iPad Pro Keyboard "This accessory is not supported by this device"

I posted the above and that was true for a while...now I am finding that the magnet does not work that well all of the time. Does anyone think that the “updates” that have been put on our iPads are causing this problem? I am also wondering if anyone from Apple tech has been able to see how frustrated many of us are. Seems a waste of money to have the keyboard when it does not work most of the time. One would think that Apple would want satisfied customers instead of frustrated one.

I have had a similar issue on and off for months. As of yesterday, it will not work at all. I have restarted many times. I have cleaned the contacts and the strip that attaches to the iPad side. The software is up to date. Nothing makes it work. So bummed out.

I bought the Smart Keyboard as I wanted to use it occasionally. Only, 2 years on and out of warranty, the keyboard only works occasionally..... sadly when IT wants to, not when I want it to.

I think there is something very fine about the margins in which it activates, which clearly didn’t get enough product testing.

The kicker yesterday was that I spoke to the Apple Help line and they couldn’t even find out what a Smart Keyboard was...!!!!

My iPad Pro keyboard regularly fails to connect to my iPad. When I attach the keyboard it may work sometimes or I get no response from the keyboard at all or I get the error message "This accessory is not supported by this device."

This is the second keyboard I have purchased to use with my iPad with the first one having similar issues.

Sadly, this particular device was not well designed for long term use.

Hi everyone. I had this problem for a couple of months and thought it would go away with the next up date but it did not.

Coming to this forum I saw someone wrote that the channel and contacts got dirty and when they cleaned it, it helped.

So I cleaned mine and nothing. So then thought it’s over 2 years old what do I have to lose trying something and Eureka!

I’m a musician and have a lot of equipment so I always keep a spray called DeoxIt D5 for cleaning internal parts. It can be gotten from BestBuy or any audio service store. Don’t know if you ever heard about it but this spray works wonders for cleaning electrical contacts and things. Long story shorter I sprayed some on the 3 keyboard contacts not the iPad Pro, blotted the excess spray just to exlpediate drying time, got a call that lasted 3mins and when I got off the call I had my keyboard back as good as new. So the first thing I typed was this info. If you find any typo’s, it not that the DeoxIT D5 didn’t work, I’m a good musician but terrible typist lol. The fix was very quick and easy. The gentleman is right “ Dirty Contacts” but I found no magnets needed just this spray. My iPad Pro is over 2 years old and this worked wonders for me If Apple isn’t going to help and the keyboard is out of warranty, we have nothing to lose by trying this and this spray is not harmful for electronics. I’ve used it on things costing thousands of dollars honestly. I hope it works just as easy for you. Ask the people at BestBuy about this spray. The spray is not very expensive just so great to have for theses kinds of problems. Keep some around. Good luck with your fix.

I see a lot of great suggestions for cleaning, magnets, etc.. I wish you luck, but unfortunately it's only a very short temporary fix. I used to do that all the time and get short term results. It's now escalated to where I can't even have the keyboard with the protective cover attached to it.

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I was having the same problem. I have just turned off and on again but with the keyboard in the typing position as it turned back on. Seems to have worked well. I can now use the keyboard in all the apps where before I could only use it in certain ones.

Great deduction, worked like a charm. Had to repeat it on several points with the according polarisation, so do not rub it with the same polarisation along the top part, but always just on the points where you feel the force of attraction.

I am now on my third replacement and after less than six months the last replacement keyboard is not working with my iPad. I have contacted Apple and now they are saying it’s out of Warranty therefore nothing can be done,yet my keyboard replacement prior to the latest was also out of warranty and yet they were able to change it at that time . I agree totally with the comments of others here that there should have been a full recall on these devices and a full investigation to the product should have been carried out as we are not purchasing a cheap item!

Apple needs to pay more respect to their customers and not to fob them off with answers , ie;” i it’s a Third party item”. This is not acceptable as they are selling the keyboard under their name as an Apple accessory and promoting for the iPad/pro. I have been an Apple customer for many years and I am becoming very disillusioned with the lack of respect taken to get these things put right,what’s more they are still selling this keyboard 🥶. On that note I’ll finish here and let’s see if I get a response from “Apple”, i very much doubt it 😏

Hi found this post very helpful. This is my second 9.7 iPad Pro keyboard (replaced already once by Apple) and it stopped working. I have a magnet at hand in the kitchen and tried it and it works so far. Thanks much.

This incompatibility of the keyboard and the screen is becoming more and more frequent. Very difficult particularly when typing a long document. Can a new keyboard be purchased that will work with the screen? (The “accessory is not supported” just popped up in the middle of writing this.) And then it reverts back to the keyboard being usable. Surely Apple can do better than this.

I am on my Fourth Folio keyboard replacement in two years and this is really not acceptable Apple should have addressed this properly as soon as they knew there was a serious flaw in the poor quality of this product as they are not a cheap item to purchase. If you are in the UK ,contact Apple and tell them of the problem you are experiencing and they should arrange for you to get a replacement. I am so fed up with these keyboards becoming faulty after a very short life i did ask to upgrade the last time i had my latest replacement {last month} however even though i was happy to pay the upgrade difference they would not allow me too and i had to take another Folio keyboard, it’s crazy! Don’t try any suggestions you read about {ie; rubbing a magnet across certain areas} as you shouldn’t have to do things like that, this is a ridiculous option.

Contact Apple today via customers services and complain and tell them how unhappy you are, i hope you get this sorted. The more people complain is the only way to make Apple wake up and see that we are not going to put up with a rubbish product for which the cost is high, it is not acceptable!

Apple have been woefully unhelpful with the issues I've had with the smart keyboard. Spoke to them today via chat and phone and they are utterly oblivious to the issues. The first agent thought it was a software issue - it's not. It's clearly a hardware issue. For one the case itself is not built to last - the fold point on the case is the biggest problem for me as during normal use it has become floppy. It is not rigid enough anymore to "push" the iPad or keep it at the needed angle onto the contacts in the wells.

When I quoted Irish consumer law, the agent pretty much wiped her hands of the issue and didn't want to deal with it. So now I have to go make an appointment with an authorised seller here in Ireland since we don't have genuis bars and no doubt have to pay them to "diagnose" the problem before they even do anything about it. (Last time I took a macbook in and clearly said I want the battery replaced no diagnostics needed etc - and they charged me over 70euros to let me know the battery needed replaced. -.- )

Apple are getting worse. Absolutely shameful for a product that costs 200euros!

I was disappointed in the short life of my keyboard until this solution worked for me. I have not succeeded in re-magnetizing the connections, but I'm sure I'll figure it out with a couple more tries. Thank you for sharing.

Typing this on my Smart Keyboard. Finally. I have an iPad Pro 12.9” (2nd Generation) and I only discovered the keyboard stopped working yesterday. I spent lot’s of time reading and watching videos until finally stumbling across the post from iPodge. Unbelievable.

I have this working but WITHOUT magnets. I should qualify by saying the magnetic switch is undoubtedly the underlying cause.

I didn’t have a magnet to hand so played about hovering the iPad above the guttering, just shy of actually being fully seated. To my amazement it detected the Smart Keyboard and it started working. I found it promptly disconnected once I let go and allowed it to fully “snap” into the guttering.

So, I grabbed an old plastic points card you get from supermarkets and once I got it to recognise the keyboard doing my hover trick, I shoved the plastic card beneath (above keys 6-9) and let go. It still works!!! Not sure why 😂

Happy this is working. I’ll get a magnet soon but hope this helps. I am appalled at how this has screwed up having paid a small fortune for this Apple accessory. It’s had little usage in the past 3/4 years so it certainly hasn’t worn out. I was fearing having to buy another keyboard case, but my iPad Pro is now considered old so many “alternatives” don’t support it. So that spurred me on to get this fixed.

Thank you iPodge!