The best iPhone keyboards can improve your iPhone’s usability, making typing easier and more efficient. There are virtual keyboard apps and physical keyboards, but which is the right choice for you? Virtual keyboards are adaptable, easy to customize, and great for bilingual users wanting a keyboard that can support multiple languages and special characters.
Physical keyboards work well for users, like me, who want to incorporate their keyboards into their desk setup and turn their phone into a content creation machine. I always like to opt for keyboards in bright, bold colors with quirky designs and fun features. Whether it be a physical keyboard you can plug into your phone, or a digital keyboard to check your grammar on the fly, our list has something for everyone at all price ranges.
We’ve found all the most popular iPhone keyboards out there and organized them for you in this handy guide, looking at the unique selling points and benefits of each digital product, and the comfort, portability, and aesthetics of the physical options.
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Best iPhone keyboards in 2024:
How we tested the best iPhone keyboards
To provide you with a wide range of options, we tested multiple aspects of our featured keyboards to explore what makes them so popular among consumers. We couldn’t pit digital keyboards against each other as they fulfill different needs.
For digital keyboard solutions, we looked at ergonomics and usability, price, customization options, and unique selling points to distinguish which alternative keyboards are worth adding to your iPhone’s library. Our physical keyboard choices focus more on portability and quality based on the expected user group.
If you’re browsing for a physical keyboard to connect to your iPhone, you likely spend a lot of time typing. Whether it’s emails, lecture notes, or your next novel, you’re looking for a keyboard suited to long typing sessions that you can bust out in a coffee shop or on the train. So, we put these keyboards to the test, taking into account how well they performed over the day. We tested how easy-to-use they were, how loud the keys were, and how simple the pairing process was.
That’s it for our list of the best iPhone keyboards. If you prefer gaming on your iPhone to typing on it, check out our guide to the best gaming iPhone. We’ve also tackled the age-old questions of iPhone vs Samsung and iPhone vs Android to help you find the perfect new phone.
iPhone Keyboard FAQs
How to use an iPhone keyboard
iPhone keyboards are usually easy to set up and use.
For a physical keyboard, all you need to do is make sure that your iPhone’s Bluetooth is switched on, and follow the instructions that come with the keyboard for pairing the two items together.
For a virtual keyboard, the first step is to download the virtual keyboard you want to use from the app store. You’ll then need to go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, where you should be able to see all of the keyboard apps that you’ve downloaded. Go to the bottom and click on the ‘Add New Keyboard’ option, which should allow you to see all the keyboards you can access.
Next, go to the ‘Third Party Keyboards’ list and click on the one you’d like to use. You’ll then need to return to the previous screen and click on your chosen keyboard to select ‘Allow Full Access’.
Is an iPhone keyboard worth it?
If you’re someone who prefers to type on an actual keyboard, rather than using your iPhone’s built-in keyboard system, then investing in a Bluetooth keyboard that’s compatible with your iPhone could be a good idea. If you opt for a physical keyboard, you’ll benefit from more accurate typing and added comfort when typing for extended periods. You’ll also have additional screen space which could come in handy to see what you’re doing. Of course, the downside is that you’ll need to carry a physical keyboard around.