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I know how to use the menu items using only the keyboard. Is there anyway I can access the icons in the top right as well?

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If you have "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" checked in System Preferences → Keyboard → Keyboard tab

Ctrl + F8 moves the keyboard focus to the icons in the menubar

If you have "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" unchecked in System Preferences → Keyboard → Keyboard tab

Ctrl + Fn + F8 moves the keyboard focus to the icons in the menubar

Although the leftmost user-installed ones on my computer cannot be accessed, you can then use the cursor keys to move and to bring up the menu associated with the icon.

In addition, Ctrl + F2 (or Ctrl + Fn +F2) moves keyboard focus to the menubar items.

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    Ctrl + Fn + F8 works too! Commented May 9, 2012 at 11:39
  • @c0smikdebris Ah, yes. Thanks! This means you don't need to check the "Use all F1, F2..." setting if you use the Fn key. Would you mind if I added this to the answer? Commented May 9, 2012 at 12:16
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    Ctrl + Fn + F8 only works for SOME of these icons. The ones I rarely use, not the ones added by applications. Like the one for my VPN. Commented Jun 28, 2020 at 20:50

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