Key Repeat Does Not Work on Mac

Enable Key Repeating on MacOS

 Posted on February 10, 2022  (Last modified on August 19, 2026)  • Other languages: 日本語
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A note on fixing key repeat (holding a key) when it does not work with a U.S. keyboard on a Mac.

Environment

  • MacBook Pro (M1)
  • macOS Monterey
  • KeyChron K2

Symptoms

  • Key repeat works fine in iTerm and Terminal
  • hjkl key repeat also works in Vim
  • Arrow-key repeat works

In Growi’s Vim editor and in web form fields, key repeat does not work and a candidate list appears instead

The keyboard settings are already at Key Repeat: fastest and Delay Until Repeat: shortest.

Fix

defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true

Another fix

This is also an effect of adding U.S. as an input source when configuring a U.S. keyboard.

You get the same result by enabling ABC (English) under Japanese input modes and removing U.S.

Mac