Unofficial archive. This is a read-only, community-run archive of the Apple Support Community. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.
long-time-mac-user
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

macOS keyboard navigation turns on randomly, causing unexpected focus

keyboard navigation turns on at random time and places


When using MacOS it suddenly happens regularly in Tahoe 26.7 that elements get focus showing a blue border around them. Searching for this leads to the Keyboard Navigation feature in the Keyboard system settings. This setting is not enabled. Sometimes space doesn't work and seem to trigger this element selection. Mouse clicks cause scroll windows to scroll back to the top, using multiple desktop windows focus is sometimes moved back the previous window. Is this a known issue or is there another setting that influences this element focusing other than the Keyboard Navigation?

Posted on Oct 2, 2026 5:57 AM

2 replies

neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9 (72,871 points)

Oct 2, 2026 12:36 PM in response to long-time-mac-user

Yes, this behavior is tied to a specific system setting, but it is not the standard "Keyboard Navigation" toggle you already checked.


The symptoms you described—a thick blue border around elements, the spacebar triggering selection instead of typing spaces, windows scrolling to the top on click, and focus erraticism—are all hallmarks of a separate accessibility feature called Full Keyboard Access. When this feature is active, the Spacebar acts as the "Activate" key (which is why typing a space stops working and instead selects the outlined box). 


How to Turn It Off

To completely disable this behavior, you need to turn off Full Keyboard Access via your Accessibility settings:

  • Open System Settings from your Apple menu.
  • Click on Accessibility in the left sidebar.
  • Scroll down the right pane and select Keyboard.
  • Look for the Full Keyboard Access option and switch the toggle to Off. 




More info from Apple: Change Keyboard settings for accessibility on Mac – Apple Support


6x6
User level: Level 7 (26,777 points)

Oct 2, 2026 10:32 AM in response to long-time-mac-user

Try to turn off Full Keyboard Access:


  1. On your Mac, go to System Settings, then click Accessibility in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
  2. Go to Motor, click Keyboard, then turn Full Keyboard Access off.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256369049