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Virtual keyboard different on iPad vs. iPhone

So, I'm hoping there's a fix for this ridiculous change after a previous update.

When using the iPhone, to select standard punctuation such as ? ! and so on, I simply hit the 123 button to switch the keyboards.

But on the iPad, I have to choose the solid black UP ARROW to get to the ? and !.

Why the difference??

Is there a setting I can change to alter the iPad keyboard to match the iPhone.

Thanks!!

Posted on Jun 21, 2020 2:58 PM

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Posted on Jun 21, 2020 7:49 PM

That's the difference between the iPhone onscreen keyboard and the iPad onscreen keyboard. They aren't identical. There is nothing wrong, nor can you change this on your iPad. You'll just have to adjust to the difference between two devices now that iPhone is iOS and iPad is iPadOS.

21 replies

Jun 21, 2020 3:11 PM in response to avidfan

Since the introduction of OS13, iPhone (iOS) and iPad (iPadOS) do now have differences in their respective UI.


If you really want your on-screen to resemble and behave as it does on your iPhone, you can easily switch to the new Floating Keyboard.


To activate, from the full on-screen keyboard, touch-and-hold the “keyboard” key at bottom right - and, without lifting your finger, slide your finger to the Floating option in the menu - then lift your finger.

Jun 21, 2020 8:06 PM in response to avidfan

Here’s my iPad full screen keyboard. Note I don’t have an up arrow at all. Instead I have a key labeled “Shift”.


I get to the exclamation point by tapping “Shift” (which obliviates the comma), then the exclamation point key.


Note I could slightly drag down the key as illustrated in your screenshot showing both the comma and exclamation point to produce the exclamation point.

Jun 21, 2020 5:53 PM in response to avidfan

I have now tried both the iPad’s full screen keyboard (my normal default) and smaller keyboard and cannot duplicate your symptoms. Like you, I use English (US) QWERTY.


With the full screen keyboard, an up arrow never appears. With a smaller keyboard, with either the solid black arrow or the other up arrow, I have no issue as the punctuation appears at the bottom of the numeric keyboard.


What symbols do you see there instead of the punctuation?

Jun 23, 2020 1:43 AM in response to avidfan

The reason that your on-screen keyboard differs, from that of sberman, is your your iPad model and screen size. The key layout differs between models.


The very largest screens of the iPad Pro will have the layout as seen in sberman’s screenshot - whereas the smaller screens (<10.5”) will be the more compact layout, as seen on your iPad.

Virtual keyboard different on iPad vs. iPhone

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