I turned off the "Use keyboard navigation" preference and then back on. Seemed to fix it for me.
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Big Sur 11.0.1 - Arrow Keys Do Not Work in iMessage with Dual Monitors
- Thread starter JonDigital
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Toggling the checkbox for me (trashcan Mac Pro 2013) simple toggles the broken behavior. Hopefully they fix it in the next update.
I've noticed a few other issues with Messages, which I assume is because it's a universal app compiled from iOS. For example, I have Home/End/Page Up/Page Down configured to work more like Windows (muscle memory), which works everywhere I've tested it except Messages. I'm guessing universal apps are compiled against a different set of keyboard handlers than the normal macOS apps.
I've noticed a few other issues with Messages, which I assume is because it's a universal app compiled from iOS. For example, I have Home/End/Page Up/Page Down configured to work more like Windows (muscle memory), which works everywhere I've tested it except Messages. I'm guessing universal apps are compiled against a different set of keyboard handlers than the normal macOS apps.
@jr105 I'm in the (almost) exact same situation, except I have a 2020 13" MacBook Air. But I am not using dual monitors, and the "use keyboard navigation" was turned off by default. Toggling it on and on/off did nothing.
I hope there will be a fix for this soon! I keep sending messages with typos because my fingers are working faster than my eyes and I'm just typing how I'm used to doing it, expecting it to work.
I hope there will be a fix for this soon! I keep sending messages with typos because my fingers are working faster than my eyes and I'm just typing how I'm used to doing it, expecting it to work.
If you keep ”Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls” unchecked it should work to navigate the text being composed in Messages using the arrow keys. If it's checked it gets broken. At least that's how it behaves for me.
I have reported the problem to Apple.
Well, it's been unchecked all along for me and I've been having the issue. I tried checking it and nothing changed, and then unchecked it again and it still doesn't work. I can use the arrow keys to navigate the text in Messages without issue, but none of the arrow keys work to select text when combined with Shift. Thanks though!
Edit for clarification: I just realized the original topic of this thread was about simply using the arrow keys in Messages. The "select" feature has also been discussed a lot, which is my issue and what I was responding to, but I forgot that wasn't actually brought up until the second post in this thread. Sorry for confusion!
Strange.
Oh, now when I try it's working for to use the arrow keys, both on their own and in conjunction with shift to select text and no matter if ”Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls” is checked or not. Hmm… Could reproduce it consistently before. 🤷♂️
So, I assumed this was due to the cross-OS compilation aspect, and it was affecting the entire messages app. Turns out, it's only the inline messages text box. If you double-click on someone in Messages, it opens in a new window. In that window, not only does the cursor work with-or-without the tab feature, but shift-cursor also always works without issue.
So this is a crazy screw-up to have ever left Cupertino, it means someone has to have customized the text input box (but only that one) or some other one-off customization. It should never have left beta this way.
So this is a crazy screw-up to have ever left Cupertino, it means someone has to have customized the text input box (but only that one) or some other one-off customization. It should never have left beta this way.
Wow, you're right! I will definitely be using this for the time being... at least in a group conversation where there's frequent back-and-forth. Thanks for the tip!
Experiencing similar issues. Maxed out MacBook Pro 16". Clam-shell mode. External LG 5K monitor. All four arrow keys, with or without shift, fail.
This is good to know. Thanks.
This saved me. Thanks! And on investigating this further, I can offer a more comprehensive solution, expanding on this.
From https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236
Control + B, F, P, N replicate Left, Right, Up, Down respectively. Shift-Control with each of those to get selection.
I've mapped all eight combinations using Keyboard Maestro, and I now have it working seamlessly (so far at least). Works regardless of the "Use keyboard navigation" preference setting.
Of course, YMMV 😉
For anyone else that uses KM, here's the group, you can just import and use if you like.
This is good to know. Thanks.
This saved me. Thanks! And on investigating this further, I can offer a more comprehensive solution, expanding on this.
From https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236
Control + B, F, P, N replicate Left, Right, Up, Down respectively. Shift-Control with each of those to get selection.
I've mapped all eight combinations using Keyboard Maestro, and I now have it working seamlessly (so far at least). Works regardless of the "Use keyboard navigation" preference setting.
Of course, YMMV 😉
For anyone else that uses KM, here's the group, you can just import and use if you like.
Thank you for this. I'm on an iMac with an extra monitor. iMessages is on the primary (iMac) screen, but this is driving me insane. I'll check my preferences.
Did turning them off fix the issue for your wife?
I have Big Sur 11.1, and I found this thread because arrow keys do NOT work in Messages.
In Catalina, I use to be able to do Command + Up / Down to page up / down. It's been broken in every release of Big Sur. I use to manage Messages on macOS because of how much better it worked than on iOS, and Big Sur completely broke that.
Seeing posts like "You know the issue is gone in Big Sur 11.1?" is weird, because arrow keys still don't work in 11.1.
In Catalina, I use to be able to do Command + Up / Down to page up / down. It's been broken in every release of Big Sur. I use to manage Messages on macOS because of how much better it worked than on iOS, and Big Sur completely broke that.
Seeing posts like "You know the issue is gone in Big Sur 11.1?" is weird, because arrow keys still don't work in 11.1.