Tired of Tapping? Use an External Keyboard on Your iPhone and Unlock Tons of Keyboard Shortcuts (2025)

Your iPhone goes with you everywhere, and its touchscreen interface is all you need to navigate and use all your installed iOS apps. But an external keyboard can make your iPhone an even more efficient tool for productivity tasks such as drafting long emails, composing detailed notes, and writing reports in your favorite text editor.

Using a physical keyboard over the onscreen keyboard will improve your typing speed and make it easier to navigate and edit large text documents. And through keyboard shortcuts, you'll also have a lot of the same functionality for non-text-based tasks like going to the Home Screen, taking screenshots, adjusting screen brightness, and playing audio and video content. These keyboard shortcuts might even be faster to get around iOS than touch-based navigation.

• Don't Miss: 10 Things Everyone Should Know About the iPhone's Keyboard for a Better Typing Experience

If you ever plan to do a big piece of work away from your computer or iPad, a hardware keyboard is a must-have accessory to get big projects done on your pocket-sized iPhone. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Choose Your External Keyboard

While the iPhone was initially designed with touch input in mind, it has supported various input methods since early on, including external keyboards. Physical keyboards for the iPhone come in many shapes and sizes, including keyboard cases, but an Apple-branded keyboard is the way to go if you're looking for a Mac-like experience on your iPhone. Still, nearly any wired or wireless keyboard will work with iOS.

If you don't already have an external Bluetooth keyboard, here are some great options that'd work with an iPhone:

Apple Keyboards

• Apple Magic Keyboard ($99 on Amazon)
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID ($149 on Amazon)
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad ($129 on Amazon)
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad ($199 on Amazon) (seen below)

Folding Keyboards

• Rego Tech Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with Built-in Stand ($69.99 in the Gadget Hacks Shop)
• Mesay Mini Foldable Wireless Keyboard ($45.99 in the Gadget Hacks Shop)
• ProtoArc Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, XK01, with Numeric Keypad ($39.89 on Amazon)
• Acoucou Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with Touchpad ($33.99 on Amazon)
• Samsers Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with Stand Holder ($23.79 on Amazon) (seen below)
• Geyes Folding Bluetooth Keyboard with Stand ($33.99 on Amazon)
• iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with Touchpad with Stand ($53.99 on Amazon) (seen below)
• Mobile Pixels Foldable Keyboard ($35.99 in the Gadget Hacks Shop)

Other Keyboards

• Logitech K480 Wireless Multi-Device Keyboard ($34.89 on Amazon) (seen below)
• iClever BK10 Bluetooth Keyboard ($34.99 on Amazon)
• TIETI Bluetooth Keyboard with Numeric Keypad ($34.99 on Amazon)
• Tonysa Bluetooth Keyboard for Phones with Case ($16.52 on Amazon)
• Arteck Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard ($16.99 on Amazon)

Step 2: Connect Your Keyboard

You can connect to your iPhone via a wireless or wired keyboard. Connecting a wired keyboard to your iPhone is simple, but getting a Bluetooth keyboard working is also easy.

Method 1: Wired Connection

If your wireless keyboard has a USB or Lightning port, you can use an appropriate cable to connect your keyboard to your iPhone. For example, the Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad has a Lightning port for charging, but it can also be used for connecting to devices using a Lightning or Lightning to USB-C cable. You can also use a hardwired keyboard, but you may need a Lightning or USB-C adapter.

After plugging your keyboard into your iPhone, you should be all set.

Method 2: Bluetooth Connection

To connect your wireless keyboard via Bluetooth, ensure it's in pairing mode (see your keyboard's documentation for help), then head to Settings » Bluetooth on your iPhone and select the keyboard from the Other Devices section after it appears. If it does not show up, verify that the keyboard is in pairing mode.

Tap the keyboard's name in Other Devices to pair your iPhone to it, and you should be ready. If your keyboard allows you to change its name, tap the info (i) button next to its name and rename it.

Step 3: Learn the Basic Keyboard Shortcuts

By default, iOS has a lot of keyboard shortcuts you can use for getting around and editing text, and you can even use your keyboard's function keys to control things like screen brightness, volume levels, and media playback. Below are the most common commands you'll find helpful.

Basic System Actions

The following keyboard shortcuts are typically standard across both Apple and third-party keyboards. However, some third-party keyboards may incorrectly map the buttons, so even if the keyboard has a Command key, it may not be the real Command key. For example, one keyboard I have swapped the Command and Option (Alt/Win) keys, which can be frustrating if you're used to an Apple-specific keyboard.

Command-H Go to the Home ScreenCommand-Space bar Open Spotlight SearchCommand-Shift-3 Take a screenshotCommand-Shift-4 Take a screenshot and open it in the editorCommand-Tab Switch to the next most recently used app in the app switcher

The next ones are standard on Apple keyboards but may differ slightly on third-party keyboards. For example, on an Apple keyboard, the playback controls occupy F7, F8, and F9, but on one of my generic keyboards, they're F6, F7, and F8. You can usually tell what they are by their associated icons.

F1 Lower screen brightnessF2 Raise screen brightnessF3 Open the app switcherF4 Open Spotlight SearchF5 Start DictationF6 Toggle Do Not Disturb modeF7 Start the track over or jump back to the previous trackF8 Play or pause the trackF9 Skip to the next trackF10 Mute the volumeF11 Decrease the volumeF12 Increase the volume

Basic Text Navigation and Editing

By default, many text-based apps like Notes, Messages, and Mail will let you use the following text navigation shortcuts with your external keyboard without special permission. If you have a third-party keyboard, it may not support all of these, but most should work.

Globe (🌐) Switch to another keyboardCommand-A Select all textCommand-C Copy selected textCommand-V Paste copied textCommand-X Cut selected textCommand-Z Undo last actionCommand-Shift-Z Redo last undone actionUp arrow Move insertion point up one lineDown arrow Move insertion point down one lineLeft arrow Move insertion point back one characterRight arrow Move insertion point forward one characterOption-Up arrow Move insertion point to the beginning of the paragraphOption-Down arrow Move insertion point to the end of the paragraphOption-Left arrow Move insertion point back one wordOption-Right arrow Move insertion point forward one wordShift-Option-Up arrow Select the previous paragraphShift-Option-Down arrow Select the next paragraphShift-Option-Left arrow Select the previous wordShift-Option-Right arrow Select the next wordCommand-Up arrow Move insertion point to beginning of a text fieldCommand-Down arrow Move insertion point to the end of a text fieldCommand-Left arrow Move insertion point to beginning of the current lineCommand-Right arrow Move insertion point to the end of the current lineShift-Command-Up arrow Select all preceding textShift-Command-Down arrow Select all following textShift-Command-Left arrow Select the current line's preceding textShift-Command-Right arrow Select the current line's following text

Basic Text Formatting

In apps that support basic text formatting like bold, italics, and underlines, the following commands should work regardless of your keyboard model.

Command-B Toggle bold or bold selected textCommand-I Toggle italics or italicize selected textCommand-U Toggle underlines or underline selected text

Step 4: Learn App-Specific Keyboard Shortcuts

Each app on your iPhone will have special keyboard shortcuts for more unique app-based actions like replying to emails, opening new browser tabs, and starting a new note. Below are a few examples to show how helpful an external keyboard can be on iOS.

Mail

You can use most of the basic keyboard shortcuts above when in Apple's Mail app on your iPhone, but you can also use these:

Viewing emails--------------Command-L Enable or disable the Message Filter for the current mailboxControl-Command-S Hide or show the Mail sidebar in landscape orientation on larger iPhone modelsShift-Command-J Mark the selected email as junkShift-Command-N Get new emailsControl-Command-A Archive the current emailDrafting emails---------------Command-N Compose a new emailCommand-R Reply to the selected emailShift-Command-R Reply All to the selected emailShift-Command-F Forward the selected emailShift-Command-A Attach files to your emailShift-Command-D Send emailsCommand-Z Unsend emailShift-Command-V Paste text into your email as a quotationOption-Command-B Show the Bcc address field in your emailOption-Command-R Show the Reply-To address field in your email

Safari

Like Mail, you can use many of the basic keyboard shortcuts above when in Safari on your iPhone — only it depends on what you're doing. For example, you may not get all the basic text editing commands in the search bar, but you will when in text fields supporting formatting, like when commenting on Gadget Hacks articles. Safari also has the following commands.

Webpages--------Command-L Go to the Smart Search barCommand-R Reload the current webpageCommand-F Find within the current webpageEsc When typing in the Smart Search field, restore the current webpage addressCommand-P Print the current webpageCommand-Plus sign (+) Zoom in on website contentCommand-Minus sign (-) Zoom out on website contentShift-Command-D Add the current webpage to the Reading ListShift-Command-R Open or close Reader viewEsc Close Reader viewControl-Command-1 Show or hide the Bookmarks sidebarControl-Command-2 Show or hide the Reading ListTabs----Command-T Open a new tabCommand-W Close the current tabCommand-Return Open a webpage in a new tab after typing in the Smart Search fieldCommand-Enter Open a webpage in a new tab after typing in the Smart Search fieldShift-Command-Return Open a webpage in a new tab after typing in the Smart Search field, and make that tab the active tabShift-Command-Enter Open a webpage in a new tab after typing in the Smart Search field, and make that tab the active tabShift-Command-\ Show tab overviewControl-Tab Go to the next tabShift-Command-] Go to the next tabControl-Shift-Tab Go to the previous tabShift-Command -[ Go to the previous tabCommand-1 Open the first tabCommand-2 Open the second tabCommand-3 Open the third tabCommand-4 Open the fourth tabCommand-5 Open the fifth tabCommand-6 Open the sixth tabCommand-7 Open the seventh tabCommand-8 Open the eighth tabCommand-9 Open the ninth tabCommand-W Close the active tabShift-Command-T Reopen the last tab you closed

Notes

All of the basic text editing commands will work in Notes, as well as:

Command-N Create a new noteCommand-F Find within the current noteShift-Command-L Add a checklistShift-Command-7 Create a bulleted listCommand-K Add a linkControl-Command-S Hide the sidebar in landscape orientation on larger iPhone models

Pages

Pages, Apple's text-editing app, you can use all of the above basic text editing keyboard shortcuts, but there are a ton more you can add to your arsenal:

Navigating documents--------------------Command-N Create a new document (open the template chooser)Command–O Open the document managerShift-Command-Right angle (>) Zoom inShift-Command-Left angle (<) Zoom outCommand-J Jump to a selection in a documentShift-Command-E Enter or exit Edit Page Template viewUp arrow In reading view, move up the pageDown arrow In reading view, move down the pageSpace bar In reading view, jump down the pageOption Up arrow In reading view, go to the previous pageOption-Down arrow In reading view, go to the next pageCommand-Up arrow In reading view, move to the beginning of the documentCommand-Down arrow In reading view, move to the end of the documentCommand-Left arrow In reading view, move to the left of the canvasCommand-Right arrow In reading view, move to the right of the canvasText editing/formatting-----------------------Option-Shift-Command-V Paste and match the style of the destination textOption-Command-C Copy the paragraph or object styleOption-Command-V Paste the paragraph or object styleCommand-Plus sign (+) Increase text sizeCommand-Minus sign (-) Decrease text sizeControl-Command-Plus Sign (+) Make the text superscriptControl-Command-Minus Sign (-) Make the text subscriptCommand-K Turn text or an object into a linkCommand-Left Bracket ([) Decrease the indent level of a block of text or a list itemCommand-Right Bracket (]) Increase the indent level of a block of text or a list itemCommand-Return Insert a page breakCommand-Enter Insert a page breakControl-J Start a new lineControl-D DeleteControl-E Jump to the end of the linePage up Scroll up one page without moving the insertion pointPage down Scroll down one page without moving the insertion pointFind tool---------Command-F Show the Find windowCommand-F Select the text in the Find field (while in the Find window)Command-G Find next (while in the Find window)Shift-Command-G Find previous (while in the Find window)Information-----------Shift-Command-W Show or hide word countCommand-R Show or hide the rulerCommenting----------Shift-Command-K Add a commentCommand-Return Save a commentBookmarking-----------Option-Command-B Add a bookmarkManaging objects----------------Option-Command-G Group the selected objectsOption-Shift-Command-G Ungroup the selected objectsCommand-L Lock the selected objectOption-Command-L Unlock the selected objectCommand-D Duplicate the selected objectOption-drag Duplicate the selected object and move to another positionUp arrow Move the selected object up one pointDown arrow Move the selected object down one pointLeft arrow Move the selected object left one pointRight arrow Move the selected object right one pointShift-Up arrow Move the selected object up ten pointsShift-Down arrow Move the selected object down ten pointsShift-Left arrow Move the selected object left ten pointsShift-Right arrow Move the selected object right ten pointsShift-Command-B Move the selected object to the backShift-Command-F Move the selected object to the frontOption-Shift-Command-B Move the selected object backwardOption-Shift-Command-F Move the selected object forwardPrinting--------Command-P Print a documentCharts and tables-----------------Return Insert a paragraph break when editing text in a cellOption-Tab Insert a tab in text or a formulaCommand-K Move forward through options when specify absolute and relative attributes of selected cell referencesShift-Command-K Move backward through options when specify absolute and relative attributes of selected cell referencesShift-Command-D Open the Chart Data EditorOption-Command-E Insert an equationControl-Option-Command-Up arrow Add or remove the top table borderControl-Option-Command-Down arrow Add or remove the bottom table borderControl-Option-Command-Left arrow Add or remove the left table borderControl-Option-Command-Right arrow Add or remove the right table borderOption-Up arrow In a table, add rows above the selected cellsOption-Down arrow In a table, add rows below the selected cellsOption-Left arrow In a table, add columns to the left of the selected cellsOption-Right arrow In a table, add columns to the right of the selected cellsOption-Command-Up arrow In a table, select the first populated cell in the current columnOption-Command-Down arrow In a table, select the last populated cell in the current columnOption-Command-Left arrow In a table, select the first populated cell in the current rowOption-Command-Right arrow In a table, select the last populated cell in the current rowOption-Command-Delete Delete selected rowsControl-Command-Delete Delete selected columnsShift-Tab Select the table nameReturn Select the first cell in a selected tableOption-Shift-Command-Up arrow In a table, expand the current selection to include the first populated cell in the current columnOption-Shift-Command-Down arrow In a table, expand the current selection to include the last populated cell in the current columnOption-Shift-Command-Left arrow In a table, expand the current selection to include the first populated cell in the current rowOption-Shift-Command-Right arrow In a table, expand the current selection to include the last populated cell in the current rowControl-Command-M In a table, merge selected cellsOption-Control-Command-M In a table, unmerge selected cells

Step 5: Enable Full Keyboard Access for More Shortcuts

Thanks to an accessibility feature called "Full Keyboard Access," you can extend your physical keyboard usage. The feature gives your hardware keyboard complete control over every onscreen element on your iPhone.

To enable it, go to Settings » Accessibility » Keyboards & Typing (or just Keyboards) » Full Keyboard Access. Then, toggle on the "Full Keyboard Access" switch.

You may immediately notice a blue box highlighting "Back" or another button on your screen. This blue outline shows you what's highlighted so you can perform actions on that onscreen element. Hitting the space bar activates the selected item.

Step 6: Learn the Default Full Keyboard Access Shortcuts

By default, your keyboard should be able to use the following shortcuts to perform basic functions and gestures, move around, interact, and control system features. But it doesn't stop there.

Basic-----Tab-H Show or hide Full Keyboard Access commandsTab Move forwardShift-Tab Move backwardSpace bar Activate the selected itemUp arrow Move upDown arrow Move downLeft arrow Move leftRight arrow Move rightFn-H Go to the Home ScreenMovement--------Tab Move forwardShift-Tab Move backwardUp arrow Move upDown arrow Move downLeft arrow Move leftRight arrow Move rightTab-Left arrow Move to beginningTab-Right arrow Move to endControl-Tab Move to next itemControl-Shift-Tab Move to previous itemTab-F FindInteraction-----------Space bar Activate the selected itemTab-B Go backTab-M Contextual menuTap-Z ActionsDevice------Fn-H Go to the Home ScreenFn-Up arrow Open the App SwitcherFn-C Open Control CenterFn-N Open Notification CenterTab-L Go to Lock ScreenControl-Option-Shift-Command-R Restart iPhoneFn-S Activate SiriTab-X Open the Accessiblity ShortcutControl-Option-Shift-Command-S Send an Emergency SOSTab-R Rotate the iPhoneTab-P Open Apple PayControl-Option-Shift-Command-. Open AnalyticsControl-Option-Command-P Toggle Pass-Through Mode (which disables Full Keyboard Access temporarily so you can use regular keyboard shortcuts)Gestures--------Tab-G View available keyboard gesturesSpace bar Tap/pressShift-Space bar Tap/press with two fingersUp arrow Swipe upDown arrow Swipe downLeft arrow Swipe leftRight arrow Swipe rightShift-Up arrow Swipe up with two fingersShift-Down arrow Swipe down with two fingersShift-Left arrow Swipe left with two fingersShift-Right arrow Swipe right with two fingersCommand-Up arrow Zoom inCommand-Down arrow Zoom outCommand-Left arrow Rotate leftCommand-Right arrow Rotate right

To see the complete list of keyboard commands for iOS, hit Tab-H on your keyboard to open the list of keyboard shortcuts. Alternatively, open the "Commands" menu in Full Keyboard Access to see the list.

Step 7: Customize Full Keyboard Access Shortcuts

You can customize any of the listed commands in the Commands menu by tapping it. You can even assign a keyboard shortcut to any custom shortcut you've built in the Shortcuts app, which will be the last section in the Commands menu.

A prompt will appear telling you to enter a key combination on your keyboard. So, pick the keys you'd like to use with the command, then press them together to see the key combination recorded in the prompt.

You can tap "Done" to assign the keyboard shortcut to the command or double-tap the space bar to stop recording, then navigate to "Done" with your keyboard and select it. If you try to use a keyboard shortcut already assigned to a different command, a prompt will instruct you to return and use a unique shortcut.

Step 8: Restore Full Keyboard Access Shortcuts to the Defaults

If you need or want to restore the keyboard shortcuts to their defaults, head to the bottom of the Commands menu and tap "Restore Defaults," then confirm with "Restore Defaults" on the action sheet.

Just updated your iPhone to iOS 18? You'll find a ton of hot new features for some of your most-used Apple apps. Dive in and see for yourself:

• Calculator
• Control Center
• Home Screen
• Lock Screen
• Maps
• Messages
• Music
• Notes
• Podcasts
• Reminders
• TV
• Weather