How do I restore the Option-8 bullet point shortcut in macOS 15.3.2?

I think it is pretty clear now that this is not a font problem.

Something appears to capture the keyboard input option-8 before the program expecting text input gets it.

It is surely a software issue, and not a font issue. We can at least set that aside.

I am not sure if this was asked and answered already (sorry if it was), but if not then it is useful to do another test: make a new user, login as that user, and try using option-8. Does it produce a bullet character or not?

The answer will determine whether this is affecting only your account or is a system wide problem.

Since it does not work in any application, the next thing I'd try is going to

System Settings->Keyboard,

click on Keyboard Shortcuts, then click App Shortcuts, twirl open the "All Applications" disclosure triangle, and seeing if there is any shortcut there that is Option-8.

It certainly is mysterious. One fix would be to move all your work to an account where this problem doesn't happen, but that seems a bit much for such an issue. Another would be to create a custom input source where • is on a different key. The Ukelele app can do that pretty easily. But an ordinary Text Replacement seems the easiest.

Dannymac22 wrote:

Nope, text replacement doesn't work. You end up trying to replace a bullet with a bullet. But you never get a bullet to start out with.

Not sure what you mean by that. Does it not work to set up something like replacing “blt” with “•”?

Dannymac22 wrote:

and two option 7s just make ¶¶.

Make sure that in your app, in Edit > Substitutions, you have Text Replacement checked.

I think even just one ¶ should work, if you space after.

Note that non-Apple apps like MS Office don't use Apple's text replacement, but have their own in their settings/preferences.

For problems with Word and other office apps, best ask in their own forums, Apple is really not involved.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_word-msoffice_unknown-mso_OPMac?sort=LastReplyDate&dir=Desc&tab=All&status=all&mod=&modAge=&advFil=&postedAfter=&postedBefore=&threadType=all&isFilterExpanded=true&page=1

Terminal is different and doesn't support text replacements in the usual way. Someone who is more familiar with it and its settings may be able to help.

dialabrain wrote:

It's likely you will have to do a fresh install of macOS.

Since it has been established that the problem only happens in one specific account, a fresh install appears to be overkill - and probably won't help, if one migrates the account that has the problem...

Dannymac22 wrote:

OK, we're way, way past that.

Here is something different to try, a custom keyboard with bullet on Option 7.

To install, move the .bundle file to Library/Keyboard Layouts, logout/login, and then go to system settings > keyboard > text input > edit > all input sources and use the + at the bottom to add US Opt 7 Bullet to the list, and then select it in the Input Menu at the top right of the screen. And try typing Option 7.

If you do not have access to Library/Keyboard Layouts, put it in Home/Library/Keyboard Layouts. To get to Home/Library, hold down the option key while doing Finder > Go.

Dannymac22 wrote:

I'm going to get an Apple Support person on the line.

If you do, let us know how that goes. My impression is that in the past they have been pretty clueless regarding keyboard/character issues, but it would be great to hear this has changed.