Unable to get Smart Keyboard to work with my iPad

"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."

Ref: Use your Smart Keyboard with iPad Pro - Apple Support

Hi,

We've attempted all these suggestions and had no success. The keyboard worked beautifully for the first twelve months and then stopped working when out of warranty. I find the it extremely difficult to make contact with anyone working for Apple via their website and can't even submit my query through the original order (made online but we live outside the US).

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what else I can try? I'm certainly not keen on purchasing another keyboard, especially when I consider the volume of use it has had over the past twelve months we've had it probably equates to less than six months of use anyway.

Thanks in advance 🙂

Guys... there is a technical problem in Smart Keyboards. Aware of this, Apple extended its warranty to 3 years. Take it to your Apple store and they’ll make responsible. I checked this fact with the Apple helpline.

You are right. This is a known issue and considered a "product quality" issue. Today, I was told by Apple employees that it didn't matter when you bought the keyboard. They are simply replacing them.

This happened on my 9.7 ipad pro's smart keyboard after an update to iOS 11. The one-year warranty was blown, of course, just a few months shy of that update. But, it had been working perfectly until iOS 11. Tried the magnet trick, putting it in airplane mode, etc. It would work for a while, then finally NOTHING made it work.

Decided I'd buy another one and hate on Apple for a bit. For breaking something that had been working.

Ah, but guess what? None to be had. All sold out in the 9.7 flavor.

Did some more internet searching. Apple extending it to a 3-year warranty is true.

Get out a magnifying glass before you contact Apple for a replacement by chat or phone, because the serial number is quite tiny. It's on the fuzzy part, behind the keys. I had to request a supervisor, because the first chat tech asked me

"would you happen to have the serial number for the smart keyboard ? To check this go On an iPad, iPod, in Settings > General > About".

Erm, no. It's too smart of a keyboard to tell the ipad its serial number. Because it isn't supported, and whatnot, since iOS 11. snerk The serial number didn't show up when it WAS supported, either.

Get out a credit card, too - Apple places a temporary $149 hold on the card, until you return it by mail. Also to make sure there's no signs of accidental/liquid damage.

Had to go through some hoops, since mine was a gift purchased under another apple id. They don't take your credit card number via chat - not secure. So, the first email with a link to put in a credit card on the apple website got sent to the gift giver's email, not mine. Could be an awkward faux pas thing if a person wasn't in touch with the gift giver anymore, eh?

Replacement got here really quickly, with a prepaid return label. Put the bad keyboard in same box & retape it. Take it to a Fedex/Kinkos for an acceptance scan to prove you sent it back.

So in the end, I'm not hating on Apple. It must be costing them a fortune to replace these bad keyboards.

HOWEVER, I'm not happy it took me so many hours of research to find the warranty had been extended. Sheesh. Put it on your website, Apple, not buried in Forbes articles & apple community discussions (ACD). The most prominent ACD result hits are quite old, telling people to restart the iPad.

I purchased my iPad pro last night. Followed these steps to get the Smart Keyboard to work. It now works intermittently but requires a restart at least once every hour or so. I cannot determine what causes the connection to drop.

My Smart Keyboard is warped at the magnetic strip. I took it back to the apple store and I am waiting an exchange. But if I bend the magnetic strip at the bottom I can use the Smart Keyboard until it goes back to the warped position.

I have had the same problems. I have done all the steps repeatedly: Rebooted iPad, cleaned the connection, etc. Intermittently, and without explanation, things would work and then stop. HOWEVER, I did discover that if I place the keyboard in "watch" configuration and then move it back to the "type" configuration, the keyboard starts working immediately. The instructions from Apple repeatedly tell you to place the keyboard in the "type" position.

Hope this helps.

I am truly ****** because it works at its own leisure. On second it is on and then literally as I am typing, it goes back to the pad.

i have done everything in this string to make it work, but it was temporary if at all.

I should not have to make an appointment at the apple bar to make it work.

Good idea, bad product.

I got the message on my iPad Pro that “This accessory is not supported by this device.” Keyboard works on and off. It is working right now. Called Tech support and they told me that Apple will replace it for free. Purchased it in April 2016 with 1-year warranty. The tech said that Apple has a “quality issue” with the Smart Keyboard late 2015 through early 2016, and would replace it for free for 3 years. I’m happy! Good service. I wonder what the quality issue is.

All due respect, please stop posting this answer. I find it infuriating, in light of learning about Apple admitting there's a quality problem & has extended to a 3-year warranty. This pat apple support article answer (not necessarily from you every time) keeps coming up as a top search hit, and it's completely wrong.

They need to change their support article, but please, don't continue the madness in user-to-user interactions.

Yes I have the same problem I recently got a Smart Keyboard and I love it but everytime I go to connect it I have to wiggle it around to get it to connect properly

A I think the problem is the magnetic strip that connect the iPad to the keyboard. it is warped it may cause a problem when charging.

Having the same problem. No reason to it. Just random and annoying.

I am having the same issue with this keyboard from minute one.

What happened Apple? This product is garbage.