Is your iPad keyboard feeling a little cramped, especially when you're trying to jot down notes or brainstorm ideas with your Apple Pencil? You're not alone! Many iPad users find the default keyboard size less than ideal for comfortable typing or seamless Apple Pencil integration. The good news is, there are several simple yet effective ways to make your iPad keyboard bigger, enhancing your overall experience, especially when using your Apple Pencil for tasks like Scribble.
Let's dive into a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to transforming your tiny keyboard into a spacious, productive workspace!
Step 1: Discover Your Current Keyboard Predicament
Before we fix anything, let's figure out why your keyboard might be small in the first place. This initial diagnostic step will help us choose the most effective solution.
A. Is it the Floating Keyboard?
Have you noticed your keyboard is suddenly small and movable on your screen? This is the "floating keyboard," a handy feature for one-handed typing but not ideal for Apple Pencil use or full-size typing.
B. Is it the Split Keyboard?
For some older iPad models, the keyboard can split into two halves, one on each side of the screen. This is designed for thumb typing but can be frustrating if you're expecting a full-width keyboard.
C. Is Scribble Stealing Your Keyboard Space?
The Apple Pencil's Scribble feature is amazing for handwriting directly into text fields, but sometimes, when it's active, it can make the on-screen keyboard itself appear smaller or disappear to prioritize handwriting input.
D. Are You in Portrait Mode?
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best. The iPad keyboard naturally scales to fill the screen, and in portrait mode, that space is narrower.
Now that you have an idea of what might be causing your small keyboard, let's explore the solutions!
Step 2: Resizing the Floating Keyboard – The Pinch-Out Power!
If your keyboard is currently a small, floating window, this is often the quickest fix.
- Locate the Floating Keyboard: Look for the small, movable keyboard on your iPad screen. It usually has a small horizontal bar at the bottom.
- The Pinch-Out Gesture: Place two fingers on the floating keyboard.
- Spread Your Fingers Apart: While keeping your fingers on the keyboard, spread them outwards as if you were zooming in on a photo. Voila! Your keyboard should instantly expand back to its full, glorious size, docked at the bottom of the screen.
Alternative Method for Floating Keyboard
You can also drag the floating keyboard back to its full size:
- Touch and Hold the Bar: Touch and hold the small horizontal bar at the bottom of the floating keyboard.
- Drag Downwards: Drag the keyboard all the way down to the bottom of your iPad screen. It should snap back into its full-size, docked position.
Step 3: Rejoining the Split Keyboard – Bringing it Back Together
If your keyboard is split into two halves, you can easily merge them back into a single, wider keyboard. This feature is more common on older iPad models.
- Identify the Split: Notice the gap in the middle of your keyboard, with keys on either side.
- The Pinch-In Gesture: Place one finger on each half of the split keyboard.
- Move Fingers Towards Each Other: Pinch your fingers inwards as if you were zooming out on a photo. This will bring the two halves together, forming a unified keyboard.
Alternative Method for Split Keyboard
You can also use the keyboard icon to merge and dock:
- Long-Press the Keyboard Icon: In the bottom-right corner of the keyboard, you'll see a small keyboard icon (it might look like a square with a small keyboard symbol). Touch and hold this icon.
- Slide to "Dock and Merge": A small menu will pop up. Without lifting your finger, slide it over to the "Dock and Merge" option (or sometimes just "Merge" if it's already docked) and then release.
Step 4: Deactivating Scribble – Giving the Keyboard Its Space Back
While Scribble is fantastic for Apple Pencil users, sometimes it can cause the on-screen keyboard to behave unexpectedly or shrink. If you're experiencing a persistently small keyboard when trying to type with your Apple Pencil, temporarily disabling Scribble might help.
- Open Settings: Tap the Settings app icon on your iPad Home screen.
- Navigate to Apple Pencil Settings: Scroll down the left-hand sidebar and tap on Apple Pencil.
- Toggle Off Scribble: Find the Scribble toggle switch and tap it to turn it off (it will turn gray).
- Check Your Keyboard: Go back to an app where you'd normally type. Your keyboard should now appear in its full, standard size. You can always re-enable Scribble later if you need it.
Step 5: Utilizing Landscape Mode – The Simple Orientation Shift
This is perhaps the most straightforward way to get a larger keyboard, as the iPad's keyboard naturally expands to fill the available screen width.
- Ensure Rotation Lock is Off:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPad screen to open Control Center.
- Look for the Rotation Lock icon (a padlock with an arrow circling it).
- If it's red, it means Rotation Lock is ON. Tap it to turn it off (it will turn white/gray).
- Rotate Your iPad: Simply turn your iPad horizontally (landscape orientation). The keyboard will automatically adjust and appear larger, making it easier to type with your fingers or to simply have more space for your Apple Pencil input when the keyboard is present.
Step 6: Zooming In – Magnifying the Entire Screen (and Keyboard)
iPad's Accessibility features include a powerful "Zoom" function that can magnify your entire screen, including the keyboard. This is a general magnification tool, but it works effectively for making the keyboard much bigger.
- Open Settings: Tap the Settings app icon.
- Go to Accessibility: Scroll down the left-hand sidebar and tap Accessibility.
- Select Zoom: In the Vision section, tap Zoom.
- Enable Zoom: Toggle the Zoom switch to the On position (it will turn green).
- Immediately, your screen will zoom in. You'll likely see a zoomed-in window or the entire screen magnified.
- Adjust Zoom Settings (Optional but Recommended):
- Zoom Region: You can choose between "Full Screen Zoom" (magnifies everything) or "Window Zoom" (a movable magnifying glass). For keyboard size, Full Screen Zoom is often more practical.
- Zoom Controller: Turn on "Show Controller" to get a movable joystick-like button that makes it easier to move around the zoomed screen and access zoom options.
- Smart Typing: This is a particularly useful setting! When enabled, "Smart Typing" will automatically switch to Window Zoom when a keyboard appears, keeping the keyboard magnified while allowing you to see more of the screen when the keyboard isn't active.
- Using Zoom with the Keyboard:
- With Full Screen Zoom: Use three fingers to drag around the screen and position the keyboard where you need it. Double-tap with three fingers to quickly zoom in or out.
- With Window Zoom: Drag the zoom lens over the keyboard to magnify it. The Zoom Controller makes this easier.
Be aware: While effective, Zoom magnifies everything on your screen, which might take some getting used to for overall navigation.
Step 7: Exploring Third-Party Keyboards for Customization
If the built-in options don't provide the level of customization you desire, the App Store offers a variety of third-party keyboards that might better suit your needs. Some of these keyboards offer adjustable sizes, different layouts, and even themes.
- Open the App Store: Tap the App Store icon on your Home screen.
- Search for Keyboards: Use the search bar to look for terms like "bigger keyboard," "custom keyboard," or specific popular keyboards like "Gboard" or "SwiftKey."
- Download and Install: Choose a keyboard app that appeals to you and download it.
- Enable the New Keyboard:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard...
- Under "THIRD-PARTY KEYBOARDS," select the keyboard you just downloaded.
- You might also need to tap on the newly added keyboard and toggle on Allow Full Access for all features to work correctly (read the privacy implications of this for any third-party app).
- Switch to the New Keyboard: When you're typing, you can switch between keyboards by tapping the globe icon () on your current keyboard.
- Adjust Settings within the App: Many third-party keyboards have their own settings menu (often accessed via the globe icon or directly from their app icon on the Home screen) where you can adjust size, layout, and other preferences.
Summary of Approaches:
-
Quick Fixes (for common small keyboard issues):
- Pinch-out on the floating keyboard.
- Pinch-in or use the keyboard icon to merge a split keyboard.
- Disable Scribble (Settings > Apple Pencil).
- Rotate iPad to landscape mode (ensure Rotation Lock is off).
-
System-Wide Magnification:
- Use the iPad's Zoom feature (Settings > Accessibility > Zoom).
-
Customization & Advanced Options:
- Install a third-party keyboard from the App Store.
By following these steps, you should be able to achieve a keyboard size that's much more comfortable for both typing and leveraging the full potential of your Apple Pencil on your iPad.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to revert a floating keyboard to full size on iPad?
- Pinch out with two fingers on the floating keyboard, or touch and hold the small bar at its bottom and drag it to the bottom of the screen.
How to disable the split keyboard feature on an iPad?
- Pinch in with two fingers on the split keyboard halves, or long-press the keyboard icon and select "Dock and Merge."
How to make the iPad keyboard bigger in landscape mode?
- Ensure Rotation Lock is off (via Control Center), then simply rotate your iPad horizontally to switch to landscape orientation, and the keyboard will automatically expand.
How to use iPad's accessibility zoom feature for the keyboard?
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom, turn Zoom on, and then activate the keyboard. You can use three fingers to pan the screen or enable "Smart Typing" for automatic keyboard magnification.
How to prevent Scribble from affecting keyboard size on iPad?
- Go to Settings > Apple Pencil and toggle off the "Scribble" feature. This will ensure the standard keyboard appears when you need to type.
How to add a new, larger keyboard from the App Store?
- Download a third-party keyboard app from the App Store, then go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and select it.
How to switch between different keyboards on iPad?
- When the keyboard is active, tap the globe icon () in the bottom-left corner to cycle through your installed keyboards.
How to resize text on the iPad for better visibility (affecting general UI, including keyboard)?
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text, and then use the slider to adjust the text size.
How to type with Apple Pencil directly without the on-screen keyboard?
- Enable Scribble in Settings > Apple Pencil. Then, in any text field, simply write with your Apple Pencil, and your handwriting will be converted to typed text.
How to troubleshoot if my iPad keyboard is still small after trying these steps?
- Force-restart your iPad (for iPads with Face ID or Top Button Touch ID: quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then press and hold the Top Button until the Apple logo appears; for iPads with Home button: press and hold the Home button and Top button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears). If the issue persists, consider resetting all settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings), which won't erase your data but will reset system preferences.