Keyboard not working on iPhone

Keyboard test 5 steps ~5 min fix

Keys that don't type, repeat, or stick on iPhone are usually a connection issue, a stuck key, or a driver/layout problem. Try these, then check every key live.

Test your keyboard right now — it takes one click. Run the keyboard test →

Step-by-step fix

  1. Reconnect the keyboard: replug USB (try another port), or re-pair Bluetooth. For a laptop, restart iPhone.
  2. Run the CheckMyMic keyboard test and press each key — any that won't light up is the problem key.
  3. Clean under a stuck or unresponsive key with compressed air.
  4. Check your keyboard layout/language is correct in iPhone settings, and turn off Filter/Sticky Keys.
  5. Update or reinstall the keyboard driver, then restart.

Frequently asked questions

Some keys don't work on iPhone — is it broken?

Run the keyboard test and press the dead keys. If they never light up across the test, the keys (or the keyboard) are faulty; if they work in the test, it's an app or layout issue — start with the input/keyboard settings in iPhone rather than the hardware.

My keyboard types the wrong characters on iPhone.

That's a layout/language mismatch. Change the input language in iPhone settings to match your keyboard.

Keys are still dead on iPhone after everything — is the keyboard finished?

Run the CheckMyMic keyboard test one more time: keys that never register there, in any app, and (for an external keyboard) on a second computer are hardware failures. On a laptop, plugging in a cheap USB keyboard both gets you typing immediately and proves the built-in keyboard is the fault — that's a repair, not a settings fix.

Can I test an external keyboard on iPhone?

Yes — pair it over Bluetooth, open the CheckMyMic keyboard test in Safari, tap the page once and type. iOS routes hardware keys to the browser, so every working key lights up. Keys that light up in the test but do nothing in a specific app point at that app's shortcuts, not the keyboard.

Fixed it? Confirm with a quick test. Run the test →

Related guides

← All troubleshooting guides · Interview-ready check →