The iPhone keyboard is essential for interacting with our device. From sending a message to searching for an app, we use it almost without noticing. But we certainly miss it when it doesn’t work as it should while typing. In these cases, although quite rare, what can we do?
The quickest and most effective solution: restart the device
When something isn’t working on our iPhone, the first thing we should always try is restarting it. This simple step resolves more than 99% of errors related to processes that have stopped working properly, including the keyboard issues we’re dealing with. A restart shuts down all running processes, allowing the operating system to reload them from scratch.
If after restarting the situation persists, the next step is to check that our iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS. Software updates include bug fixes. In Settings > General > Software Update we can, if needed, install updates and be sure we’re running the most bug-free version of the operating system.
Is the issue system-wide or app-specific?
If we still haven’t solved it, it’s important to determine whether the issue occurs across the whole system or just in a specific app. A localized issue could be caused by a bug in the app itself, something we can fix by deleting and reinstalling it from the App Store. We should do this only after backing up any important data from the app.
If the issue affects the whole system, we need to dig deeper. If the keyboard appears but we can’t type correctly, keep in mind that moisture—even in small amounts—can cause abnormal behavior on the touchscreen, since it interferes with the detection of our fingers’ electrical signals. Let’s make sure to dry the screen carefully.
Another useful check is reviewing the keyboards we have installed under Settings > General > Keyboard. Removing keyboards we don’t use may help reduce potential conflicts, especially if we’ve installed third-party keyboards. To delete a keyboard, simply tap Edit and then the red delete icon next to the keyboards we want to remove.
Other settings that might be key
Just like on iPads, we can connect Bluetooth keyboards to an iPhone, which prevents the on-screen keyboard from appearing. Disconnecting any external accessories or activating Airplane Mode can help us rule out this kind of issue.
There are a few more settings we can check:
- Disable dictation in Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Check if the one-handed keyboard is active and disable it from the same Settings menu.
- Try temporarily disabling Reachability from Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
Also, if we’re using a screen protector, removing it temporarily may help rule out whether it’s causing the problem.
More advanced solutions
If none of the above solutions fix the issue, we should consider completely resetting the iPhone. Before doing so, it’s essential to back up our data to make sure we don’t lose anything important.
After resetting the device in Settings > General > Transfer or Reset, we should check whether the keyboard works before restoring our backup. With that in mind, if the issue returns after restoring the backup, we should set up the iPhone as new.
If after all these steps the keyboard still isn’t working properly, visiting an Apple Store or contacting Apple Care to arrange a mail-in repair is the best idea. It’s very rare for our iPhone keyboard to stop working. If it does, the cause is usually simple to resolve. So, with the steps we’ve discussed, we’ll be typing again in just a few minutes.
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