The fastest way to add a new keyboard to your iPhone

To add a new keyboard to your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, then tap Add New Keyboard and pick the language or layout you want. Once you add it, you can switch between keyboards while typing by holding down the space bar or tapping the globe icon on your keyboard.

The process takes about 30 seconds. Your iPhone comes with only English (US) by default, so if you want to type in another language or use a different layout like DVORAK or QWERTY with accents, you have to add it first.

Key Takeaways

  • New keyboards are added through Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, then tapping Add New Keyboard and selecting your language or layout.
  • Once added, you switch keyboards while typing by holding the space bar or tapping the globe icon on the keyboard itself.
  • You can reorder your keyboards by going back to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and dragging them into a new order.
  • Removing a keyboard you no longer use is done by tapping Edit in the Keyboards list, then tapping the red minus sign next to the keyboard name.

Step-by-step: adding a keyboard in Settings

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Tap General, then scroll down and tap Keyboard. You will see a list of options; tap Keyboards at the top.

You will see your current keyboard listed (usually English). Tap the button that says Add New Keyboard in blue text. A list of languages and layouts will appear. Scroll through and tap the one you want—for example, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, or DVORAK. If you want a specific variant (like English UK instead of English US), tap the language name first and you will see the variants available.

Once you tap it, the keyboard is added to your list. You can add as many as you want. When you are done, tap Keyboards at the top left to go back to your list.

How to switch keyboards while you are typing

When you have more than one keyboard added, a globe icon appears on your keyboard at the bottom left, next to the space bar. Tap it once to switch to your next keyboard. Tap it again to cycle through all your keyboards until you reach the one you want.

Alternatively, hold down the space bar for about half a second and a small menu will pop up showing all your keyboards. Slide your finger to the one you want and release. This method is faster if you have many keyboards and want to jump to a specific one without cycling through all of them.

Reordering your keyboards so your most-used one comes first

If you have three keyboards but the one you use most is listed third, you can change the order so it appears first. Go back to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. Tap Edit in the top right corner.

Three horizontal lines will appear to the right of each keyboard name. Press and hold the lines next to the keyboard you want to move, then drag it up or down to its new position. When you are done, tap Done in the top right. The next time you cycle through keyboards with the globe icon, they will appear in this new order.

Removing a keyboard you no longer need

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and tap Edit. A red minus sign will appear to the left of each keyboard. Tap the minus sign next to the keyboard you want to remove, then tap Delete when it appears.

You must keep at least one keyboard on your iPhone, so you cannot delete all of them. If you only have one keyboard, the Edit button will not appear.

Adding a keyboard for a language with different characters or accents

Some languages have multiple keyboard layouts. For example, French has both AZERTY and QWERTY layouts. When you tap Add New Keyboard and select a language, you may see a second screen showing layout options. Tap the layout you want to use.

If you want to type accented characters in English (like café or naïve), you do not need to add a separate keyboard. Hold down a letter key on your English keyboard and a menu of accented versions will appear. Slide your finger to the accent you want and release.

Troubleshooting: the globe icon is not showing up

If you added a second keyboard but the globe icon is not appearing on your keyboard, make sure you are in an app that accepts text input—like Messages, Mail, or Notes. The keyboard only appears when you are actually typing. Tap in a text field and the keyboard should show up with the globe icon.

If the globe icon still does not appear, restart your iPhone. Hold down the power button and volume button together until the power-off slider appears, then slide it to turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. Once it restarts, open a text app and try typing again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a keyboard layout that is not a language, like DVORAK or COLEMAK?

Yes. When you tap Add New Keyboard, scroll down past the language list and you will find layout options like DVORAK and COLEMAK. These work the same way as language keyboards—add them, then switch with the globe icon.

What if I want to type in two languages but do not want to switch keyboards every time?

Some keyboards support multiple languages at once. For example, the Spanish keyboard can type Spanish and English without switching. When you add a keyboard, check if it offers a "multilingual" or "combined" option. Not all languages have this feature.

Does changing my keyboard affect autocorrect or predictive text?

Yes. Each keyboard has its own dictionary and autocorrect settings. When you switch to a Spanish keyboard, autocorrect will suggest Spanish words. You can turn off autocorrect for a specific keyboard by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tapping the keyboard name, and toggling off Auto-Correction.

Can I customize a keyboard layout or create my own?

The built-in iOS keyboards cannot be customized or rearranged. However, you can read third-party keyboard apps from the App Store that offer custom layouts, themes, and features. These apps must be enabled in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard before you can use them.