Ever felt like your iPad keyboard is just a little too big for comfortable one-handed typing, especially on larger models? You're not alone! While the full-sized iPad keyboard is great for serious work, there are times when you just want to quickly type a message, search something, or navigate an app without needing two hands or a stable surface.
The good news is, Apple has built in a fantastic feature called the Floating Keyboard that lets you shrink your iPad's onscreen keyboard to a much more manageable size, and even move it around the screen. It's a game-changer for casual use, and once you try it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!
Let's dive into how you can transform your iPad's giant keyboard into a sleek, portable typing companion.
How to Make Your iPad Keyboard Small: A Step-by-Step Guide
This guide will walk you through the simple gestures and settings to achieve the small, floating keyboard on your iPad.
Step 1: Engage with Your Keyboard
First things first, let's get your iPad's keyboard to appear.
- Open any app that uses the keyboard. This could be Notes, Messages, Safari, Mail, or any other app where you can type.
- Tap on a text field within that app. You'll see your familiar, full-sized iPad keyboard pop up at the bottom of the screen. Take a moment to appreciate its grandeur, knowing it's about to get a whole lot more compact!
Step 2: The Magic Pinch Gesture
This is where the real magic happens. It's an intuitive gesture, much like zooming in or out on a photo.
- Place two fingers (your thumb and index finger work best) anywhere on the keyboard.
- Now, pinch your fingers inwards, as if you're trying to grab a tiny object. Imagine you're trying to shrink the keyboard.
- As you pinch, you'll see the full-sized keyboard swiftly shrink into a much smaller, floating keyboard. It's quite satisfying!
- Release your fingers once the keyboard has shrunk to your desired size.
Congratulations! You now have a small, floating keyboard. Notice how it's no longer fixed to the bottom of the screen.
Step 3: Mastering the Floating Keyboard
Now that you have your compact keyboard, let's explore its newfound freedom.
Sub-heading: Moving the Floating Keyboard
One of the best features of the floating keyboard is its ability to be repositioned anywhere on the screen.
- Look for the thin grey line at the very bottom of the small, floating keyboard. This is your "handle."
- Touch and hold this grey line with one finger.
- Drag the keyboard around the screen to wherever it's most convenient for you. You can place it in a corner, closer to the middle, or off to one side – whatever feels most comfortable for your one-handed typing.
- Release your finger when you've positioned it.
This is particularly useful if the keyboard is blocking important content you need to see.
Sub-heading: Typing with QuickPath
The floating keyboard is also perfectly suited for QuickPath typing, which lets you type by sliding your finger from letter to letter without lifting it.
- With the small keyboard active, try sliding your finger across the letters to form words. The iPad's intelligent system will predict what you're trying to type.
- This is incredibly efficient for quick messages and makes one-handed typing even easier.
Step 4: Reverting to the Full-Sized Keyboard
There will be times when you want your full, expansive keyboard back for more extensive typing. Reverting is just as easy as shrinking it.
Sub-heading: The Reverse Pinch Gesture
This is the most common and intuitive way to bring back the full keyboard.
- Place two fingers on the small, floating keyboard.
- Spread your fingers outwards, as if you're trying to enlarge the keyboard. This is the exact opposite of the pinch gesture.
- As you spread your fingers, the floating keyboard will expand and dock itself back at the bottom of your screen, returning to its default, full size.
- Release your fingers.
Sub-heading: Dragging to Dock
Another way to return the keyboard to its full size and docked position is by dragging it to the bottom center of the screen.
- Touch and hold the grey line at the bottom of the floating keyboard.
- Drag the keyboard all the way down to the bottom center of your iPad screen.
- As you approach the bottom, you'll see it snap back into its full-sized, docked position.
- Release your finger.
Important Notes and Tips:
- This feature is available on iPads running iPadOS. If your iPad is on a very old version of iOS, you might not have this functionality.
- The "split keyboard" feature (where the keyboard divides into two halves on either side of the screen) is different from the floating keyboard and is only available on older iPad models with a Home button. The floating keyboard is a more universal and generally preferred method for smaller typing.
- Experiment with placement! Finding the perfect spot for your floating keyboard can significantly improve your one-handed typing experience.
- Consider using predictive text suggestions, as they can greatly speed up typing on the smaller keyboard.
10 Related FAQ Questions:
How to move the small keyboard on my iPad?
To move the small, floating keyboard, touch and hold the grey line at its bottom, then drag it to your desired location on the screen.
How to get the full-sized keyboard back on my iPad?
To get the full-sized keyboard back, place two fingers on the floating keyboard and spread them outwards, or drag the floating keyboard to the very bottom center of the screen.
How to enable the floating keyboard on my iPad?
The floating keyboard is enabled by default. You simply pinch inwards on the full-sized keyboard with two fingers to activate it.
How to type with one hand on my iPad?
You can type with one hand by using the small, floating keyboard. Activate it by pinching the full keyboard inwards, then move it to a comfortable position and use QuickPath (swiping between letters) or tap normally.
How to fix a split keyboard on my iPad?
If your keyboard is split, you can merge it by placing two fingers on the inner edges of the split keyboard and sliding them towards each other, or by touching and holding the keyboard button (globe/emoji icon), then sliding your finger up to "Merge" or "Dock and Merge." (Note: Split keyboard is for older iPads with Home buttons).
How to make the iPad keyboard larger again?
To make the iPad keyboard larger, if it's currently floating, use a reverse pinch gesture (spread two fingers outwards on the keyboard) or drag it to the bottom center of the screen.
How to use QuickPath typing on my iPad?
QuickPath typing works automatically with the floating keyboard. Simply slide your finger from one letter to the next to spell out words without lifting your finger.
How to prevent my iPad keyboard from going small?
The keyboard won't automatically go small unless you perform the pinch gesture. To prevent it, simply avoid that specific two-finger pinch gesture on the keyboard.
How to turn off the floating keyboard feature?
There isn't a specific "off" switch for the floating keyboard. It's a gesture-activated mode. To revert to the full-sized keyboard, use the reverse pinch gesture or drag it to the bottom of the screen.
How to customize my iPad keyboard settings?
Go to Settings > General > Keyboard to access various keyboard settings such as enabling/disabling auto-correction, predictive text, adding new keyboard languages, and more.
