Disable Caps Lock Indicator on macOS Sonoma

OK maryo10 and others asking, here goes. There is nothing magic about using Terminal for Apple if you follow the steps verbatim and copy and paste the Command exactly as printed from a trusted source. 

First you have to be logged on your computer as the Administrator. In other words you need to be logged on and able to make changes by entering your username/admin password.

Here is how to access the Terminal app

Go to Applications/Utilities/Terminal App. Open The Terminal App

Once open Click Return/Enter (you should see your computer name and your user name) Now you are ready to enter the command

Copy and Paste (do not try to write it) the command that yochess posted. Disable Caps Lock Indicator on macOS Sono… - Apple Community The post is the third post I believe.

I will reprint it here but all credit goes to yochees This command has worked perfectly for me. MacBookPro running Sonoma

Make sure you copy and paste exactly as written. No spaces and no deletions.

With Terminal app open and your username showing copy the first line of the command and paste to the Terminal app.

Click Return/Enter and it will ask for your admin password. Enter password and click Return/Enter

First line of command

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

Now copy the last two lines of the command and paste to the Terminal app.

Click Return/Enter.

Last two lines of command

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plist

Now restart your computer. All done.

Hope this helps.

19JAAM65 wrote:

Can someone explain how to do this to a lay person who is not technologically adept. How does the unsavvy internet user do this?

To permanently disable the new Caps Lock icon/indicator that came with macOS Sonoma, do the following easy steps:

1. Go to your Applications folder (Finder: menu: Go: Applications). Sort alphabetically and go down to the Utilities folder. (alternatively, in the Finder, hit ⌘-Shift-U and the Utilities folder window should pop up.)

2. In the Utilities folder, you'll find an app called Terminal. Double click to open it.

3. In the resulting Terminal window, you'll see some text and a blinking box (instead of a cursor). None of that really matters, it's just to let you know you're in the right place.

4. Copy and paste this line of text in your Terminal window:

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

Then hit the Return key.

(don't type out that line of code, to avoid missing proper spacing, etc. Just copy and paste it into your Terminal window).

5. Now copy and paste this next line of text in your same Terminal Window:

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plist

Then hit the Return key.

6. You'll now see the Terminal window say "Password:_" with a key icon in place of the cursor. Go ahead and slowly and carefully type out your Mac's user account password. Note: you won't see the Terminal window respond to your keystrokes as you type out your standard user account password. Just know that it's accepting the keys. Hit Return.

You'll see some a line or two more of resulting text in your Terminal Window, probably something like "redesigned_text_cursor: Enabled"

7. Quit Terminal. (Command-Q).

8. Restart your Mac, and the stupid Caps Lock Indicator should now be permanently gone.

Found a solution. In Terminal:

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plist

Then reboot. After reboot - problem solved.

No not that. It involves coping and pasting into terminal and then rebooting. From Yoshee and I reposted it on the 5th page. It would be nice if this site had a way to flag the solution.

Found a solution. In Terminal:

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plist

Then reboot. After reboot - problem solved.

'Intrusive' isn't the word! There's no way to turn off this annoying feature, which is just as annoying!

hdworrell wrote:

Please tell me someone has figured this out.

No one can figure it out. Apple would have to change it. As mentioned a few times in the thread. You can send Apple feedback.

Feedback - macOS - Apple

We can turn it off completely through this solution posted here:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77248249/disable-macos-sonoma-text-insertion-point-cursor-caps-lock-indicator

I did it (and had never used Script Editor in my life) and it worked perfectly.

I don´t understand what is the solution.

To permanently disable the new Caps Lock icon/indicator that came with macOS Sonoma, do the following easy steps:

1. Go to your Applications folder (Finder: menu: Go: Applications). Sort alphabetically and go down to the Utilities folder. (alternatively, in the Finder, hit ⌘-Shift-U and the Utilities folder window should pop up.)

2. In the Utilities folder, you'll find an app called Terminal. Double click to open it.

3. In the resulting Terminal window, you'll see some text and a blinking box (instead of a cursor). None of that really matters, it's just to let you know you're in the right place.

4. Copy and paste this line of text in your Terminal window:

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

Then hit the Return key.

(don't type out that line of code, to avoid missing proper spacing, etc. Just copy and paste it into your Terminal window).

5. Now copy and paste this next line of text in your same Terminal Window:

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plist

Then hit the Return key.

6. You'll now see the Terminal window say "Password:_" with a key icon in place of the cursor. Go ahead and slowly and carefully type out your Mac's user account password. Note: you won't see the Terminal window respond to your keystrokes as you type out your standard user account password. Just know that it's accepting the keys. Hit Return.

You'll see some a line or two more of resulting text in your Terminal Window, probably something like "redesigned_text_cursor: Enabled"

7. Quit Terminal. (Command-Q).

8. Restart your Mac, and the stupid Caps Lock Indicator should now be permanently gone.

You can of course disable the Caps Key in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts… > Modifier Keys.

Goto the utilities folder in your applications directory. Open terminal copy and paste the first part of what he wrote and hit enter.

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

Type the passcode for your Mac and hit enter. Then copy and paste the second part and hit enter.

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plist

It will say creating a directory or something like that but it will look like nothing happened. Reboot and BYE BYE ICON!

This worked for me. It’s from The Mac Observer.

Paste into Terminal:

sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain

Enter your password.

Then paste

sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add 'redesigned_text_cursor:Enabled' bool false" /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/UIKit.plistand

Enter your pass again.

Restart your Mac.

richardm04 wrote:

While i am sure this may be useful for some, for me it is not, is there any way to disable it?

No.

richardm04 wrote:

To clarify, disabling the caps key is not what i'm asking, this is not an appropriate solution. I would like to know if there is a plist variable I can change to disable the indicator from showing in the interface.

No

This "feature" also reeks havoc if you are using the VoiceOver screen reader. Intrusive doesn't even begin to describe the sheer annoyance of having this indicator pop up. I never asked for this and there's no way to turn it off.

kw210 wrote:

Apple should make this feature optional-- who need an annoying arrow to remind them they turn the locks on.

As has been mentioned a number of times in this thread, feel free to send Apple feedback. There's nothing anyone here can do about it.

Feedback - macOS - Apple