ESC key (exit vim insert mode) doesn't work in Glass

Support Bug Reports
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1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

When using the regular Cursor window, I’m able to exit vim insert mode with the escape key. When viewing a file within the glass interface pressing escape doesn’t do anything.

If it helps, I have caps lock mapped to escape.

Steps to Reproduce

  • Enable vim mode
  • Open a file in the new Cursor glass interface
  • Type “i” to enter insert mode
  • Press escape to exit insert mode

Expected Behavior

Expected: should escape insert mode and enter normal mode. Actual: pressing escape doesn’t do anything.

Operating System

MacOS

Version Information

Version: 3.1.14
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: d8673fb56ba50fda33ad78382000b519bb8acb70
Date: 2026-04-14T01:39:23.679Z
Layout: glass
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 39.8.1
Chromium: 142.0.7444.265
Node.js: 22.22.1
V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 25.3.0

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor

6

Hi Paul!

This is a confirmed bug. Glass’s keybinding system is intercepting Escape before it reaches the Vim extension in the editor. The same class of issue affects other keys (like arrow keys in Vim visual mode), and our engineering team is actively working on a fix.

For now, the regular Cursor window should continue working as expected with Vim mode. I don’t have an ETA on the fix, but it’s being prioritized.

Thanks for the detailed report!