Messages keyboard stuck in landscape

Hi there PeterDahnUnder,

If you're not seeing the keyboard appearing correctly on your iPhone, you'll want to start by making sure it's updated to the latest software version. You mentioned running iOS 15.6.1; we'd suggest updating to iOS 15.7 or iOS 16.0.2 with these steps:

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch wirelessly

1. Back up your device using iCloud or your computer.

2. Plug your device into power and connect to the internet with Wi-Fi.

3. Go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update.

4. Choose the software update that you want to install. You can choose to stay on iOS or iPadOS 15 and still get important security updates. Or you can choose the option to upgrade to iOS or iPadOS 16.

5. Tap Install Now. If you see Download and Install instead, tap it to download the update, enter your passcode, then tap Install Now. If you don't know your passcode, learn what to do.

You'll find these steps and more information here: Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

If this happens again, try restarting your iPhone since it can often resolve issues such as this:

How to restart your iPhone X, 11, 12, or 13

1. Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.

2. Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off. If your device is frozen or unresponsive, force restart your device.

3. To turn your device back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.

More information about restarting your iPhone can be found here: Restart your iPhone - Apple Support

Take care.