If the keyboard is not working on your iPhone, then you will find probably find it to be almost useless. Some features of your phone could be considered superfluous, but the keyboard is not one of them. You will need to figure out a way to fix it, and there are a few different options that you can try.

How to Fix iPhone Keyboard Lag

The problem you are experiencing with your keyboard might be that when you’re writing an email or a message, the letters don’t seem to be able to keep up with the speed of your typing. This is usually referred to as keyboard lag. You can generally fix this by resetting your keyboard dictionary.

1. Begin by going to Settings on your iPhone.
2. Hit General.
3. Hit Reset and then scroll down to the bottom.
4. Tap where it says Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
5. When you see the prompt, type in your password. That should do it. See if the problem is fixed the next time you try to type a message or compose an email.

What to do if Your iPhone Keyboard is Frozen

You might also have a situation where you are using the keyboard of your iPhone, and it freezes or locks up entirely. This is usually called a frozen keyboard by iPhone users. Doing a hard restart of the iPhone is the most common solution to this problem.

1. If you can shut the iPhone down normally, then do so. Hold down the Power button until the Slide to Power Off message shows up on the screen.
2. Move the slider to the right, restarting the iPhone.
3. If you find that you can’t shut the phone down that way, then press the Home and Power buttons down simultaneously.

If you have the iPhone 7 or 7Plus, you’ll have to press the Power button and the Volume Down buttons. Keep holding each one for about 10 seconds, until you see the Apple icon come up on the screen. Release the buttons at that point, and the phone will restart.

If you have the iPhone 8 or X, then you must press the Volume Up button, then Volume Down. After that, press the Power button until the Apple logo comes up.

What to do if the Keyboard on Your iPhone Does Not Pop Up

If the keyboard on your iPhone does not pop up for you to use, then it can be a helpless feeling. This is something that is occasionally reported by users of iOS 12. Restarting your phone as described above might fix this problem. If you’ve tried that and the issue persists, the next thing you can try is to restore the phone. That will help if the glitch is due to a software issue.

You can restore your phone by using either iTunes or iCloud. Here is how to restore through iCloud.

1. Head to the Settings app on your phone.
2. Click General, then Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings.
3. Enter your passcode, and your iPhone will be erased.
4. Make sure that your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, then follow the on-screen setup prompts. When you get to Set Up Your iPhone, select Restore from iCloud Backup. Click on the Latest iPhone Backup option.
5. Wait a few moments while your iPhone settings are restored, and then check to see if the keyboard is functioning again.

You can also restore through iTunes by following these directions.

1. Connect your iPhone to a trusted computer where you have stored your backup. Launch iTunes.
2. Click on your device in iTunes, and click where it says Backup Restore.
3. Check each of the available backups. Pick the most recent one, and hit Restore.
4. Wait a few moments as this process finishes, and then disconnect your phone and check to see if the keyboard is working again.

Note that you’re going to lose all of the existing data on your iPhone if you restore the device by using either of these two methods.

What Can You do if These iPhone Keyboard Fixes Haven’t Worked?

If you have tried these options for your keyboard problem and the issue is not resolved, then you always have the option of going to a Genius Bar at an Apple retailer and getting the experts to look it over. If the iPhone is still under the original factory warranty, then it will not cost you anything.

However, you can also install and use a third-party keyboard if you like. There’s one called GBoard that was developed by Google. It is easy to use and comes with all of the functions that you would expect. Another one called Swift Key exists that’s a smart keyboard which adapts to your habits as you use it. There’s a third option called Flesky that offers a custom keyboard with lots of different themes and extensions.

Here’s what you’ll need to do if you want to go with a third-party keyboard option.

1. Head to the App Store first and pick out the keyboard that you’d like to use.
2. Enter your Apple ID, followed by your password. It should then download in a few moments. Some of these apps cost money, but others are free.
3. Go to Settings, then General.
4. Go to Keyboard, then Add New Keyboard. The one that you got from the App Store should be visible. Select it, and it should install.

Try Using an Earlier Version of iOS

The one other thing that you can try is to go back to an earlier version of iOS. It might have been the installation of a new version that caused the glitch with your keyboard. This may be used as a temporary fix until you can take your device to a Genius Bar and get it looked over. The easiest way is to use iTunes.

1. Be sure that you are running the most recent version of iTunes
2. Connect your phone to your computer, and click on your device when you see it.
3. Hit Summary, then go to Optionif you’re using a Mac, or Shift if you’re using Windows.
4. Click where it says Check for Update.
5. You should see a file browser menu. There will likely be an earlier version of iOS than what you are running. Click on it.
6. Verify your choice by clicking Update, then wait while iTunes installs the older version on your phone. At the end, your phone should reboot, and you will be running the older firmware. See if the keyboard is working, and get the phone looked at by an expert at your earliest convenience.