[eric] voice: one-time Globe-key conflict tip when macOS still binds fn to the emoji picker

electron/preload.js

@@ -116,6 +116,12 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('openswarm', {
     ipcRenderer.on('voice:hold-up', up);
     return () => { ipcRenderer.removeListener('voice:hold-down', down); ipcRenderer.removeListener('voice:hold-up', up); };
   },
+  // Fires once at fn-watcher arm when macOS's own Globe-key action is still active (emoji picker on tap).
+  onVoiceGlobeConflict: (cb) => {
+    const h = () => cb();
+    ipcRenderer.on('voice:globe-conflict', h);
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('voice:globe-conflict', h);
+  },
   // Hands a vetted social platform's partition cookies to its session-backed MCP shim (allowlisted domains only, gated again in the main process).
   getPartitionCookies: (domain) => ipcRenderer.invoke('get-partition-cookies', domain),
   // Silently reads the user's own chatgpt.com/claude.ai history offscreen (no card) for onboarding personalization; main owns the injected script + gates the provider.

electron/voiceHotkey.js

@@ -169,6 +169,16 @@ function installVoiceHotkey(getMainWindow) {
     });
     app.on('will-quit', () => { try { fnProc && fnProc.kill('SIGKILL'); } catch (_) {} });
     console.log('[voice] fn watcher armed (awaiting first event to prove Input Monitoring)');
+    // macOS's own Globe-key action (emoji picker by default) fires on a quick fn tap alongside us;
+    // tell the renderer once so it can point the user at "Press Globe key to: Do Nothing".
+    require('child_process').exec('defaults read com.apple.HIToolbox AppleFnUsageType', (err, out) => {
+      const usage = err ? '2' : String(out).trim();
+      if (usage !== '0') {
+        const win = getMainWindow();
+        if (win && !win.isDestroyed()) win.webContents.send('voice:globe-conflict');
+        console.log(`[voice] Globe key system action is active (AppleFnUsageType=${usage}); quick fn taps also trigger it`);
+      }
+    });
   };
 
   let tapKeycode;

frontend/src/shared/voice/VoiceDictationContext.tsx

@@ -10,7 +10,19 @@ import VoiceOverlay from './VoiceOverlay';
 // out-of-sync state. Mounted once near the app root.
 
 export function VoiceDictationProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }): React.ReactElement {
-  const { state, lastText, error, pct, feedback, partial, toggle, start, stop, cancel, volumeRef } = useVoiceDictation();
+  const { state, lastText, error, pct, feedback, partial, toggle, start, stop, cancel, notify, volumeRef } = useVoiceDictation();
+
+  // fn is the dictation key, but macOS may still have its own Globe action bound (emoji picker on a quick tap); say so once.
+  const globeWarnedRef = useRef(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const bridge = window as unknown as { openswarm?: { onVoiceGlobeConflict?: (cb: () => void) => () => void } };
+    const off = bridge.openswarm?.onVoiceGlobeConflict?.(() => {
+      if (globeWarnedRef.current) return;
+      globeWarnedRef.current = true;
+      notify('Tip: set System Settings > Keyboard > "Press Globe key to" to "Do Nothing" so fn only dictates.');
+    });
+    return () => { off?.(); };
+  }, [notify]);
   const holdMode = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.voice_hold_to_talk ?? true);
   const dictationShortcut = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.dictation_shortcut ?? null);
   const dictationModel = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.dictation_model ?? null);

frontend/src/shared/voice/useVoiceDictation.ts

@@ -294,5 +294,10 @@ export function useVoiceDictation() {
   // A dangling recorder (unmount mid-capture) must release the mic.
   useEffect(() => () => { teardown(); }, [teardown]);
 
-  return { state, lastText, error, pct, feedback, partial, toggle, start, stop, cancel, volumeRef };
+  // One-line notices from outside the session flow (Globe-key conflict, permission hints) ride the same bubble.
+  const notify = useCallback((text: string): void => {
+    setFeedback({ tone: 'warn', icon: 'info', text, at: Date.now() });
+  }, []);
+
+  return { state, lastText, error, pct, feedback, partial, toggle, start, stop, cancel, notify, volumeRef };
 }