Keyboard malfunctions on an iPhone can be attributed to three main reasons. It could be that the app you’re attempting to use the iPhone keyboard in has crashed. Another possible reason is that your iPhone is going through some more advanced software issue or your iPhone’s display is just not working properly or has become unresponsive.
This post will help you determine what exactly has caused your iPhone XR keyboard to suddenly stop working. And to help you further, I’ve also mapped out some helpful tweaks for you to try to fix the problem on your end before rushing to an Apple Genius bar. Read on for more information.
How to troubleshoot iPhone XR with its keyboard that keeps lagging
Before troubleshooting, try wiping off your iPhone’s screen. Sometimes, what you might thought of as a keyboard glitch is just some dirt on the phone screen that’s barring contact between your finger touch and the iPhone display. As a result, the keyboard seemed to respond late or not responding when you tap on it. You can wipe the screen off with some microfiber cloth to remove dirt or grime from it.
First solution: Close all your apps then restart your iPhone (soft reset).
If the keyboard doesn’t work in any of your apps, then it’s less likely that the problem is caused by one specific app. If the keyboard doesn’t work only in one app, then there’s a higher chance that the app has crashed and that is causing the problem. A simple solution to this is to quit the errant app and then restart it. Here’s how to clear apps from running on your iPhone XR:
- From the Home screen, swipe your finger up and then pause.
- Swipe right or left to navigate through apps preview.
- Then swipe up on an app preview to end/quit it.
Follow the same steps to close the rest of other background apps. Once you’re done closing all background apps, restart/soft reset your iPhone XR to clear caches and temporary data from the internal memory including corrupted files that are causing any sort of trouble to other apps and built-in functions. To soft reset your iPhone XR, simply refer to these steps:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
- Release the buttons when the Slide to Power Off command appears and then drag the power off slider to the right.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power/Side button again until the phone reboots.
Wait until your phone is finished booting up and then try launching an app where you can use and test the keyboard in.
Second solution: Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
Several iPhone users who bumped into various issues when using the iPhone keyboard on certain apps were able to find remedies by performing a keyboard reset. If you wish to give it a shot, then here’s how it works:
- Launch the Settings app from your Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
- Select the option to Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
- Enter your passcode when asked to proceed.
- Then tap the option to confirm keyboard reset.
After the reset, launch an app in which you can test to see if the keyboard problem is already gone.
Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone.
Many software-related problems on an iPhone are dealt with by deleting all customized settings and restoring the default options and original configurations. This can be considered among the next possible solution to try especially if the problem started after applying some settings or installing a new update on your iPhone. Here’s how it’s done:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings
- Then tap on General.
- Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
- Select the option to Reset all settings
- Enter your passcode, if prompted.
- Finally, tap the option to confirm all settings reset.
After the reset, all customized options are deleted and the default options are restored. This means you will need to re-enable the features you want to use on your phone including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.
Fourth solution: Reset and restore factory default settings on your iPhone (master reset).
If the prior resets failed to fix the problem, then you may have to consider opting for major system resets like a factory reset. This offers a higher chance of fixing more complex system errors that might have caused the keyboard system to crash and stop working properly on your device. Before you begin, back up all your important files to iCloud or iTunes as they will likewise be wiped out during the reset. Once you’re all set, follow these steps to reset your iPhone XR and restore factory defaults through settings:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Then tap on General.
- Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
- Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
- Enter your passcode when asked to continue.
- Finally, tap the option to confirm full system reset (factory reset).
Follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to complete the system reset. Your iPhone will then reboot automatically when everything is finished. By then you can proceed with the initial setup process and set up your iPhone as new.
Fifth solution: Restore your iPhone in iTunes (recovery mode restore).
Device issues that could not be remedied by a factory reset are either attributed to hardware damage or totally corrupted iOS. Before opting for service, try to rule out the latter factor by performing an iOS restore either via recovery mode or DFU mode. Both these methods will require the use of the latest version of iTunes on a Windows or Mac computer that’s compatible with your iPhone. If possible, back up all your critical data to your computer drive using iTunes, then refer to these steps when everything is ready.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using the Apple-supplied USB/Lightning cable.
- While it’s connected, press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Then quick press and release the Volume Down button.
- Next, press and hold the Side/Power button and continue to hold as it restarts. Don’t release the Side/Power button when the Apple logo appears as you need to put the device in a recovery state.
- Release the Side/Power button when you see the Connect to iTunes logo on the screen.
- On your computer, navigate to iTunes then you should see a message saying that your connected iOS device is in recovery mode and prompts options to update or restore.
- Select the Restore option to wipe everything from the phone system and then restore iOS through iTunes.
If a recovery mode restore failed to fix the problem, then you can proceed and try restoring your iPhone XS Max in DFU mode. This will be the last option you’ve got to try on to fix fatal system errors that caused major software problems on your iPhone. Putting your device in a DFU state allows it to communicate with iTunes even without activating the bootloader or iOS. So it’s still possible to repair a totally borked operating system. A more detailed walkthrough on how to perform a DFU mode restore can be found on this site’s tutorials section. Just visit the iPhone XS Max troubleshooting page then navigate to the tutorials section to browse and view the steps.
Other options
- Switch to third-party keyboard. Alternatively, you can use other third-party keyboards for your iPhone such as Touchpal, Gboard, SwiftKey, Fleksy, Blink Keyboard, and Themeboard, to name some. To get started, download and install your preferred third-party keyboard on your iPhone and then activate the app by heading to Settings-> General-> Keyboard menu. From there, you can tap on Keyboards then select the option to Add New Keyboard. Navigate to the Third-Party Keyboards section or something similar and then tap to select the keyboard app that you’d like to use. You can also change the default keyboard on your phone to your preferred third-party keyboard application until the built-in keyboard is back up and running smoothly again.
- Service/iPhone repair. To rule out hardware damage from the probable causes, you can take your device to the nearest Apple-authorized service center in your area and have it diagnosed by an iPhone technician instead. Your device might have obtained some sort of physical or liquid damage that caused the screen to become a little less responsive thus the keyboard seems laggy.
For other options and more advanced solutions, call your iPhone provider or escalate the problem to Apple Support.
Connect with us
If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone XR smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone XR. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.