch instruction cannot be identified.
External and compact keyboards
Look for a secondary icon printed on the F5 key and for an Fn, Fn Lock, or F Lock key. These markings can help identify whether F5 shares a hardware command, but manufacturers differ in their layouts and switching methods. If you connect a non-Apple keyboard to a Mac and do not see the function-key preference, follow the keyboard maker’s instructions.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The Lenovo 300 USB keyboard offers an intuitive and comfortable island key design with 2 5 zone layout including separate number pad
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