How to Fix iPadOS Keyboard Not Working Issue

The onscreen keyboard on the Apple iPad has received a major overhaul with the release of iPadOS. You can now float the keyboard around the screen and free up loads of screen real estate, but it also supports swipe typing. In other words, it’s great to use until the iPadOS keyboard doesn’t work as smoothly as expected.

There are a few issues with the onscreen keyboard in iPadOS. For example, it may not appear when you want to start typing. It may freeze or be delayed. Or swipe typing may not work.

If this sounds familiar, here are a few troubleshooting tips that might help you fix it. Lets start.

Keyboard Lag or Freeze

iPadOS keyboard freezing after turning it on? Experiencing performance issues while typing? Or is it a frequent switch between a full-size keyboard and a floating keyboard? If so, you should make sure your iPad is running the latest version of iPadOS.

The first iterations of iPadOS were full of bugs. So, if you’ve been avoiding any iPadOS updates for a while, it’s wise to install them right away.

Start by opening the Settings app on your iPad. Follow up by tapping General and then Software Update. If you see the updates listed, tap Download and Install.

Additionally, you should also consider updating your library of installed apps to their latest versions. This can further assist with any performance related issues when interacting with the onscreen keyboard.

The fastest way to do this is to long press the App Store icon on the Home Screen. Tap Updates in the menu that opens.

Keyboard not visible

Is the onscreen keyboard on your iPad not showing up when it should? This issue occurs due to random glitches within iPadOS. And one of the most effective ways to fix it which involves restarting your iPad. Yes, it’s that simple. A reboot clears the bad stuff (cache) in memory and gives iPadOS a clean slate to work on.

Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds to restart your iPad. Watch by performing the Swipe to Close gesture when prompted.

Note:

Once your iPad is completely shut down, press and hold the Power button again to restart it. Now try to open the on-screen keyboard. It should most likely appear.

However, you may encounter this issue later, in which case you need to restart your iPad to fix the problem. And don’t forget to keep iPadOS up to date; an update can fix this problem permanently.

There is another reason why the keyboard does not appear – external keyboards. If you are using an external keyboard on your iPad, you must disconnect it to re-enable the onscreen keyboard.

Start by disabling Bluetooth. Open the Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen) and then tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off. If the cause is an external keyboard, the onscreen keyboard should pop up right back.

You can also use the Settings app to prevent automatic reconnection to the external keyboard when you re-enable Bluetooth. To do this, open the Settings app and then tap on Bluetooth. Next, tap the small ‘i’ shaped icon next to the external keyboard, then tap Disconnect.

Swipe Typing Doesn’t Work

One of the best improvements to the iPad’s onscreen keyboard includes the inclusion of QuickPath functionality. In other words – typing by swiping. But there is a catch. This feature only works if you are using the floating keyboard.

If you’re not familiar with it, then here’s how to switch to it. Pinch In on the full-size keyboard and the floating keyboard should pop out.

You can then swipe with your finger to write words easily. Pinch Out whenever you want to go back to the full-size keyboard.

If swipe typing is not working even when switching to the floating keyboard, you should check if the feature is enabled on your iPad. By default though, you may have turned it off a while ago and forgot everything.

To do this, tap General in the Settings app, tap Keyboard, then make sure the switch next to Enable Swipe Typing is on. If not, open it.

back to work

The onscreen keyboard in iPadOS is a real pleasure to work with. Hopefully, the above troubleshooting tips worked, you should be back to using it without any problems. But keep in mind the fact that there are other top-notch third-party keyboards for iPad that can offer even better functionality.

Next: Experiencing battery drain issues on your iPad running iPadOS? Try these fixes on your iPad.