Smart Keyboard not working since ios11.

If your iPad Pro doesn't detect your Smart Keyboard or you see an "Accessory not supported" alert on your iPad Pro, make sure there's no debris or plastic covering on the Smart Connector pins on the keyboard or the Smart Connector on the iPad Pro. Also, try these steps:

1. Make sure that your iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard are in the Type position.
2. Remove the Smart Keyboard from your iPad Pro.
3. Restart your iPad Pro.
4. Reconnect the Smart Keyboard.

Finally figured it out. I have been having intermittent Smart Keyboard connection issues with my iPad pro10.5 and the problem started after upgrading to iOS 11. First to describe the problem, the keyboard is always recognized since the electronic keyboard does not pop up on the iPad screen yet when you try to type nothing happens.

Apple has changed my keyboard twice and my iPad once and the problem has not gone away

The good news is I have finally figured out when the problem actually arises. In my case everytime I connect to Starbucks WiFi where you get a splash screen that is what is causing the problems with the keyboard. So for the last two days I have been testing this out. If I walk in to Starbucks with the airplane mode turned on (WiFi and Bluetooth turned off) all is fine. I then turn off the airplane mode and connect to WiFi which throws up the splash screen where you have to accept there terms and get a connection. Then the keyboard becomes non respondent. If I turn the airplane mode back on which disconnects me from the WiFi and turn it back on again which allows me to connect back to the Starbucks wifi without the splash screen all is fine And everything works. I have tested this theory at two different Starbucks four time alrady and every time the same result as explained above. Obviously I was rebooting my iPad before which essentially was doing the same and restoring my connectivity. Hope this helps...

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

Wow! Yes!! At Starbucks right now after work, and tried a couple of the other possible solutions in this thread, such as having the iPad in airplane mode first, and a few others. None worked, but the cmd+tab thing did! I was trying to reply to this thread, cmd+tabbed to another app (doesn’t seem to matter which), then back to this app (Safari in this case) and the keyboard worked perfectly again. No reboot necessary. Thank you!!!!

Hello everybody

I was tired of waiting for apple to cater to our not so smart smart keyboard problem. Almost all of the smart keyboards fail after a year of usage. I found out that it had nothing to do with the ipad 9.7 pro hardware or the iOS they run. It is just a bad design by apple.

I finally gave up and carefully pealed away the felt cloth covering the inner side of the flexable part of the keyboard. The connection from the smart connector to the keyboard is made by silkscreened conductive paint painted on very strong parashoot cloth. The thick painted conductive strips are probably for power connection and the thin strip is for data. The thin data strip on mine had gone bad and was not conducting after the first bend. I taped the bad strip with some conductive shielding tape and the keyboard started connecting and working flawlessly. Now I have a very ugly but working smart keyboard which APPLE did nothing to fix. It is definetly a design flaw on an expensive piece of PRO accessory. I am very disappointed with apple for the very first time. Apple should have replaced them but they refused to do so for me. I am uploading a fix video on UTUBE right now. Be very gentle if you also decide to peal away the felt material off of your keyboad and fix the conductive cloth strips. I would advise you to be demanding at your local APPLE store first. I hope they decide to treat you better than they treated me.

I wish you best of luck,

Regards Ulgen C.

Easy fix. Use a pencil eraser to rub the contact points on the keyboard and the bottom of the iPad. Wipe them clean with a soft clean cloth. The contacts get dirty and loose connection.

Worked for me.🙂

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. I had the same problem with my keyboard. I got mine to work with rebooting with the keyboard in the TYPE position - not folded or anything.

Best Christian

I had this problem for a while too. Try to use a wet qtip and gently rub the 3 circles on the keyboard and on the iPad. Then grab a dry qtip and gently dry it. Worked for me!

I stand corrected. Apple replaced the Smart Keyboard and the problem is solved. It really must just be coincidental that it occurred at the time of ios11 Upgrade. I would have sworn otherwise. On the bright side Apple customer service was superb, respectful and responsive. Kudos to them.

One suggestion for you, after you get the splash screen and connect to the wireless, switch the airplane mode on which shuts down your wireless. At this point with the wireless off go to safari and try to type something in the address bar you should get a pop up on your screen asking you too turn oFriday the airplane mode. Hit OK on the screen and then turn off your airplane mode. Wait till your iPad reconnects to the WiF. If your problem is similar to mine your keyboard should start working. I have the same experience when I just turn the airplane mode on and off the keyboard does not work... hope this helps

TEMP SOLUTION:

Same happened to me. This is defininetly a software issue and came up when updated the IOS, but I think I found a work around until they fix it.

So every time I’m connecting at work I get the splash screen and the keyboard stops working after the screen login. Then what I do is:

1) Open an APP get it ready to type in,

2) Close the keyboard completely until the IPAD shuts off

3) Open the keyboard again and it works

Annoying, but works for me.

At one point I was disconnecting the key board and reconnecting it, then closing it and opening it again as described above and it worked fine too, but was too much pain, specially during the start of meetings, until I discovered the simple three steps above. I hope it works for all until Apple makes the fix.