Question for Touchbar owners

[vatter69]

Im curious if it's possible to permanently display the traditional function keys. I read in reviews that by holding Fn they get displayed, however that's impractical in some use cases where you always want to show them.

Which brings me to my next question - can you create profiles for specific apps? I saw in the demo Video that it's possible to rearrange some buttons. Is this only working for Apps that already have Touchbar support? Can you create your own profiles? Does the App need to have specific Touchbar support or can i take any App and just create something on my own?

Really irritating that all the reviewers did not mention this and basically showcased what Apple already did during the launch event.

 

[carestudio]

I wish all the old function keys including volume control, brightness control, esc...etc can still be there, touch bar should not dynamically display them.

 

[yillbs]

I wish all the old function keys including volume control, brightness control, esc...etc can still be there, touch bar should not dynamically display them.

You want the F keys to be present ? The volume, screen brightness, quick mute, and al the functions the keys did are always on the screen.. regardless of what app you're in. You must just not be sending very much time with it, it's actually quite hard to miss.

The functions keys are always on screen, next to the mute button, their is a little arrow, just above the 9, when I want it, I can press it without even looking down. When I want to open spotlight, or something, I can do that by pressing above 9, then above 4... it'll become muscle memory over time, just as the function kets did so long ago.

 

[deadworlds]

In system preferences > Keyboard

There is an option to have the touch bar always display the traditional function keys of the older mac "screen brightness, keyboard backlight, play, pause, forward buttons.

The standard setting is that the functional keys are collapsed, so you press the little arrow to access the extended controls. Changing the settings allows the touch bar to always display the extended controls.

You can also have the FN keys always displayed, holding down the fn key will display the screen brightness, volume, etc buttons.



Standard Collapsed Controls



Extended Controls

 

[vatter69]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. About my 2nd question - user / app specific profiles - is this possible?

 

[deadworlds]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. About my 2nd question - user / app specific profiles - is this possible?

As it stands now, you can edit what each app displays on the touch bar. There are some exceptions, for example the Activity monitor app does not let you edit the touch bar. Also, the app needs to have support for the touch bar to edit what it displays.

 

[vatter69]

OK thanks, so any apps like Wine which does not have any support as of today is out of luck and will display what?

 

[Groovemaster17]

In system preferences > Keyboard

There is an option to have the touch bar always display the traditional function keys of the older mac "screen brightness, keyboard backlight, play, pause, forward buttons.

The standard setting is that the functional keys are collapsed, so you press the little arrow to access the extended controls. Changing the settings allows the touch bar to always display the extended controls.

You can also have the FN keys always displayed, holding down the fn key will display the screen brightness, volume, etc buttons.



Standard Collapsed Controls
View attachment 672894


Extended Controls

View attachment 672895

Wait... so can extended controls stay up there without collapsing ?

 

[deadworlds]

Wait... so can extended controls stay up there without collapsing ?

Yes

 

[therealseebs]

I have found ways to ask it to show the extended controls, I haven't found a way to just set it to esc/f1/f2/etc and have it stay there without something else being held.