Smart Keyboard not working since ios11.

Hello Everyone,

I’ve had the same issue and have been completely frustrated in the process. I‘ve called apple support and got a replacement. (From what I found on line this has been an issue, and apple has added time for the warranty on the smart keyboard. Mine was beyond 12 months and they replaced)

I’m now having the problem again. But I think I accidentally stumbled on a solution ( at least it worked on mine)

Its the WiFi. Connected to home WiFi or cellular I’m good. Public WiFi Smart keyboard will not work.

Hope this helps

Chris

Ok, I have repeatable bug steps, Apple.

1. Go to Starbucks 😉

2. Set up Smart Keyboard, type. The keyboard works.

3. Connect to Starbucks WiFi through the splash screen.

4. Try to type again. The keyboard doesn’t work.

5. Turn on airplane mode to disconnect from WiFi. Turn it on to attach to Starbucks WiFi without splash screen. The keyboard doesn’t work.

6. Turn on airplane mode to disconnect from WiFi. Open Safari to get pop up message to connect to WiFi. Click “Settings”. Turn off airplane mode. Keyboard works.

This works every time, Apple. Now fix it! Make your keyboard smart again!

I just went to Starbucks to test the Smart Keyboard further. First the keyboard does work with cellular service as long as you do not accept the public WIFI splash screen. Second, if you press cm+tab after you accept the public WiFi the keyboard does work in all the apps after you press this combination of keys. This is a fairly quick work-around for the software issues with public WIFI until Apple decides to address the issue. It does not of course address any hardware issues of the conductivity of the keyboard after a year long period of average wear.

I have this issue as well.

Brand new iPad Pro 12.9. Brand new Smart (not so Smart) Keyboard.

It may be a software issue, but it could coincidentally be a hardware issue too.

I have found that ‘rocking’ the iPad itself, whilst it’s sitting in the keyboard, will sometimes make the keyboard come and go (the software keyboard appears/disappears). If the Smart Keyboard is not recognised and gentle rocking doesn’t work, I’ve found that lifting it away, at one corner, from the magnet ‘grip’ will make it return when the magnets slam back together. Sometimes it seems that the keyboard needs to be on a flat surface, other times not. This all suggests to me that there is something going on with the connectors. As I say, maybe it’s a combination of software and hardware issues.

So far ... with an absolute ‘top-of-the-line‘ specked out iPad Pro 12.9, Apple have failed spectacularly on the ‘out of box’ experience: 2 hours with Apple support trying to get my Messages to sync from an iPhone backup and to date about 6 or 7 hours spent trying to fix it myself (and failing) I’m getting ready to go up the next level of support and to spend more *unpaid* time trying to fix what should ‘just work’. Does anyone believe in resurrection? Any idea how we can get Steve Jobs back on board? And now of course, this issue with the keyboard (which I really like apart from this connection problem ... and the noise that the space bar makes).

Ho hum.

I'm as near to certain as I can be that while some people naturally have hardware issues, the main problem here is a software issue.

In the case of my iPads I even get error messages warning me that I have an incompatible third party device... i.e.: the iPad thinks the smart keyboard is another vendors product. While this could be a hardware problem I find it near to inconceivable that this could have happened to two of my iPad Pros simultaneously. This smacks far more of a software/firmware issue that is causing the keyboard to be mis recognised.

Old keyboard caused the “accesory not supported” random error message ( gen 2 iPad pro ) , as was hard used and some rust showing around each end purchased new one. New one did not work at all !!! Moved to logitec old case/keyboard worked fine , then tested gen 1 iPad pro on new keyboard worked .... back to gen 2 pro and by accident discovered a small horizonal nudge and presto it worked. Seems to have solved the issue , and gen 2 iPad now works.

Conclusion it is a hardware alighment issue ? Running 11.2.5

I found another thread on this topic where the person starting the topic posted photos of what appeared to be corrosion on the magnetic strip of the iPad Pro. Smart Keyboard Corrosion on Magnetic Strip Side?

Try switching the airplane mode off and on instead of rebooting. Seems to fix it for me. Still annoying but it’s somewhat more bearable.

Airplane mode toggle is your friend. I know it’s a laughable solution, but better than having to reboot or randomly attach and reattach the keyboard.

@hraynm, instead of rebooting, try doing CMD then TAB. This almost always works for me. Immediately following that sequence, go back to any app and start typing. Hope this helps.

Yes, that "command, space, cancel" thing seems to do it. Very odd.

I find my smart keyboard cannot be connected once I connect to unsecure or public wifi. When I turned off the connection with these wifi network, I can use my keyboard again without re-booting my iPad.

This workaround works for me.

The trick is in turning off/on the wireless radio and then using the CMD and TAB keys.

I surmise that with ios11 the fact that Apple have introduced a wireless change might be at the root of the issue. How / why this is related - shrug, it is just annectotal and the fix suggested on this thread works for me. My iPad Pro mini with smart keyboard did not have an issue prior to iOS 11. Specifically, I believe the ios11 introduction of having to got to settings to shut down the wireless & Bluetooth radios (before, you could do it from the slide up control panel) is at the root of the issue (there are separate threads on this issue).

Overall, Apple - please investigate the suggested work around to help diagnose the issue. It is clear that many of your clients are staff are waiting considerable time and resources on this software issue.

This issue has rendered my invaluable and frequently used ipad in back to back meetings to become a nice paperweight. I cannot predict when the keyboard will fail and it looks pretty silly cycling through settings when I need to be taking simple notes.

The software problem (at least one of them) is the keys not being recognized after you accept the splash screen on any unsecured WIFI network. The solution is simply to press cm + tab and the keyboard works fine. The other alternative is just not to us unsecured public WIFI with splash screens.

I started getting the maddening "Accessory Not Supported" error message after installing iOS 11. 2 on my 12.9 inch iPad Pro Gen2. This is actually my second Smart Keyboard. Apple replaced my first one in May of this year. Not only did the error message occur multiple times but when typing it would hesitate and then would come a burst of all the characters I had typed.

After a text chat with Apple Support, they agreed to send me a replacement Smart Keyboard. (I could have gone to the Apple Retail Store for an exchange but things are crazy there this time of year.) Of course, I had to ship them the offending keyboard after receiving the replacement or they would charge me another $169.

So the "Accessory Not Supported" no longer appears and there is no hesitation --- when it is working. Seems that it is not always detected by the iPad Pro. And when it is detected, in the middle of typing a sentence, the virtual keyboard pops up and the Smart Keyboard no longer responds. I've tried connecting and reconnecting. I've tried rocking it back and forth. I've tried cleaning the contacts. I've growled at it. Eventually it starts working again. I'm beginning to think there is an issue with iOS 11.2.