iPad Pro Smart Keyboard not working

It has nothing to do with the capacity of your storage. I have the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 512G storage and the Smart Keyboard issue is constantly occuring on my unit. This is my third Smart Keyboard - the other two replaced under warranty. My interim solution is to rock the iPad forward and backward. That works most of the time. It also sometimes helps to disconnect/reconnect. It also helps to yell at the iPad.

I agree the yelling usually comes first.

The real frustration is Apple’s slow or no response. Considering support is their biggest selling point.

When they could not diagnose the problem and only offered a small discount off a replacement (mine was two months out of warranty) I said I might as well go to a third party. He did replace it under the premise of product development. It would seem they could improve the connection to remmendy the problem

I am having the keyboard issue with my 12.9 iPad Pro as well. Got them last wednesday and noticed the keyboard does not working form time to time. Went back to the apple store on Friday to replace the keyboard, still doesn’t work. We replaced the iPad as well and tried it with the new keyboard that doesn’t help. We then try to replace another set of iPad and keyboard and it still doesn’t work... However, it does work with the demo keyboard at the store just not the brand new one out of the packaging. After being at the store for 3 hrs, I told them to give me back my original keyboard, at least that one still intermittently work, none of the new replacement would work at all.

No one seems to have a clue what is going on, they are suspecting it is a software issues. Arranged a call with Apple support to go through the issues, hopefully they will be able to sort it out soon.

Hi.

On my side it seems to be a hardware issue. Standing on a flat surface it doesn't work, but when I slightly push the iPad back so that the connector touches the iPad in a slighty different position it works again.

Is anyone aware of such an issue an knows a hack for it? Unfortunately the keyboard is out of warranty time...

For me it is very sensitive to the exact position of the three prongs on the magnetic surface of the attaching Smart Keyboard, and the three contacts of the iPad edge. If these are not perfect, it does no work. Even if they appear to be aligned or ”touching” it work. It means when it stops working, I have to re-attach very carefully. Since I noticed this it is reliably fixed with careful positioning.

Hopefully that is the same for you and not something more sinister.

In my case, I find that sliding the iPad a little to the right lines up the connectors between the keyboard and the iPad, and that causes the virtual keyboard to disappear the physical one works ok after that. sliding back to the left disconnects the pins and the virtual keyboard returns, rendering the physical keyboard inoperable. At least I have a fix for it. Poor design 😟.

As someone who started this thread months ago, all these “solutions” are temporary. It is an inherant issue in the iOS. I can my keyboard working, then sit there for minutes, hour, then without touching it, it starts to beep, like it’s connection gone, then beep again, with absolutely no contact at all. Terrible service from Apple, who hasn’t even acknowledged there is an issue . My Surface works great!

Thanks for you comments. I too have had the incessant beeping, even while my iPad was in its case.

They have made several attempts to fix this by replacing the iPad and/or keyboard, but theses issues are suppose to be reported back to engineering.

This is very disappointing

Key board stopped running. Tried cleaning the contacts, rebooting the iPad and all the suggestions from Apple on the web. Nothing worked, then . . . . . I pressed the iPan Pro down hard onto the connecting pins and voila! it worked.

There is definitely some sort of connection problem that Apple should address. I am using iOS 11.2.6

Later I disconnected the key board from the iPad and then reinstalled it using no extra pressure, the keyboard did not connect. More downward pressure (I mean heavy pressure) and the connection was reestablished.

I bought my iPad Pro and Smart Key Board 8 days ago, if this problem continues I am going to return the Key Board for another. Maybe I got a lemon.

Thinking it was hardware I purchased a new keyboard... the old one was ratty anyway. Exactly the same problem from the second I plugged it in. Only then did I start probing support forums to end up here. I Hacer this problem today and it’s not hardware...

I've been struggling with this recently and i don't know if it's a hardware problem or a software one.

I love my Smart Keyboard but i'm considering a logitech one just for the convenience.

I have an iPad Pro 9.7” last model before the 10” one.

There has to be hundreds of Apple employees having the same issue. The silence from Apple is deadening. And the retail Geniuses are clueless. I've renamed my Smart keyboard the Rockin' keyboard since I have to rock it forward and backward to get it working.

Ok, the Logitech CREATE works fine. At least on my side I can confirm, that is has nothing to do with the iPad itself and probably also not with iOS. Unfortunately the Logitech Keyboard is a lot thicker. Also, I'm using the iPad a lot while standing with a group of people, but the CREATE is meant to be used on a desk, not for wrapping the keyboard around or removing it often for touch-only usage.

But at least I have a keyboard and a solid case...

True. I’m bought the ipad as a replacement laptop for when I travel. since I can’t use a mouse it has become an increasingly frustrating device. The keyboard is the proverbial straw that broke this camel’s back. Cheers

Dear Apple,

I want to congratulate you for creating such a unique artificial intelligence. My Ipad Pro’s crazy expensive ’smart’ keyboard has such a character and having its good times and bad times, sometimes working sometimes refusing to work, but mostly not working. He started acting weird only after the so called legendary ios 11.

I hope you brilliant high tech guys are more smarter than my keyboard and working on some real solutions instead of drinking coffee and watching netflix all day and walking around proudly to be an apple member.

There are thousands of similar messages from all around the world and your silence is only broken with the advice of restarting the ipad or contacting an apple store. Instead of giving advice you should be working on to fix the issue that you created.

I also want to give you an advice: eat more apple to make your brain work more efficiently and show respect to people who work so hard and save money to be able to buy your expensive products.

Best Regards