Version 12.2 of Pages broke support for function-key shortcuts for paragraph styles in Pages. I've reported this issue, but so far haven't heard about any fixes for it. Is this problem universal, or have some users managed to either get function keys working or never had the problem in the first place?
Mac Studio, macOS 12.6
I agree. Consider the OG workflow: start a new paragraph with a new style, hit the function-key shortcut, start typing. Start another paragraph with the original style, hit the function-key shortcut for that style, start typing.
NG workflow: start new paragraph, type a few characters, select them (with the mouse?), hit function-key shortcut, continue typing remainder of paragraph. Start another paragraph with the original style, type a few characters, select them ([CMD]-left-arrow?), hit function-key shortcut for original style, continue typing.
Yes, it works. Yes, it's ridiculous.
I agree. Consider the OG workflow: start a new paragraph with a new style, hit the function-key shortcut, start typing. Start another paragraph with the original style, hit the function-key shortcut for that style, start typing.
NG workflow: start new paragraph, type a few characters, select them (with the mouse?), hit function-key shortcut, continue typing remainder of paragraph. Start another paragraph with the original style, type a few characters, select them ([CMD]-left-arrow?), hit function-key shortcut for original style, continue typing.
Yes, it works. Yes, it's ridiculous.
Does selecting the content first that you want to apply the paragraph style too before you choose the function key shortcut make any difference. Does the globe (e.g. fn) + function key make any difference?
That actually does work. One of the most common styles I apply is a "quoted text" style where the type is set to 10p (vs 12p), with wider left and right margins. By far the most frequent use of this style is to copy text from somewhere (e.g. a web page), hit [FUNC]-3 to set the style, and then paste matching style. Then I hit [FUNC]-2 to set the style back to "body text" for the following ¶. If I paste the text first, select it, and then apply the style with the keyboard shortcut, the shortcut works. But you have to have selected at least a portion of the paragraph first, which is an unnecessary requirement since we're talking about paragraph styles here; you can't apply a paragraph style to anything less than an entire paragraph. And I confirmed: if you select say the first sentence of a four-sentence paragraph and then use the shortcut to apply a paragraph style, it applies the style to the entire paragraph, not just to the selected sentence.
This is a bit clumsier than my typical workflow, but it does work. It seems an odd reduction in function, but maybe it's not a bug after all, but rather the application of a questionable design decision. It's definitely slower and clumsier than the way it originally worked. It would be as if you couldn't use caps-lock before typing; you had to type the string first, select it, and then choose caps lock.
Using the Pages "Script" template (for plays, screenplays etc.). Function-key shortcuts (notably those in the Text paragraph styles for "Character", "Dialogue" etc.) used to work, but not now. I downloaded another version of the template, in case it was just the Pages-created one that was buggy, but it too would not function. Makes me think something is amiss with either Pages 12.2 or with the Monterey update. I, like the OP, notified the Apple Pages-boffins but have not heard back. Hopeful this will be resolved; used to be a fine little template for scripts etc, but now is a P.I.T.A.
Thanks Eric. Will try that.
And, perhaps on a comparable note, I found that the Format dropdown Copy Style/Paste Style (option-command-C and option-command-V) were also not working on another document. But just checked and now it does.
"Curious and curiouser", said Page Alice.
Imagine if every time you wanted to italicize a word, you had to type the word first, then select it, and then type [CMD]-i to italicize it. I use italics a lot. That would rapidly become tiresome.
But I use styles a lot, too.
see also:
Pages 12.2 misses function keys - Apple Community
It would be useful to send feedback to Apple, so they can correct this in the next update of Pages:
Same for me. I called Apple support but they haven’t even understood the problem. A Shame.
Thank you ericmurphysf for the alternative, but it’s very ridiculous 😭😭.
[Edited by Moderator]
Broken support for function-key shortcuts for paragraph styles in Pages
