How to type with the onscreen keyboard on iPhone

You can use the onscreen keyboard to enter and edit text.

You can type one key at a time, or use QuickPath to glide from one letter to the next without lifting your finger, though it isn’t available for all languages. You can also enter accents and other special characters, type with one hand, and hear clicks or feel taps as you type. You can change keyboard settings, too.

Here’s how to type with the onscreen keyboard on iPhone.

Note: Magic Keyboard and Dictation are other ways to enter text on iPhone.

Enter text using the onscreen keyboard

You can tap individual keys to type, or slide from one letter to the next without lifting your finger (QuickPath isn’t available for all languages).

1. In any app where you can enter text, tap a text field. The onscreen keyboard opens.
2. Tap individual keys to type, or touch and hold the first letter, slide to the next letters. Lift your finger at the end of a word. You can use either method as you type, and even switch in the middle of a sentence.
3. While entering text, you can do any of the following:
   • Type an uppercase letter: Tap the Shift key, or touch the Shift key. Then slide to a letter.
   • Turn on Caps Lock: Double-tap the Shift key.
   • Quickly end a sentence with a period and a space: Double-tap the Space bar.
   • Enter numbers, punctuation, or symbols: Tap the Numbers key or the Symbols key.

Hear clicks or feel taps as you type

You can turn keyboard sounds and haptic feedback on or off in keyboard settings.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Sounds & Haptics, then tap Keyboard Feedback.
3. Turn on Sound or Haptic

Enter accents, diacritics, and other special characters

While using the keyboard, touch and hold the letter, number, or symbol related to the character.

For example, to enter é, touch and hold the e key, then slide your finger and release it on the option you want.

On a keyboard for another language, you can also do any of the following:

• On a Thai keyboard: To choose native numbers, touch and hold the related Arabic number.
• On a Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic keyboard: Tap a suggested character or candidate at the top of the keyboard to enter it, or swipe left to see more candidates.

Note: Tap the up arrow on the right to view the full candidate list, and tap the down arrow to return to the short list.

You can add other characters using the emoji keyboard.

Type with one hand

Moving the keys closer to your thumb makes it easier to type with one hand.

1. Touch and hold the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key.
2. Tap one of the keyboard layouts. (For example, choose the Right-Handed Layout button to move the keyboard to the right side of the screen.)

To center the keyboard again, tap the right or left edge of the keyboard.

Change keyboard settings

You can turn special typing features—such as predictive text and auto-correction—off and on.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General, then tap Keyboard.
3. Turn the typing features (below All Keyboards) on or off.

Quick tip: To change your keyboard settings without leaving the onscreen keyboard, you can touch and hold the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key, and then tap Keyboard Settings.