How to Fix Incorrect iPad Keyboard Layouts

Step by step

1. 30 sec

   Dock and merge the keyboard

   If your keyboard is split into two halves or floating in the middle of the screen, place two fingers on the keyboard. Pinch your fingers together to merge the split halves or drag the keyboard to the bottom edge of the screen to dock it.

   Note: This gesture instantly resets custom floating or split keyboard layouts.
2. 1 min

   Verify software keyboard settings

   Navigate to Settings > General > Keyboard. Tap Keyboards at the top of the menu to review your active layouts. Ensure only your preferred input languages are listed to prevent accidental layout switching.

   Note: Swipe left on any unwanted language and tap Delete to remove it.
3. 1 min

   Check Hardware Keyboard settings

   If you use an external keyboard, return to Settings > General > Keyboard and tap Hardware Keyboard. Confirm that the selected keyboard layout matches your physical hardware, such as US, UK, or ANSI.

   Note: Selecting the wrong hardware layout will result in swapped punctuation and symbols.
4. 1 min

   Reset keyboard dictionary

   Persistent layout anomalies are sometimes caused by corrupted cache. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset. Tap Reset Keyboard Dictionary to clear all custom learned words and formatting resets.

   Note: This action does not delete data; it only clears the predictive text memory.
5. 30 sec

   Restart your iPad

   Force a system restart to clear temporary software conflicts. Press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, then hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.

   Note: A restart effectively flushes the memory and reloads the active keyboard driver.