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Switch between keyboards with iPad

With an Apple external keyboard, you can switch between the language keyboard for your region, an emoji keyboard, other language keyboards that you add, and the onscreen keyboard.

Switch between language keyboards and the onscreen emoji keyboard

  1. On the external keyboard, press and hold the Control key.

  2. Press the Space bar to cycle between the language keyboard for your region, the emoji keyboard, and other language keyboards that you add.

    When you select the emoji keyboard, you can do the following:

    • Search for an emoji: Enter a commonly used word or phrase—such as “heart” or “smiley face”—in the search field above the emoji keyboard.

    • Enter an emoji: Tap it; or use the arrow keys on the external keyboard to select it, then press Return.

Tip: To quickly switch to the emoji keyboard, press the Switch Keyboard key-E on the Magic Keyboard for iPad or Smart Keyboard.

With Magic Keyboard for iPad and Smart Keyboard, you can also press the Switch Keyboard key to choose between keyboards. If you want to use the Switch Keyboard key to show only the emoji keyboard instead of switching languages, go to Settings  > General > Keyboard > Hardware Keyboard, then turn on Press the Switch Keyboard key for Emoji.

Tip: If you added a Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Hebrew keyboard, you can press the Caps Lock key to switch back and forth between Latin script and the other keyboard you’re using. To prevent use of the Caps Lock key for switching languages, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Hardware Keyboard, then turn off Switch Languages using Caps Lock.

Switch to the onscreen keyboard

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Tap the Keyboard Shortcut button in the Shortcuts bar (at the bottom of the screen).

    • If you installed additional language keyboards, tap the language button next to the predictive text suggestions (opposite of the Dictation button in the Shortcuts bar).

  2. Tap Show Keyboard.

To hide the onscreen keyboard, tap the Hide Keyboard button.

Note: With Magic Keyboard for iPad and Smart Keyboard, you can use the Switch Keyboard key to show only the emoji keyboard instead of switching languages. Go to Settings  > General > Keyboard > Hardware Keyboard, then turn on Press the Switch Keyboard key for Emoji. To switch between other language keyboards, press and hold the Control key, then press the Space bar.

See alsoUse the Shortcuts bar to switch between language, emoji, and onscreen keyboards
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