You're definitely not alone — the on-screen keyboard appearing even with a Magic Keyboard or Bluetooth keyboard connected is something that’s frustrated quite a few iPad users, especially after recent iPadOS updates. Let’s try a step-by-step approach to fix this:
✅ 1. Confirm keyboard is properly connected
- Make sure your Magic Keyboard or Bluetooth keyboard is connected and responding.
- You can quickly test by typing in Notes or Safari’s search bar.
✅ 2. Toggle the “Show On-Screen Keyboard” option
There’s a setting that might have been accidentally triggered:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to General > Keyboard.
- Turn OFF the toggle for “Show Keyboard” under the “Hardware Keyboard” section.
💡 If the setting isn’t visible, try disconnecting and reconnecting the keyboard while staying in this screen — it usually appears when the iPad detects a hardware keyboard.
✅ 3. Use the globe icon or down-arrow manually
When the keyboard pops up:
- Tap the keyboard icon (bottom-right) of the screen (or the down arrow) to manually dismiss it.
- iPadOS should "learn" over time that you're not intending to use the on-screen keyboard when hardware is connected.
✅ 4. Reset Keyboard Dictionary (optional but can help)
This may reset certain input behaviors:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset.
- Tap Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
✅ 5. Reboot your iPad
It sounds basic, but a reboot can sometimes clear keyboard caching issues that might cause this bug to persist.
🧪 Optional: Update or Roll Back Keyboard Settings via AssistiveTouch
If you're using any Accessibility options like Full Keyboard Access, they could interfere:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards.
- If Full Keyboard Access is ON, try turning it OFF.
- Also check AssistiveTouch and Touch Accommodations just in case.
⚠️ Still stuck? Try a clean test user
You can create a new test user (if using iPadOS 17+ with multiple users) to see if the issue is account-specific or system-wide. That can help isolate the problem without resetting the whole device.
💬 Bonus tip: Reporting it
If this started after a specific iPadOS update, it’s worth submitting feedback at feedback.apple.com — it helps Apple prioritize these bugs.
Let me know your iPadOS version too — if it’s iPadOS 17.4 or later, I can dig into any known bugs or release notes affecting external keyboards.
✔️ If the answer was clear or helpful, tap Like 👍 — this way you support the Apple Community.
🍎 Caique Faro
iOS & macOS Developer
