VANGUARD AIR 99 WIRELESS: F-Row Lock Explained

A new firmware update for the VANGUARD AIR 99 Wireless changes how the top row of keys behaves by default. The update introduces F-Row Lock, a toggle that determines whether the F-row keys prioritize their printed icon functions or their standard F1-F12 functions. This article explains what F-Row Lock is, why it was introduced, and how it works.

On most keyboards, the F-row's primary role is F1-F12, with secondary functions on the front or side of the keycap and accessed by holding Fn. The VANGUARD AIR 99 Wireless was designed differently from the start. Its F-row icons are printed directly on the top of the keycaps, with F1-F12 printed on the side, and in CORSAIR Web Hub, these functions are organized as the Main Layer rather than a secondary layer.

This layout mirrors the way function keys behave on Mac keyboards, where media and system controls are the default single-press behavior, making the VANGUARD AIR 99 Wireless versatile across both Windows and Mac systems.

Before this update, VANGUARD AIR 99 Wireless required holding Fn to reach the printed icon functions, with a direct press of F1-F12 mapped to the standard F-key functions, the same convention used across Windows keyboards.

With the new firmware, that default is reversed:

• F-Row Lock Off (default): Pressing F1-F12 directly activates the printed icon functions. Fn + F1-F12 accesses the standard F1-F12 functions.
• F-Row Lock On: Pressing F1-F12 directly accesses the standard F1-F12 functions. Fn + F1-F12 activates the printed icon functions.

To toggle F-Row Lock on or off, users can press Fn + Esc, giving them the ability to switch their F-row optimization without needing to open CORSAIR Web Hub.

Each key in the F-row has a printed icon representing its Main Layer function, alongside the standard F1-F12 keys. Here's what each key does when F-Row Lock is off, and the printed functions are active by default:

These are the same functions found in the Main Layer tab of CORSAIR Web Hub, and they cover the everyday system controls most users reach for: brightness, media controls, volume controls, and quick system actions. With F-Row Lock off, all of this is a single keypress away, no Fn required.

With F-Row Lock, the VANGUARD AIR 99 Wireless now covers multiple platforms seamlessly. Mac users get single-press access to the printed icon functions right out of the box, while Windows users can switch to F-Row Lock On for the standard F1-F12 layout they're used to. Rather than favoring one platform over the other, the update gives the VANGUARD AIR 99 Wireless the flexibility to feel native to whichever operating system it's connected to.