Stop the emoji picker opening when you press Globe or fn

Why it happens

The Globe key, marked fn on some keyboards, is usually the bottom-left key, right next to Control. It's easy to tap by accident. When it's set to Show Emoji & Symbols, each tap opens the emoji picker.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings and click Keyboard in the sidebar.

2. Find Press 🌐 key to and choose Do Nothing from its pop-up menu. On a keyboard with an fn key and no Globe, it's called Press fn key to.

   Keyboard›Press 🌐 key to

3. If you type in more than one language, choose Change Input Source instead. The key then switches your keyboard language and leaves emoji alone.

4. Tap the Globe key once to check. Nothing should pop up now.

Still not fixed?

1. If the microphone starts listening when you press the key twice, that's the Dictation shortcut. Change it in Keyboard settings under Dictation, or turn Dictation off.

   Keyboard›Dictation›Shortcut

2. If the picker still appears, you may be pressing Control-Command-Space. That shortcut opens Emoji & Symbols whatever the Globe key is set to.

3. Using an external keyboard? Disconnect it and try the built-in keys. A sticky or faulty fn key can keep opening the picker.

4. If the picker opens by itself with no keys pressed, contact Apple Support or a repair shop. A key that triggers on its own is a hardware fault.