I used to be able to type a bullet point • with option-8. Now when I do that I get NOTHING. How do I turn that bullet back on? OS 15.3.2.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iMac 24″, macOS 15.3
What about other Option-key combinations? Is it just Option-8 that's affected?
Since Option-8 is almost universally •, and you've checked your Keyboard Input Sources for rogue languages/keyboards, the next suggestion would be an override. Two places come to mind;
First would be Settings -> Keyboard -> Text Replacements which can be used to automatically substitute words, phrases and other keystroke for other characters. See if Option-8 is listed there and replaced with something else.
The second option would be Settings -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shortcuts where key combinations can be setup to initiate actions such as launch an app, select a menu item, etc. Also in here are overrides for the Command, Option and Control keys, so make sure they haven't been remapped (for example, it's possible to tell the OS that you want the Option key to act like the Command Key, which could result in what you're seeing).
These options aren't known to change on their own, though, so if that is the solution, either you change it (inadvertently), or someone else changed it (as a prank?).
What about other Option-key combinations? Is it just Option-8 that's affected?
Since Option-8 is almost universally •, and you've checked your Keyboard Input Sources for rogue languages/keyboards, the next suggestion would be an override. Two places come to mind;
First would be Settings -> Keyboard -> Text Replacements which can be used to automatically substitute words, phrases and other keystroke for other characters. See if Option-8 is listed there and replaced with something else.
The second option would be Settings -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shortcuts where key combinations can be setup to initiate actions such as launch an app, select a menu item, etc. Also in here are overrides for the Command, Option and Control keys, so make sure they haven't been remapped (for example, it's possible to tell the OS that you want the Option key to act like the Command Key, which could result in what you're seeing).
These options aren't known to change on their own, though, so if that is the solution, either you change it (inadvertently), or someone else changed it (as a prank?).
Dannymac22 wrote:
Nope, those don't do anything. Rather bizzarely option-number key sometimes produces oriental characters!
Have you installed anything recently that would affect what you type! You can try the new voodoo, start up in safe mode, then restart normally.. Safe mode will disable any third-party system modifications, and also clear system caches. So while in safe mode, try the option Kehs And then restart normally and see if anything changes.
Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support
Dannymac22 wrote:
OK, an update. I set System Settings/Keyboard/Input Sources to "Show input menu in menu bar". Then I go to the menubar, and see that EITHER "U.S." or "Unicode Hex Input" is offered. I choose the former. I was trying to change that in System Settings, but i guess didn't manage to do so.
Go to system settings and use the minus button at the bottom of the All Input Sources list to remove Unicode Hex. That will ensure that you do not accidentally wind up using it by mistake in the future.
Does Option 8 • not work in any app, or just some?
To make a text replacement for it, see
Replace text and punctuation in documents on Mac - Apple Support
Copy the • from here if necessary.
Dannymac22 wrote:
Yes, as I said, my keyboard viewer DOES show a bullet for option-8, as you show here. (Though my keyboard, in the viewer, is titled "Keyboard - ANSI", if that makes any difference). I tried using several standard fonts, and none of them makes a bullet when I hit option-8. Oh, I also did a restart. No joy.
The ANSI part is normal. I am in Europe, my keyboard is ISO, you are probably in the US, so it's ANSI.
This minor difference does not impact most keys' positioning, certainly not the Option-8.
Did you test in Safe Mode? If it works in Safe Mode but not when starting normally, it means some third party software is causing a problem. In that case: Please run Etrecheck and post its full report here. Use the "additional text" button and paste the report into the text box.
I think it is pretty clear now that this is not a font problem.
Something appears to capture the keyboard input option-8 before the program expecting text input gets it.
It is surely a software issue, and not a font issue. We can at least set that aside.
I am not sure if this was asked and answered already (sorry if it was), but if not then it is useful to do another test: make a new user, login as that user, and try using option-8. Does it produce a bullet character or not?
The answer will determine whether this is affecting only your account or is a system wide problem.
You have probably changed your input source to something other than what you are used to using.
But I tried a few that are in English and they all make a bullet point.
Check Keyboard System Settings > Input Sources > Edit.
From the same menu where you can choose the Keyboard Layout as US or some other, choose Show Keyboard Viewer:
When you press the Option key, the 8 key should show the bullet. What do you see then?
If you do see the bullet as illustrated above, then the matter may due to whatever font you are using, so maybe try choosing a different font and seeing if that helps.
Dannymac22 wrote:
Yes, but what exactly needs to be set in Keyboard System Settings > Input Sources > Edit? Enable Keyboard Shortcuts doesn't do the trick. I turned on everything in that pane and it still doesn't do it.
You need to make sure that the correct input source is selected that you expected to be for instance mine is US and that produces a bullet when you press option eight. It’s not a shortcut. It’s not a keyboard shortcut. It is the character produced when you press that combination and that is mapped in the keyboard layout, I.E., input source
Since it does not work in any application, the next thing I'd try is going to
System Settings->Keyboard,
click on Keyboard Shortcuts, then click App Shortcuts, twirl open the "All Applications" disclosure triangle, and seeing if there is any shortcut there that is Option-8.
Hmm. Yes, that did it. A little strange. I type option-7, and get ¶, and I follow that with a space, and the ¶ turns into • .
Thank you. Wow, this is just nuts.
Dannymac22 wrote:
Very interesting! I switch to Unicode Hex and then hold down the option key while typing 2022 and YES, I get •.
My guess is that you have some non-Apple software installed which is hijacking option 8 for its own purposes.
Safe Mode and Etrecheck might help in verifying that.
Dannymac22 wrote:
Ah, well, it says that "U.S. and Unicode Hex Input" is listed for Input Sources. I go to edit, and I see listed both "U.S." and "Unicode Hex Input". So what am I supposed to do about that? I remove "Unicode Hex Input", such that the input source is just "U.S." and it makes no difference.
See Camelot’s post just before mine.
Not only try other option-key combinations, but also try the other Option key.
> I actually don't use any other option key combinations.
My question wasn't whether you use them, but whether they work at all.
If NO option-key combination works, then it's likely some setting with the option key (or a broken option key itself, which I suppose could be the issue).
If other option-key combos work, but option-8 doesn't then it's more likely to be a specific key combination/override.
Knowing that will help narrow down where to look for a solution.
Very interesting! I switch to Unicode Hex and then hold down the option key while typing 2022 and YES, I get •.
(Just plunked that bullet there in this post using this strategy.) So how do I get option-8 to do it under U.S. input???
It certainly is mysterious. One fix would be to move all your work to an account where this problem doesn't happen, but that seems a bit much for such an issue. Another would be to create a custom input source where • is on a different key. The Ukelele app can do that pretty easily. But an ordinary Text Replacement seems the easiest.
How do I restore the Option-8 bullet point shortcut in macOS 15.3.2?
