Magic Keyboard stops working when multitasking

Ive experienced this bug since 2018 when I purchased an iPad Pro and a smart folio keyboard. This is an issue I deal with dozens of times per day.

Here is the fastest fix that works for me:

-exit the app and go to your Home Screen

-press cmd+space to invoke the spotlight search (or pull down on the icon rows)

-try to start typing into the spotlight search bar using your keyboard

-disconnect your iPad from your Smart Keyboard/folio

-wait until the onscreen keyboard appears

-reconnect your iPad to the Smart Keyboard/folio

It should start working again after this. But anytime you're in an app and use split screen or float a new app on top, the issue will return.

I can't begin to describe how frustrating it is to deal with this every day of my life. It has made me not want to use my iPad.

And PS: Its incredible how unhelpful replies are on Apple Forums. I'd rather see no replies than specialists linking to completely irrelevant and unhelpful articles.

I have problems with the Apple Folio keyboard AND with a Brydge Pro bluetooth keyboard. I am able to reproduce this problem easily on my iPad Pro as well as my kids iPad air. There is something wrong in IOS for this one. It’s clearly a bug.

Bring up two multi-tasking apps that take keyboard input, texting, email, spreadsheet, whatever. Keyboard input doesn’t work. Hitting CMD+Spacebar brings up the search but there nothing types into it. Disconnect or bring up on screen keyboard that OS-keyboard works but it does NOT make the external keyboard work. I have to close the two apps and bring them up individually.

Only way I have found to make things somewhat better is to go to the home screen, bring up the application search and type and 80% of the time it starts taking input again.

This is super frustrating.

Update 15.2 seems to have fixed this issue.

I’ve had my iPad Pro 2018 and Smart Keyboard since it came out and this problem has only just started happening so it must be a new bug. Everything works perfectly until I try any form of multitasking window (slide over etc), following which all keyboard entry is impossible and I have to restart the app to get it to start again. Suddenly not having multitasking windows is a nightmare.

I have the same issue with the same setup, BraytonAK. Sadly, your “fix (i.e., sleep and then wake the iPad back up)” is the best solution I’ve found and more helpful than what Apple Tech Support could offer. Apple had me reset my settings; I lost a bunch of settings and it was an annoyance, but worth it to get the Magic Keyboard working again. But just 4 days later, same problem again. I cannot accept that I need to keep deleting my settings for a $600 keyboard to function again on a brand new device.

I have the same problem on my 13’ iPad pro. The moment I drag a multi-task app on the screen, email next to cal for example, the magic keyboard just stops working. This is a brand new 13’ iPad Pro. My last iPad did this at times, but all I had to do it lift the iPad off the magic keybaord and set it back down for it to work. Not on this unit. It basically eliminates the usefulness of one of iPadOS’s most useful features. Being able to look at my calendar as the same time I’m reading an email that is proposing meeting dates is really nice. It sucks that this happens, although it’s a comfort to see that it’s a glitch other people experience…as that means my gadget isn’t broken and hopefully Apply will fix the problem in an update.

Greetings BraytonAK,

We understand that you have questions related to keyboard use during multitasking on your iPad. We're happy to offer some guidance.

Our page Set up and use Magic Keyboard for iPad covers the foundations of this accessory including situations where it may be necessary to switch to the on-screen keyboard. If you continue to experience problems with the Magic Keyboard, use the link at the bottom of that page to contact our support to investigate further.

Cheers!

The Magic Keyboard with iPad Pro 11 (2nd Gen) has lost some of its magic. I have the same issue. It only happens when I’m using the Magic Keyboard. This is very annoying. I talked with Apple support. They were sort of useless on this matter. IMO, it’s a bug that’s needs to be fixed immediately if not sooner.

Four years ago, I switched from Windows to Apple after a security issue with Windows. I now use my iPads (I also have an iPad 8th gen) for all my work, except for CAD. (It’s unfortunate that Apple iPad Pro doesn’t support a usable AutoCAD app.)

15.2 hasn’t fixed it, I’m on 15.3 and while I can type in the search bar on the Home Screen, when I switch to an app and start typing, nothing. But when I switch back to Home Screen, the search bar is still up and what I typed in the other app, has been typed in the search bar. It’s completely crazy.

Same exact problem here. I've been using the magic keyboard since it came out because I need to write extensively and it seemed the best option. Unfortunately, the problem has been there since the beginning. It's so frustrating, especially seeing that multitasking has become more and more prominent in the iPad functionalities. How worth is it buying the magic keyboard if you can't write or need to go back to onscreen writing when multitasking? Very disappointing.

That page as well as Apple Support are useless. I tried the both. Just own up about the bug and fix it!

I’m not doing anything but I will be