Unofficial archive. This is a read-only, community-run archive of the Apple Support Community. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.

Emoji screen randomly popping up

how do I eliminate emoji screen randomly popping up on any screen?

1 reply

To stop the emoji screen from randomly popping up on your Mac, change the behavior of the Globe or Function (fn) key in your system settings.


Change Globe/Fn Key Settings

  • Click the Apple logo () in the top-left corner of your screen.
  • Select System Settings
  • Scroll down and click on Keyboard in the sidebar.
  • Click the Keyboard Shortcuts button then select Modifier Keys in the sidebar.
  • Set Globe 🌐 key to No Action



More info: Change the behavior of the modifier keys on Mac - Apple Support


Alternative Fixes If It Persists

  • Check for a stuck key: A physically stuck or overly sensitive fn/Globe key or a rogue shortcut (Control + Command + Space) can trigger the window. Try pressing the fn key once firmly to reset it.
  • Restart your Mac: A quick reboot clears temporary system glitches causing input dialogs to misbehave