How to stop the Globe (Fn) key opening the emoji picker on a Mac
The short answer
Open System Settings → Keyboard and change "Press 🌐 key to" (or "Press fn key to") from Show Emoji & Symbols to Do Nothing. The key then does nothing on its own, and you can still open the emoji picker with Fn-E or Control-Command-Space. The same menu can make the key change the input source or start Dictation when pressed twice. Flit, a local dictation app for Mac, uses a held Globe key for dictation, which is why it asks for this setting to be Do Nothing.
How to change what the Globe key does
- Open the Apple menu → System Settings.
- Click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Find the menu labelled Press 🌐 key to. On a keyboard without a Globe symbol it reads "Press fn key to".
- Choose Do Nothing.
- To open emoji from now on, press Fn-E (🌐-E) or Control-Command-Space, or choose Edit → Emoji & Symbols.
The setting takes effect at once. There is nothing to restart.
The Globe key sits in the bottom-left corner of Apple keyboards, where the Fn key has always been, and it does two jobs. Held with another key it is Fn. Pressed on its own it does whatever this one menu says. The table lists the four choices, as Apple describes them.
What "Press 🌐 key to" can do
| Option | What happens | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|
| Change Input Source | Switches between keyboard layouts for writing in other languages | You type in more than one language |
| Show Emoji & Symbols | Opens the Character Viewer for emoji and symbols | You want one-key emoji |
| Start Dictation | Starts Apple’s Dictation when you press the key twice | You use the built-in Dictation |
| Do Nothing | Nothing happens | The key keeps getting in your way, or another app uses it |
You keep the emoji picker
Setting the key to Do Nothing removes one way in, not the picker. Apple’s list of keyboard shortcuts gives two that always work: Control-Command-Space, and Fn-E. The Edit menu of most apps also has Emoji & Symbols at the bottom.
Fn-E is the easier one to learn if you were used to the Globe key, because your finger is already there: hold Globe, tap E.
Why it keeps opening by accident
The key sits in the corner next to Control, and it acts on a single press. So it opens the picker when you reach for Control and land one key short, or when you let go of an Fn shortcut, such as Fn with an arrow key, slightly out of order.
If choosing a Dictation shortcut changed it
The two settings are linked. Apple’s Dictation page notes that choosing a Dictation shortcut can change the "Press 🌐 key to" option automatically, for example to Start Dictation. If the key started behaving differently after you set up Dictation, that is why. Set the menu back to what you want; your Dictation shortcut can be something else.
Using the Globe key for dictation
Apple’s own Dictation can sit on this key, with the Start Dictation option: press it twice to start.
Other dictation apps use the key differently: you hold it while you speak and release it to finish, which is called push-to-talk. For that to work, a single press must not also open the emoji picker, which is why those apps ask you to choose Do Nothing.
What Flit does with the Globe key
In Flit, holding the Globe key is how you dictate: hold, speak, let go, and finished text lands at your cursor. With "Press 🌐 key to" set to Do Nothing, the key is free for that.
- Hold to talk, release to finish. Double-tap Fn to keep recording hands-free.
- Fn shortcuts still work. Flit sees that another key went down and treats it as a shortcut, not a dictation, so Fn-E still opens emoji and Fn with the arrows still pages.
- Prefer to keep the Globe key for emoji? Choose a custom shortcut in Flit’s Settings → Keyboard and leave the key alone.
- Everything runs on the Mac, and nothing you say is sent anywhere.
- Flit is free for 7 days with every feature on, then $19 once, with no account and no subscription.
Good to know
- A custom shortcut in Flit has to be a modifier plus a key, such as Option-Shift-Space. A single key on its own, other than Globe, is not supported.
- Apple’s Dictation is free and already on your Mac. If it does what you need, you do not need Flit.
- Flit runs on a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, and its voice model is a download of about 0.5 to 2.3 GB that you choose once.
- Flit’s spoken commands, such as "new paragraph", are in English today.
Questions people ask
How do I stop the Fn key opening emoji on my Mac?
System Settings → Keyboard, then set "Press 🌐 key to" (or "Press fn key to") to Do Nothing.
How do I open the emoji picker after turning the Globe key off?
Press Fn-E or Control-Command-Space, or choose Edit → Emoji & Symbols in the menu bar.
What is the Globe key on a Mac?
It is the Fn key on newer Apple keyboards, marked with a globe. Held with another key it works as Fn. Pressed alone it does what "Press 🌐 key to" in Keyboard settings says: change the input source, show emoji, start Dictation, or nothing.
Can I make the Globe key start dictation?
Yes. Choose Start Dictation in the same menu, and Apple’s Dictation starts when you press the key twice.
Is there a dictation app that works by holding the Globe key?
Yes. Flit is a local dictation app for Mac: hold the Globe key, speak, and release, and finished text lands in any app. Flit is free for 7 days with every feature on, then $19 once, with no account and no subscription.