How to Fix iPadOS Keyboard Not Working Issue

The keyboard on the Apple iPad screen has undergone a major overhaul with the release of the iPadOS. You can now float the keyboard around the screen and free up lots of screen surfaces, but it also supports swipe input. In other words, it is a pleasure to use until the iPadOS keyboard does not work as well 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 scan entry may not work.

If this sounds familiar to you, here are some troubleshooting tips that can help you fix it. Let's start.

Delays or keyboard lockups

Does the iPadOS keyboard hang after lifting it? Do you have performance issues when typing? Or do we often switch between the full-size keyboard and the floating keyboard? If so, you need to make sure your iPad is running the latest version of iPadOS.

The first iterations of iPadOS were riddled with bugs. So if you've been avoiding iPadOS updates for a while, it's wise to install them immediately.

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

In addition, you should also consider upgrading your library of installed applications to their latest versions. This could help resolve any performance related issues when interacting with the on-screen keyboard.

The quickest way to do this is to long press the App Store icon on the home screen. In the menu that appears, tap Updates.

Keyboard does not appear

Is your iPad's on-screen keyboard not showing up when it should be? This problem occurs due to random problems in iPadOS. And one of the most effective ways to solve this problem is to restart your iPad. Yes, it's that simple. A reboot clears bad data (cache) in memory and gives iPadOS a clean slate to work on.

To restart your iPad, press and hold the power button for a few seconds. Follow with the Slide to Power Off gesture when prompted.

Note: On iPads with Face ID functionality, press and hold the Power and Volume buttons instead.

Once your iPad is completely turned off, press and hold the power button again to restart it. Try to bring up the keyboard on the screen now. It should most likely appear.

However, you may experience this issue later, in which case you need to restart your iPad to resolve it. Remember to also keep iPadOS up to date – an update could fix this problem permanently.

There is also another reason why the keyboard may not appear: external keyboards. If you are using an external keyboard on your iPad, you need to log out to reactivate the onscreen keyboard.

Start by turning off Bluetooth. Display the Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner of the screen), and then tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off. If an external keyboard was the reason, then the on-screen keyboard should reappear.

You can also use the Settings app to avoid automatically reconnecting to the external keyboard every time you turn on Bluetooth. To do this, open the Settings app and then tap Bluetooth. Next, tap the little “i” icon next to the external keyboard, and then tap Disconnect.

Swipe input does not work

One of the best improvements to the iPad's onscreen keyboard involves the inclusion of QuickPath functionality. In other words – swipe the keystroke. But there is a catch. The feature only works if you use the floating keyboard.

If you're not familiar, here's how to switch to it. Just perform a pinch gesture on the full-size keyboard and the floating keyboard should appear.

You can then swipe with your finger to easily enter words. Each time you want to return to the full-size keyboard, perform a pinch gesture.

If swipe input does not work even when you switch to the floating keyboard, you need to check if the feature is enabled on your iPad. Although this is the default, it's still possible that you turned it off a while ago and forgot about it.

To do this, tap General in the Settings app, tap Keyboard, and then make sure the switch next to Enable Swipe Entry is turned on. If it doesn't, turn it on.

Back to work

The on-screen keyboard in iPadOS is a real treat to work with. Fortunately, the above troubleshooting tips worked, you should start using it again without any problems. But don't forget that there are also other high-end third-party keyboards for the iPad that can offer even better functionality.

Then: Are you experiencing battery discharge issues on your iPad running iPadOS? Try these fixes on your iPad.