If you’re having trouble with your iPad Pro, it could be due to a bug in Apple’s Smart Keyboard. Fortunately, there’s already a fix! Here’s how to update your Apple Smart Keyboard.
Most mobile keyboards – heck, most keyboards in general – are pretty self-contained. You connect them, press a button, a letter appears on the screen. If there is an error, you will probably need to take it back to the store. Unlike many mobile keyboards, Apple’s Smart Keyboard is a bit more complex; keyboard and iPad Pro talk to each other more than a tablet with a standard Bluetooth keyboard.
Why do you want to update the Apple Smart Keyboard?
As a result, a bug is more likely to cause confusion, but also more likely to be easily fixed. Remember the Apple Smart Connector? The three little dots next to where your Smart Keyboard meets? They also allow data to flow from the iPad to the keyboard, which means they can be used to update the software located on the keyboard.
Why would you want or need to update this software? It’s more about fixing bugs (and ensuring that the keyboard remains compatible with newer iPad Pros in the future) rather than introducing new features. Recently, some iPad Pro users have been complaining that the iPad Pro wakes up periodically even when not in use. I noticed this issue on my own iPad and wondered what was causing it.
As it turns out, if you leave the iPad Pro on the Apple Smart Keyboard when you’re not using it (and why not—it’s a good protector and a pretty decent stand), a keyboard-related issue could be causing your iPad Pro to keep waking up and turning on the screen. After a while, this can cause your iPad to drain its battery faster than it should.
How do you update your Apple Smart Keyboard?
Fortunately, updating the software on your keyboard is really simple: just unplugging it and plugging it back in and it should work.
First, make sure your iPad is turned on and connected to the internet. Next, disconnect it completely from your iPad Pro – especially making sure that the connection between the keyboard and the iPad’s Smart Connector is disconnected. Finally, wait five or ten seconds and reconnect the keyboard.
If an update is available, you’ll see a notification in the middle of your screen that the keyboard update is ready to install. Tap the button and you will see the notification change to a screen showing the percentage until complete; should not take more than ten or fifteen seconds to complete.
Once the update is finished, the popup simply disappears.
Unlike iOS releases or point release updates, there are no software settings to check, so you never know if there’s a keyboard update. If you’re having trouble with the instructions above, try removing the Apple Smart Keyboard from your iPad Pro, turn your iPad Pro completely off (hold the power button until the shutdown screen appears and slide your finger to turn it off), then turn it back on. Once you are on the screen with all your icons and the iPad reconnects to the internet, reconnect your keyboard cover and see if the popup appears.
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