Smart Keyboard not working since ios11.

Hello,

I had exactly the same problem. I went to the Apple Store (in Palo Alto, CA), and they checked the keyboard with another iPad, and my keyboard (the one not working anymore) with an iPad from the store. The result was that the keyboard was causing the problem, and they replaced it free if charge. It looks like a known problem, so go to you Apple Store and make an appointment at the Genius bar.

Best,

Roland

Hi all

Hope you’ve been able to find a workaround for this issue.

If the smart keyboard isn’t recognized in the typing mode, keep the iPad in the typing position and swipe down in the home screen to bring down the virtual keyboard (spotlight search). Now hold the iPad on its right side by holding on the bezel area near the home button and give a rigorous wiggle back and forth with the keyboard connected and in the typing position. You might get the typical connection sound sometimes and at times the error message that the keyboard is not supported. After a while the virtual keyboard will minimize itself and the smart keyboard starts to be recognized.

This has always worked for me. Someone else had also suggested this in another forum. Apparently the connections beneath the felt lining on the smart keyboard are causing this and it isn’t a software issue.

I had this issue in ios 10 too and this is the second replacement keyboard that’s having this issue.

I have an iPad Pro 12.9, with keyboard, purchased in December. I have just had the opportunity of trying a switch with someone who has an identical setup, purchased last September and who has never seen the problem.

So trying their keyboard with my iPad and their iPad with my keyboard. Results were conclusive. The problem is hardware in my case. Problem gone, on my iPad, when using their keyboard. Time to call Apple for a replacement.

I FOUND THE ANSER< the CLUE, the TIP THAT WORKS!

Having problems as you all and posted it, along with working WITH apple reps and their programming teams till they did not respond and emails returned...but found the key.

THis and ONLY this method works and steps skipped didn’t;

from POWER OFF:

1) Turn power on in keypad position and log into wifi

2: POWER DOWN (not turn off/sleep)

3) REPOWER UP again with keypad in position and log into WiFi if not logged in and should work.

when i did not log into wifi at first and just did the powering off and on it doesn’t work but have to log in twice.

after a year of problems with them and many visits, this is the only thing that’s worked but ...it’s not ideal and APPLE, you need to fix this!
lisa

I have been having the same problems using iOS 11.3. Device Not Supported.... sometimes not even recognizing keyboard, etc. I had tried all of the cleaning, hard restart (etc.) ideas here and nothing worked. However, after reading a post here regarding wifi Connections, i decided to turn off wifi with keyboard unattached. Then with wifi off, I attached keyboard and then went to Settings and turned wifi back on... voila! I am using the keyboard to type this response. Don’t know how long this will solve the problem... and can’t imagine why turning wifi on and off made a difference, but it did. I was worried that this was a hardware issue. Thankfully it was not. I suppose this is some software issue that Apple has... wish they would address it... or at least address what are the “official” fixes to the problem. Hope this helps someone else.

hi all. I actually thought this was a software. . Then I read one of the earlier posts which said they thought it was a connection issue. If you move your iPad a few millimeters to the left try to see if your keyboard works if it doesn’t try moving it a few millimeters to the right. This has worked for me every time now. Thus I think this is a manufacturing or specification failure issue.

Have you tried tilting the iPad forwards, then back to it's normal position? IOW, 'rocking' it in the keyboard?

Alternatively, lifting it away from the keyboard at one side, then letting it 'clunk' back together again, with the magnets?

Sometimes I find I have to rock it back and forth 3 or 4 times for the software keyboard to disappear and the Smart Keyboard to be recognised. (This makes it seem like a hardware issue, but I expect it could also be software).

This appears to work >>> At the start of your day, wipe off the three contacts on the iPad Pro and the three contacts on the Smart Keyboard. I have encountered far fewer disconnects after doing this.

Also, as a secondary measure, I bought a $15 “lap desk” on Amazon. Previously, I had the smart keyboard on my lap on a pillow so the three contacts may have been “flexing” and lost contact?

So I’m typing this on my replacement keyboard. It works!!!

OK ... early days, but so far I cannot get it to disconnect or otherwise loose its connection. I can slide the ensemble around on my desk and they stay connected. Previously they would disconnect almost instantly if they were moved around at all.

I note that the 3 pins (connectors) are pretty much perfectly parallel, unlike my faulty keyboard, where one of the pins at the side, was slightly lower than the others.

So it looks like there may well be two separate issues, software and hardware.

ian948,

Apple will send a replacement via courrier and you have to return the old one within 10 days, using the same box and enclosed courrier label. Support is Worldwide, so that should not be a problem. They will try to persuade you to go to an Apple Store, which is obviously preferable from both points of view, but in my case, an Apple store means half a day lost, as I live about 50 miles from the nearest. I used the Apple Support app, to chat with support. They will need your purchase ID/invoice number and/or serial number (hard to read, but it’s included on the Purchase Receipt).

I think in Italy, Apple have been forced to respect the EU 2 year warranty for electronic goods. If your keyboard is less than 2 years old and is faulty, then it should be replaced under guarantee .

Aside from that ...

Has anyone with this problem since iOS11, tried a System Reset?

(Go: Settings/General/Reset/Reset All Settings) This isn’t such a big deal. You may need to re-enter some passwords, e.g. WiFi.

That didn’t work but rebooting, signing into WiFi, powering off and rebooting AGAIN is what does it every time. The first reboot doesn’t hook up with WiFi but the second does and that’s when my 4th keyboard will behave.

There appears to be 2 issues. One is software, the other hardware. I suppose some people may have both.

I have a replacement keyboard, which has pretty much fixed the problem. However, I still have fairly frequent times when it is not connected correctly (much less than before). To reconnect, I rock the iPad forwards, then back to its normal position. I find that the on-screen software keyboard disappears and I can type normally.

Witht the replacement keyboard, the loss of connection mostly happens when I am sitting with the iPad/Keyboard on my knee. If I have it on a hard surface (table) then it is usually ok and if it isn’t, then one rock forward/back will fix it.

On my first keyboard, I noticed that the 3 connecting pins were not level. When I got the replacement, I noticed that these pins were level. They appear to have shifted a bit now, so that they are very very slightly uneven. (I‘m talking fractions).

After months of non working keyboards or sporadic smart keyboards working I finally got back to the USA - stopped at Apple Store ( Encantada Tucson ) and within 5 minutes they had issue diagnosed. Faulty iPad Pro gen 2 - luckily 79 days still in warranty so they replaced the iPad .

This store has always been the best when ever a apple problem cops up - so after all the keyboard hoopla it turned out to be a pad issue !!

Anyway finally resolved !

Are the 3 connector pins on the keyboard perfectly level (equal height/length)?