Recently, I found that the esc key on my macOS Monterey stopped working, no matter how much I pressed it. It's more likely to be a software problem.
This article will provide you with a guide on how to solve the problem that the Escape key on macOS is not working.
Diagnosing the problem
This part will diagnose whether it's the system's problem or your Mac's keyboard's problem.
Go to the keyboard tester website: https://keyboardtester.io/tester/
The esc key will not work; otherwise, you wouldn’t have come to this tutorial.
Go to Settings (or System Preferences), then go to Accessibility and click on the Keyboard option.
Accessibility → Keyboard
Enable Accessibility Keyboard.
Then go back to the keyboard tester website: https://keyboardtester.io/tester/.
Click on the esc key on the accessibility keyboard. If the escape key works on the website, there is a problem with your Mac's physical keyboard. In this case, please visit the Genius Bar or a repair shop to check your keyboard.
If it doesn't work, don't panic; please continue reading this tutorial.
Solution
If the esc key on the accessibility keyboard doesn't work, there may be a bug with your macOS. You can turn off the accessibility keyboard now.
Go to Settings (System Preferences), then click on Siri & Spotlight. Turn Ask Siri OFF, then turn it back ON.
That's it. The macOS Escape key should work fine now. If not, you can try restarting your computer.
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Want to know more about macOS Sonoma? Here is the review: macOS Sonoma Review