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The keyboard shortcuts Option-Left/Right Arrow is made for moving the cursor by words, as Apple described here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 , but doesn't work on my MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010, OS X 10.11). They fail to work everywhere I can try, including but not limited to Notes, TextEdit, Mail, Google.com search field and iMessage text field. Meanwhile on my friend's MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013, OS X 10.11), they work damn well! Anyone can help?

Note:

  1. An Apple Wireless Keyboard is paired to my Mac, but it doesn't help.
  2. System has been restarted several times, doesn't help.
  3. Including Option-Delete and Option-Shift-Up Arrow, all the Option related shortcuts in the "Document shortcuts" session of https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 doesn't work.
  4. The Option key is fine, I have tested it by shortcuts like Command-Optiono-H which works.
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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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The problem has been solved by switching the input source from "Unicode Hex Input" (my major input source) to "U.S.". I think some option based shortcuts can't function as usual with "Unicode Hex Input". You can update the input sources by searching "unicode" to be directed to system preferences -> Keyboard. Click "Input Sources" and remove other input methods that might be causing the error. Then open a new window for the program you want to test.

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  • Do you know how to switch the input source?
    – Code42
    Nov 20, 2018 at 5:57
  • To add to above answer. It wasn't sufficient to merely do the switch. At least on my system, I had to delete the Unicode Input sources as many applications were still defaulting to them.
    – Sri Kadimisetty
    Jul 29, 2019 at 2:36
  • Thank you! This solved my problem. - I added a new Keyboard Input Source - Made sure the Input Sources are shown in the Menu Bar - Switched to a different Input Source - Tested "option + Left/Right", works! - Switched back to my original Input Source - Tested "option + Left/Right", works!
    – barryels
    Apr 22, 2021 at 7:31
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Another problem here can pop up if you have a gaming keyboard. I have a g/pc button that is activated by fn + f12 that turns this off. I always forget about it and then remember when I visit this link, so dropping it in for next time :)

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  • I appreciate this post, I always forget about the g/pc toggle. It causes such weird inconsistencies. For reference, my keyboard is the Max Keyboard Nighthawk-X7.
    – Adam
    Jul 18, 2022 at 14:56

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