macOS normally shows an accent picker when you hold some letter keys. That is useful for typing accented characters, but it can interfere with code editors, Terminal, games, and any workflow where a held key should repeat.
This guide applies to recent macOS versions and uses Terminal plus Keyboard settings.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if holding a key opens the accent menu instead of repeating, especially in editors or terminal apps where arrows, letters, and delete should repeat quickly.
Turn Off the Accent Popup
- Open Terminal.
- Run
defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false. - Quit and reopen the app where key repeat was failing. Use Command + Q rather than only closing a window.
- Test by holding a letter, arrow key, or Delete in that app.
- To restore the accent popup later, run the same command with
trueinstead offalseand reopen the app.
Adjust Repeat Speed
- Open System Settings > Keyboard.
- Move Key repeat rate toward Fast or Slow.
- Move Delay until repeat toward Short or Long.
- Test in a text field and adjust again if needed.
Extra Key Repeat Notes
Restart Apps Fully
Some apps cache keyboard behavior when launched. Quit and reopen them after changing the Terminal setting.
Check the Current Value
Run defaults read -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled. A value of 0 means press-and-hold accents are disabled; 1 means enabled.
Target One App Only
Replace -g with an app bundle ID to change only that app, such as VS Code. You can find a bundle ID with osascript -e 'id of app "AppName"'.
A Small Delay Is Normal
Even the fastest settings have a slight built-in delay before repeat begins.
Sources
- Apple Support: Change keyboard settings on Mac
- Apple Support: Use Terminal on Mac
- Apple Developer: Text input source and key event documentation