The Magic Keyboard has built-in features that make it easy to add emoji, change keyboard languages, lock your iMac, and perform many tasks with the touch of a key. You can use Magic Keyboard anywhere within range of your computer. To charge or pair your Magic Keyboard to your iMac, connect it to your Mac using a USB-C Charge Cable.
Depending on your iMac model and your configuration choices, you may have a Magic Keyboard with Lock key, a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, or a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad.
Connect your Magic Keyboard to your iMac
If you bought your Magic Keyboard with your iMac, it’s already paired and ready to use. To turn on your Magic Keyboard, slide the on/off switch so the green is visible and you’re ready to go.
If you bought your Magic Keyboard separately from your iMac or need to pair it again, connect it to your iMac with the cable that it came with. Slide the on/off switch so the green is visible, and your Magic Keyboard pairs.
Note: If you don’t have the cable that came with your Magic Keyboard, find one that matches the port on your Magic Keyboard and the USB-C port on your iMac. You can also use an adapter, if needed.
The image above shows Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, though depending on your iMac model and configuration choices, you may have a Magic Keyboard with Lock key or a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad.
Touch ID or Lock Key
Depending on your Magic Keyboard model, you have either a Lock Key or Touch ID.
If you have a Lock Key, press the Lock Key to quickly lock your iMac. To unlock your Mac, press the Lock Key, then enter your password.
If you have Touch ID, lightly place your finger on the Touch ID sensor to unlock your iMac. (If you’ve started up or restarted your computer, you need to log in first by typing your password; after that initial login you can use Touch ID to sign in.) To lock your Mac, press the Touch ID sensor.
You can also use Touch ID to make online purchases securely with Apple Pay or to authenticate actions, like signing into a website with credentials that have been saved in the Passwords app. To set up Touch ID or add more fingerprints, open System Settings and click Touch ID in the sidebar.
Function keys
The function keys on the top row provide shortcuts for common system functions, like volume control and display brightness.
Function Key
What the key does
Display brightness (F1, F2)
Press to decrease the brightness of the display or to increase it.
Mission Control (F3)
Press to view what’s open on your iMac, including all your spaces and app windows.
Press to activate Dictation—you can dictate text wherever you can type (for example, in Messages, Mail, Pages, and other apps). To activate Siri, press and hold , then immediately speak your request.
Press to turn Do Not Disturb on or off. When Do Not Disturb is on, you won’t see or hear notifications on iMac, but you can view them later in Notification Center.
To learn more about using the Do Not Disturb Focus, see Set up a Focus.
Media (F7, F8, F9)
Press to rewind, to play or pause, or to fast-forward a song, movie, or slideshow.
Mute (F10)
Press to mute sound from the built-in speakers, the 3.5 mm headphone jack (like external speakers), or a Bluetooth audio device.
Volume (F11, F12)
Press or to decrease or increase the volume of sound from the built-in speakers, 3.5 mm headphone jack (like external speakers), or Bluetooth audio device.
Function (Fn) / key
You can add emoji and symbols with the Function (Fn) key , or set it up to perform different actions, like starting Dictation or changing your input source if you type in multiple languages.
Add an emoji or symbol
Press to open the Character Viewer, then scroll to browse emoji or click a category at the bottom of the viewer. You can also search for what you want. To add an emoji or symbol, click it.
Change what the Function key does
Open System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click the pop-up menu next to “Press to,” and choose an option.
