Intermittent macOS Secure Input problem

Tech Support
1

For weeks I’ve been seeing a recurring issue on an M2 MacBook Pro running macOS 26.5.2 (25F80). When it occurs:

  • Fn-E won’t open the emoji picker
  • Fn-Fn won’t start Dictation
  • Alfred snippets stop expanding
  • Keyboard Maestro typed-string triggers stop working
  • Sometimes the emoji picker opens, but clicking an emoji doesn’t insert it

Running:

ioreg -l -w0 | grep SecureInput

shows that Secure Input is active. Different processes have appeared as the owner, including Proton Mail, Capture One, and loginwindow. In one case, Proton Mail’s PID remained listed even after Proton Mail had quit.

The reliable workaround so far is to unlock 1Password. Immediately afterward, Secure Input clears, ioreg returns no result, and Fn-E, Dictation, Alfred snippets, and Keyboard Maestro all begin working again.

Restarting CharacterPalette, TextInputMenuAgent, TextInputSwitcher, SystemUIServer, Dock, and pboard did not fix it. Logging out and back in does.

Has anyone else seen Secure Input become stuck like this, particularly after sleep/wake? Any idea what might be causing it, or how to clear it properly without relying on 1Password or logging out?

2

I have abandoned 1Password a long time ago (I am using Strongbox (Mac)/KeePass (Windows) these days). One of the reasons I abandoned 1Password was that I had issues with 1Password messing with Secure Input. Although macOS kept mentioning other “owners” than 1Password exactly as you have described, I never have experienced any problem with Secure Input after getting rid of 1Password.

I have noticed that you have posted under Intermittent macOS Secure Input problem - TidBITS Talk - TidBITS Talk about your problem, too. A user there has linked to https://www.1password.community/1password-at-work-58/secure-input-blocking-other-apps-event-taps-25015. That for sure sounds familiar to me.

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