iPad Pro Smart Keyboard not working

Shortly after the replacement keyboard I thought I would look at my new iPad unit, so I returned my now two week old ipad Pro 12.9mand ordered a new unit. I did not return the smart keyboard. On arrival I had the same issue, however, Verizon replaced my second keyboard with a new one again and I am a week into the new iPad and smart Keyboard and all is well.

Cedric

All...I assure you the fixes people are mentioning will not work in the long run. Sometimes the putting to sleep and then awakening the iPad again will restart the iPad working, but eventually this will stop working and you will need to restart your iPad. Replacing the keyboard with a new one will help for a little while but you will eventually get the same issue. I cannot say what is causing this but it is obviously iPad related. If it was the connecter itself restarting would not help if you kept the keyboard connected when you rebooted and it worked again (think about it). I believe it is OS related but not sure they know what is causing it. Could be the area of the software that tells the iPad to open the on screen keyboard if your keyboard is not connected and don’t open it if it is. Yes I know the onboard keyboard doesn’t open, but it still could be something in there that has a glitch in it.

Yes....I have had my keyboard replaced at the Apple Store and it still has issues. Yes I was able to put the iPad to sleep and then go back in to get the keyboard working. I assure you these miracle fixes listed do not work in the long run

I type on it for hours every day. I had the keyboard replaced about 4 months ago. It periodically becomes unresponsive, meaning the software keyboard does not appear but the accessory keyboard doesn’t do anything. My experience is that sleep wake fixes it. I do about one of those sleep-wakes a day for an inoperative keyboard.

HERE IS MY FINAL NUGGET....

THE KEYBOARD ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE ANGULAR POSITION OF THE IPAD PRO AS IT RESTS IN THE KEYBOARD HOLD-OPEN POSTION.

TEST: KEYBOARD NOT WORKING?

TILT THE IPAD PRO FORWARD, TOWARD YOU, JUST A BIT, IN THE DIRECTION THAT YIELDS A NINETY (90) DEGREE ANGLE (PERPDENDICULAR) BETWEEN THE IPAD AND THE KEYBOARD.

ENJOY USER EXPECTED FUNCTIONALITY!

TEST: KEYBOARD WORKING?

TILT THE IPAD PRO BACKWARD, AWAY FROM YOU, IN THE DIRECTION THAT YIELDS A ZERO (0) DEGREE ANGLE (PARALLEL) BETWEEN THE IPAD AND THE KEYBOARD.

I have an original iPP 12.9” at end of 2015, and just got a ASK for first time at end of 2017. I was having issues of the keyboard not working on my lap when I didn’t have a table to work on, but also sometimes not working on flat surfaces. My iPP is always up to date with latest iOS. I tried the hard restarts and cleaning contacts multiple times with no luck. Sometimes changing the angle or reconnecting would work, but just for a little while. I returned the ASK and got a new one, which is now worse. It wouldn’t work at all. Then I read more blog posts...

THE PROBLEM & THE FIX:

One blog post pointed out that we “monkeys“ weren’t connecting it right. This non-monkey was right, but it is certainly not anything us monkey’s were necessarily doing wrong. If you look really close at the connectors area when connecting it, you may notice that it is misaligned with the pins when the magnets snap together. I believe there is a flaw with where the rare earth magnets inside the iPP and ASK are located which may just be a quality of production / tolerance issue in either or both. In my case, i think it is the iPP since it has had the problem with two ASK’s. Now, when I connect my new ASK, i just let it snap on as normal and then fold the cover into typing mode. It never works as-is, but then i just slide the base of iPP around a bit (in my case to the left just a nano-meter) then the on-screen keyboard drops away and typing works on the ASK.

To me, this is a major design flaw and the fix is essentially just a duct tape fix. The problem that still exists is that it drains my iPP battery when i close up shop and use the ASK as a protective cover in my bag. It is advertised to be a protective cover and I could not find anywhere in the fine print that cautions that a pin misalignment will cause the iPP battery to drain. Again, this is because the native magnetic alignment is misaligned, and through the smallest little movements, it finds its way to this native magnetic ‘misaligned’ alignment. Essentially, the misalignment causes the screen to constantly flicker until the iPP battery is drained within a few hours, even when it was at 100%.

I’m taking the ASK back for a refund and will just do without it.

IPad Pro‘s Apple keyboard expensive and *****! Its not working, “accessory not supported” all the time.. restart or reattach the pad is absolutely useless! Suggestion : Throw it away and buy Logitech keyboard 👍-1F3FD;

The keyboard will work after you update your iPad with the latest iOS, at least for 1 or 2 days maybe... if the ‘accessory not supported’ problem persist again, replace your annoying keyboard with Logitech 🙂

It’s a hardware issue; mine had the same issue almost one year after buying it. No problem with iOS 10 and later revisions, used also with no problems in each iOS 11 beta. When iOS 11 officially released I started noticing weird stuff: “device not supported/recognized” pop-ups, brief screen flashing with battery charging image, keyboard not responding at all when in typing position...

as it turns out, some connections inside the keyboard got damaged. The small stripe between the magnetic connector that sticks to the side of the iPad and the sturdy part of the cover is very thin and very soft because it’s the part that gets bent over and over when opening the cover, unfolding it on the back of the pad or putting it in typing or viewing position. I think that’s a little too soft and continuously bending it, wears the thin connection stripes running inside it (which power the keyboard through the smart connector).

I went to Apple today to have mine replaced. I hope they noticed the issue and the newer ones are more strong/reinforced in that point; otherwise, it will eventually break again 😟

After Apple released an iPad Pro ad where the kid goes all around his town using the iPad Pro with attached Smart Keyboard as if it were a laptop, your theory is completely wrong and your post useless beyond recognition.

if you were being sarcastic, instead, your post is just useless beyond recognition. Thanks for participating, but no thanks.

literally one single job and it fails? lol

got this keyboard thing, and really that is annoying... seems apple is ready to go back to the hole they got out from.. their bad work is starting to stink... since they keep the price so high they better improve..

Get it replaced. I had mine today. Now it’s working as intended.

I used the first one with iOS 9, 10 and 11. It always worked. It then started having intermittent issues. Replacing it fixed it, so it’s definitely not a software issue in my case. It could be your case too.

The Smart Keyboard has a weak spot: the thin, soft stripe between the magnetic connector and the cover itself. Bending it over and over again by opening the cover, folding it on the back of the iPad and unfolding the cover/keyboard in viewing or typing position can put a strain on the electric connections that run inside that thin stripe, from the smart connector to the actual keyboard. I think this is what was causing issues with my keyboard, so you could check at a local Apple Store to see if you can have a free replacement.

I have the same issues and Apple replaced but the new one is intermittent and the dinging can be constant. I have updated to 11 but that didn’t resolve the issue.

since the genius at the bar could not resolve it, how will Apple engineers know to fix it.

J Mc

I had similar problem with gen one 12.9 and apple keyboard only after upgrading to iOS 11. Apple replaced keyboard and I sold the both right away. Purchased a gen two 12.9 and had keyboard problems from the beginning. Apple repacked the keyboard and no fix. I return the 256 gig unit and keyboard and purchased a 5gen two 12.9 512 gig and new keyboard and have had no issues going on my third week. The 512 gig may be the difference.

Cedric

I'm on my third Smart Keyboard. It remains intermittent as to operation. I've found rocking it forward and backward activates it (and makes the virtual keyboard disappear). This thread on the topic is up to 20 pages. Another thread on the same topic is up to 14 pages. Nothing the Geniuses say or do is making the issue disappear.

I just got the new 12.9 inch iPad pro and keyboard today. I was having the same issue, but no message. After a quick web search, I found a 1 minute YouTube video showing a guy moving the iPad slightly to the side and it made the virtual keyboard go away. It's just not making a terrific connection when automatically using the magnets to line up the connectors.