Keybinding cmd+^ won't work with French keyboard layout on macOS because of dead key #307895
Description
Type: Bug
I'm using VS Code with a French keyboard layout on macOS and the keybinding I've set up for cmd+^ won't work.
The ^ key is a dead key on French keyboards, located where the [ key is on QWERTY layout. I've set the cmd+^ keybinding to toggle folding but pressing the key combination acts like pressing the ^ dead key without modifier keys: it waits for the next key to be input and adds the circumflex accent if it's a valid one like an E, A...
Expected behavior:
Set up "toggle folding" to cmd+^ keybinding (shows up as cmd+[BracketLeft] in the keybindings editor). Pressing the key in the editor should toggle folding.
Actual behavior:
the result of typing on the ^ key without holding cmd happens instead of folding being toggled.
Here's the log output for pressing the keyboard shortcut:
2026-04-05 14:57:46.988 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Soft dispatching keyboard event
2026-04-05 14:57:46.989 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ Keyboard event cannot be dispatched
2026-04-05 14:57:46.989 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Received keydown event - modifiers: [meta], code: MetaLeft, keyCode: 91, key: Meta
2026-04-05 14:57:46.990 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: | Converted keydown event - modifiers: [meta], code: MetaLeft, keyCode: 57 ('Meta')
2026-04-05 14:57:46.990 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ Keyboard event cannot be dispatched in keydown phase.
2026-04-05 14:57:47.067 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Soft dispatching keyboard event
2026-04-05 14:57:47.068 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: | Resolving meta+[BracketLeft]
2026-04-05 14:57:47.068 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ From 1 keybinding entries, matched editor.toggleFold, when: editorTextFocus && foldingEnabled, source: user.
2026-04-05 14:57:47.150 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: + Storing single modifier for possible chord meta.
2026-04-05 14:57:47.451 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: + Clearing single modifier due to 300ms elapsed.
Interestingly, this issue doesn't occur for the other modifier keys alt/option and ctrl and the keybinding works as expected. Here's the log output for the same keybinding assigned to ctrl+^:
2026-04-05 15:01:50.746 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Soft dispatching keyboard event
2026-04-05 15:01:50.747 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ Keyboard event cannot be dispatched
2026-04-05 15:01:50.747 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Received keydown event - modifiers: [ctrl], code: ControlLeft, keyCode: 17, key: Control
2026-04-05 15:01:50.747 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: | Converted keydown event - modifiers: [ctrl], code: ControlLeft, keyCode: 5 ('Ctrl')
2026-04-05 15:01:50.747 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ Keyboard event cannot be dispatched in keydown phase.
2026-04-05 15:01:50.898 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Soft dispatching keyboard event
2026-04-05 15:01:50.899 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: | Resolving ctrl+[BracketLeft]
2026-04-05 15:01:50.899 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ From 1 keybinding entries, matched editor.toggleFold, when: editorTextFocus && foldingEnabled, source: user.
2026-04-05 15:01:50.899 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: / Received keydown event - modifiers: [ctrl], code: BracketLeft, keyCode: 219, key: Dead
2026-04-05 15:01:50.899 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: | Converted keydown event - modifiers: [ctrl], code: BracketLeft, keyCode: 92 ('[')
2026-04-05 15:01:50.900 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: | Resolving ctrl+[BracketLeft]
2026-04-05 15:01:50.900 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: \ From 1 keybinding entries, matched editor.toggleFold, when: editorTextFocus && foldingEnabled, source: user.
2026-04-05 15:01:50.900 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: + Invoking command editor.toggleFold.
2026-04-05 15:01:51.059 [info] [Window] [KeybindingService]: + Ignoring single modifier ctrl due to it being pressed together with other keys.
I've found similar reported issues with keybindings and dead keys but nothing on macOS.
VS Code version: Code 1.114.0 (e7fb5e9, 2026-04-01T09:27:11Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 25.3.0
Modes:
System Info
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| CPUs | Apple M2 Pro (10 x 2400) |
| GPU Status | 2d_canvas: enabled GPU0: VENDOR= 0x106b [Google Inc. (Apple)], DEVICE=0x0000 [ANGLE (Apple, ANGLE Metal Renderer: Apple M2 Pro, Version 26.3.1 (Build 25D2128))], DRIVER_VENDOR=Apple, DRIVER_VERSION=26.3.1 ACTIVE Machine model name: Mac Machine model version: 14.9 direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: enabled_on trees_in_viz: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off |
| Load (avg) | 2, 2, 2 |
| Memory (System) | 32.00GB (0.08GB free) |
| Process Argv | --crash-reporter-id d5ed6f0e-bf30-4fb1-9d66-99fe2f5db061 |
| Screen Reader | no |
| VM | 0% |
Extensions (66)
| Extension | Author (truncated) | Version |
|---|---|---|
| better-comments | aar | 3.0.2 |
| TabOut | alb | 0.2.4 |
| increment-selection | alb | 0.2.0 |
| Bookmarks | ale | 14.0.0 |
| json-lines-editor | Ano | 0.1.0 |
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| vscode-tailwindcss | bra | 0.14.29 |
| npm-intellisense | chr | 1.4.5 |
| gitignore | cod | 0.10.0 |
| vscode-eslint | dba | 3.0.24 |
| composer-php-vscode | DEV | 1.69.18673 |
| phptools-vscode | DEV | 1.69.18673 |
| profiler-php-vscode | DEV | 1.69.18673 |
| rewrap-revived | dnu | 1.16.3 |
| es7-react-js-snippets | dsz | 4.4.3 |
| vscode-html-css | ecm | 2.0.14 |
| EditorConfig | Edi | 0.18.1 |
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| add-gitignore | kur | 0.0.3 |
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| rainbow-csv | mec | 3.24.1 |
| render-crlf | med | 1.9.3 |
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| shfmt | mkh | 1.5.1 |
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| vscode-containers | ms- | 2.4.1 |
| vscode-docker | ms- | 2.0.0 |
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| python | ms- | 2026.4.0 |
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| cpptools-extension-pack | ms- | 1.5.1 |
| powershell | ms- | 2025.4.0 |
| remote-explorer | ms- | 0.5.0 |
| remote-repositories | ms- | 0.42.0 |
| remote-server | ms- | 1.5.3 |
| material-icon-theme | PKi | 5.33.1 |
| java | red | 1.53.0 |
| LiveServer | rit | 5.7.10 |
| reveal | smu | 1.2.7 |
| swift-vscode | swi | 2.16.2 |
| markdowntable | Tak | 0.13.0 |
| scroll-to-cursor | tob | 0.1.0 |
| vscode-status-bar-format-toggle | tom | 3.2.0 |
| tom | 1.2.2 | |
| vscode-gradle | vsc | 3.17.2 |
| vscode-java-debug | vsc | 0.58.5 |
| vscode-java-dependency | vsc | 0.27.1 |
| vscode-java-pack | vsc | 0.30.5 |
| vscode-java-test | vsc | 0.44.0 |
| vscode-maven | vsc | 0.45.1 |
| php-debug | xde | 1.40.0 |
| material-theme | zhu | 3.19.0 |
(6 theme extensions excluded)
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