MacOS – Typing option+s results in surprise emoji (?) instead of eszett (ß)

emojiinternationalizationkeyboardmacos

Up until a few days ago typing option+s resulted in the German eszett (ß). Currently typing option+s results in the insertion of the surprise emoji (?). If I bring up the Keyboard Viewer and press the option key by itself, I can see that in theory at least typing s should insert ß as I would expect. Clicking on the ß character in the Keyboard Viewer also inserts a ?.

I have tried

a different keyboard layout which provides option+s as ß: surprise emoji
activating the standard German keyboard and pressing the key to the left of 0 (zero): ß
disabling Karabiner, although nothing in the settings suggests such a substitution to be active: surprise emoji

As indicated in an older question, the emoji substitution check doesn’t work on Big Sur.

Do you have any idea how I can debug what is causing this? I cannot recall installing anything recently which might be causing such a change.

Best Answer

I have successfully found out where the replacement was coming from - it turns out there was an entry in ~/Library/KeyBindings/DefaultKeyBinding.dict which mapped option+s to the surprise emoji. I had forgotten putting the entry in there.

Related Solutions

How to make keyboard viewer to automatically show up only when I’m holding the option key

You could use a private.xml like this with KeyRemap4MacBook:

<root>
  <vkopenurldef>
    <name>KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_KEYBOARDVIEWER</name>
    <url>file:///System/Library/Input%20Methods/KeyboardViewer.app</url>
  </vkopenurldef>
  <vkopenurldef>
    <name>KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_QUITKEYBOARDVIEWER</name>
    <url>file:///Applications/QuitKeyboardViewer.app</url>
  </vkopenurldef>
  <item>
    <name>test</name>
    <identifier>test</identifier>
    <autogen>
    __KeyToKey__ KeyCode::OPTION_L,
    ModifierFlag::OPTION_L | ModifierFlag::NONE,
    KeyCode::OPTION_L,
    Option::KEYTOKEY_BEFORE_KEYDOWN,
    KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_KEYBOARDVIEWER,
    Option::KEYTOKEY_AFTER_KEYUP,
    KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_QUITKEYBOARDVIEWER
    </autogen>
    <autogen>
    __KeyToKey__ KeyCode::OPTION_R,
    ModifierFlag::OPTION_R | ModifierFlag::NONE,
    KeyCode::OPTION_R,
    Option::KEYTOKEY_BEFORE_KEYDOWN,
    KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_KEYBOARDVIEWER,
    Option::KEYTOKEY_AFTER_KEYUP,
    KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_QUITKEYBOARDVIEWER
    </autogen>
  </item>
</root>

Save this script as /Applications/QuitKeyboardViewer.app in AppleScript Editor:

quit application "KeyboardViewer"

There is a noticeable (but not that long) delay before KeyboardViewer is opened or closed. If for example you hold option and command simultaneously, KeyboardViewer is shown if you press option first but not if you press command first.

MacOS – CTRL + CMD + SPACE brings up Characters window instead of Emoji window

I think you just need to Collapse the Character Viewer by clicking the button next to the search field.

Character viewer title bar

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13867

Best Answer

Related Solutions

How to make keyboard viewer to automatically show up only when I’m holding the option key

MacOS – CTRL + CMD + SPACE brings up Characters window instead of Emoji window

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