Nothing is more frustrating than pressing the Globe key (or Control+Space) and watching your Mac stubbornly keep typing in the same language. Keyboard language switching in macOS usually just works — until it doesn’t. The good news is that in almost every case, the cause is a setting rather than a bug: either the second input source was never added, the shortcut is turned off or reassigned, or another feature is hijacking the key you press.
This guide walks you through the checks in the order that solves the problem for most people, based on Apple’s input source settings documentation.
Why keyboard language switching doesn’t work in macOS
Before diving into fixes, it helps to know the usual suspects:
- The second language was never added as an input source. macOS can only switch between layouts you have explicitly added. If you only ever added one keyboard layout, there is nothing to switch to.
- The switching shortcut is disabled or changed. The default shortcuts (Control+Space, or the Globe/fn key) can be turned off or reassigned in Keyboard settings.
- The Globe (fn) key does something else. In recent macOS versions the Globe key can be set to open Emoji, start Dictation, or do nothing at all.
- A third-party app is intercepting the shortcut. Keyboard utilities, clipboard managers, and some VPN clients grab global shortcuts before macOS sees them.
How to fix keyboard language switching in macOS
Step 1: Make sure the second input source is added
- Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Go to Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Under Text Input, click Edit….
- Click the + button, find your language in the list, select the layout you want, and click Add.
- You should now see both layouts listed. If you want to switch the keyboard language with a single key on Mac, this input source list is where that setup begins.
Step 2: Check the input source shortcuts
- In System Settings > Keyboard, click Keyboard Shortcuts….
- Select Input Sources in the sidebar.
- Make sure “Select the previous input source” (Control+Space) is ticked. You can double-click the shortcut to assign a different key combination.
- If the shortcut was off, turn it on and test it in any text field.
Step 3: Set the Globe (fn) key to switch languages
- Go back to System Settings > Keyboard.
- Find “Press fn key to” (on newer Macs it says “Press Globe key to”).
- Change it to “Change Input Source”. Now a single press of the Globe key toggles the layout.
- If the on-screen language indicator annoys you, see how to disable the language switch indicator in Sonoma.
Step 4: Rule out conflicting apps
- Quit keyboard-related utilities (text expanders, clipboard managers, key remappers) and test the shortcut again.
- If switching works after quitting one of them, reassign that app’s shortcut so it no longer collides with macOS.
- As a final cleanup, remove layouts you never use — our guide on removing the English keyboard layout in Sonoma shows how a shorter list makes switching more predictable.
If it still doesn’t work
Restart your Mac — input source preferences occasionally get stuck until a reboot. If the problem affects only one user account, the preferences for that account may be corrupt; creating a fresh user account for testing will confirm it. Also check System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions for background utilities that could be grabbing the shortcut at login. Apple’s input source settings guide documents every available option if you want to compare against a clean setup.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Globe key show Emoji instead of switching the language?
Because “Press fn key to” is set to “Show Emoji & Symbols”. Change it to “Change Input Source” in System Settings > Keyboard, and the Globe key will toggle layouts again.
Can I switch languages with a single key instead of a shortcut?
Yes. Set the Globe/fn key to “Change Input Source” as described in Step 3, or assign any key you like under Keyboard Shortcuts > Input Sources. Video demonstrations of both methods are easy to find on YouTube.
Conclusion
In the vast majority of cases, keyboard language switching fails in macOS because the second input source is missing or the shortcut is disabled — both fixed in under two minutes in System Settings. Work through the steps above, and your Globe key will be toggling layouts reliably again.
