If pressing Fn/Globe opens emoji instead of starting SuprFlow, first open SuprFlow → Hotkey and confirm Fn Key is the selected activation method. Then check whether that screen shows Accessibility Permission Required. In SuprFlow, Fn recording depends on a working macOS event tap; when the tap is unavailable, SuprFlow warns that the key may also open Apple's emoji picker. Test with a fictional sentence in a blank local note, not a client document.
There are two separate controls here. macOS Keyboard settings can assign emoji, input-source switching, or other behavior to a press of the Fn/Globe key. SuprFlow's current Fn mode uses an Accessibility-backed event tap and temporarily maps Globe/Fn to F18 so it can recognize press and release while suppressing the emoji picker. Changing the macOS preference alone does not prove that SuprFlow's event tap is healthy.
Check the shortcut in order
- Look at the app's Hotkey screen. Choose Fn Key if you want hold-to-record. This mode starts on a press and transcribes after release. Custom Hotkey has different behavior: press once to start and again to stop. If a custom shortcut is selected, pressing Fn should not be your test.
- Check the warning in that same screen. The Hotkey screen displays Accessibility Permission Required when Fn mode is selected and the event tap is unavailable. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, find SuprFlow, and check its permission. Apple explains that this grants a third-party app access to control the Mac; confirm the installed app is the intended signed copy before granting it.
- Return to SuprFlow and test one short phrase. Click a blank note, hold Fn, say “The sample meeting starts on Thursday,” and release. Look for the recording indicator and then the text. If you just changed permission, quit and reopen SuprFlow before retesting so it can register the hotkey again.
- Inspect Apple's Fn/Globe assignment. In System Settings → Keyboard, check Press fn key to or Press Globe key to. Apple documents an option to show Emoji & Symbols. If you want to avoid competition with another Fn action, choose a different system behavior. Treat this as a conflict check, not as a substitute for SuprFlow's Accessibility permission.
- Try a custom shortcut as an isolation test. Select Custom Hotkey, use Record New Hotkey or a preset, and pick a combination that another app does not already use. In this mode, press to start and press again to stop. If it works while Fn does not, the microphone and speech model are probably functioning; focus on Fn event-tap/remap behavior. If neither mode records, follow the broader first-use troubleshooting guide.
Do not run hidutil commands from an article to force a key mapping. The app sets and removes its own Globe/Fn-to-F18 mapping, and another keyboard utility or managed-device policy can affect the same keyboard behavior. On a managed Mac, ask the device administrator about blocked Accessibility permission or competing keyboard software before changing device policy.
If it worked earlier and stopped after sleep
SuprFlow 1.0.0 tries to repair its event tap and remap when the Mac wakes or unlocks, and has a periodic health check. That is not proof that every signed build or keyboard recovers. Quit and reopen SuprFlow, confirm the Hotkey warning is gone, and repeat the harmless note test. Record the Mac model, macOS version, keyboard type, SuprFlow version, selected hotkey mode, and whether the failure follows sleep or a keyboard change. Send a support report without dictated client text.
If recording starts but the words go to the wrong field or never paste, Fn is no longer the main issue. Follow the insertion checklist and verify which window has focus before using sensitive content.
Questions people ask
Is the macOS emoji setting the only cause?
No. macOS may assign emoji to Fn/Globe, but SuprFlow's Fn mode also needs a working Accessibility event tap and its own key remap. Check both the app's warning and the Mac's Keyboard setting.
Can I use SuprFlow without the Fn key?
The current Hotkey screen offers Custom Hotkey with a recorded combination or preset. It uses press-to-toggle recording. Test a combination that does not trigger a shortcut in your destination app.
Does changing my hotkey change where dictation data goes?
No. The hotkey controls how recording starts and stops. The selected speech model, formatting provider, local history, and destination app determine the data path. Review where dictation goes before confidential work.
Related guides
- Change the SuprFlow hotkey
- Set up SuprFlow and make a first dictation
- Fix recording that does not paste into an app
- What Accessibility lets SuprFlow read
- Where does SuprFlow send dictation?