This article provides instructions on how to make a keyboard vibrate, via haptic feedback, on an iPhone.

What to Know

  • Get Gboard. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard > Gboard > Gboard > Allow Full Access.
  • Open the Gboard app and tap Keyboard settings > Enable haptic feedback on key press.
  • When using the keyboard in any app, tap the globe icon in the bottom left to select Gboard and start typing with vibration.

What Is a Haptic on iPhone?

When you type on your iPhone’s keyboard, you might hear a clicking sound as you press each key. This is called haptic feedback.

Haptics is the touch-based responses your device delivers when you interact with the screen. For instance, you might feel your iPhone vibrate when you tap and hold an image to open it.

Many people like the vibrational effect they get from pressing keys on their device’s keyboard, however, this is mostly available only to Android users. There’s currently no built-in feature to enable it on the iPhone.

How Do I Make My Keyboard Vibrate?

A workaround is to install a third-party keyboard to replace the default iOS keyboard. There are a few to choose from, but Gboard from Google is a good choice for its great reputation and for being one of the few offering this feature for free.

How to Enable Keyboard Vibration on Your iPhone

  • Download the Gboard iOS app to your device.
  • Open your device settings and tap General.
  • Scroll down and tap Keyboard.
  • Tap Keyboards.
  • Tap Add New Keyboard.
  • Tap Gboard.
  • Tap Gboard again.
  • Tap Allow Full Access > Allow.
  • Open the Gboard app and tap Keyboard settings.
  • Scroll down and tap the button beside Enable haptic feedback on key press so that it turns blue. It should be the only default setting that’s turned off.
  • You can now test the keyboard vibration by opening any app that uses the keyboard (like Notes or Messages). Tap and hold down the globe icon in the bottom left of the keyboard to select Gboard. Try typing something to feel your device vibrate as you press each key.
  • Tip
  • You can return to using the default iOS keyboard without deleting your Gboard app. Tap and hold down on the globe icon in the bottom left of the keyboard and select Your Language (Your Country).

How Do I Turn off the Vibrate When I Touch My iPhone?

To turn off the vibration effect on your iPhone, go to your device settings and tap Accessibility > Touch and tap Vibration so that the button turns from blue to grey. This disables all vibrations on your iPhone.

Note

Since the latest iOS version doesn’t currently support haptic vibration for the keyboard, you’ll have to use a third-party keyboard that supports this feature. We recommend Google’s Gboard.

Download the Gboard iOS app to your device.

Open your device settings and tap General.

Scroll down and tap Keyboard.

Tap Keyboards.

Tap Add New Keyboard.

Tap Gboard.

Tap Gboard again.

Tap Allow Full Access > Allow.

Open the Gboard app and tap Keyboard settings.

Scroll down and tap the button beside Enable haptic feedback on key press so that it turns blue. It should be the only default setting that’s turned off.

You can now test the keyboard vibration by opening any app that uses the keyboard (like Notes or Messages). Tap and hold down the globe icon in the bottom left of the keyboard to select Gboard. Try typing something to feel your device vibrate as you press each key.

Tip

You can return to using the default iOS keyboard without deleting your Gboard app. Tap and hold down on the globe icon in the bottom left of the keyboard and select Your Language (Your Country).

How Do I Change the Vibration Intensity on My iPhone?

You can change the time it takes for your iPhone to give off a vibrational response, however, you can’t change the intensity of the vibration. From your device settings, tap Accessibility > Touch > 3D Touch or Haptic Touch > and then select Fast or Slow. You can test the touch duration by tapping and holding the image shown below the Fast and Slow settings.

  • How do I change the keyboard on an iPhone?
  • To add or change a keyboard, go to Settings > General > Keyboard, tap Add New Keyboard, then choose a keyboard from the list. To remove a keyboard, tap Edit, then tap the minus sign. To switch to another keyboard while you’re typing, touch and hold the smiley face icon or the globe, depending on what you see, then tap another keyboard.
  • How do I change the keyboard color on my iPhone?
  • You have a few options if you want to change your iPhone’s keyboard appearance. You can switch your iPhone to Dark Mode to change your keyboard to dark grey with white letters. To do this, go to the Control Panel, press and hold on the brightness indicator, then tap Dark Mode. (Be aware that some apps won’t support the keyboard color change.) Also, installing a third-party app, such as Gboard (mentioned above) will allow you to customize your keyboard’s color.
  • How do I make the keyboard bigger on an iPhone?
  • While Apple doesn’t have an official way to enable a bigger keyboard, there are some workarounds. First, you can enable Display Zoom. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > View. Select Zoomed, then tap Set > Use Zoomed. Everything on your screen will be enlarged, including the iPhone keyboard. Another option is to install a third-party keyboard, such as ReBoard, with an option to upscale the keyboard size.

To add or change a keyboard, go to Settings > General > Keyboard, tap Add New Keyboard, then choose a keyboard from the list. To remove a keyboard, tap Edit, then tap the minus sign. To switch to another keyboard while you’re typing, touch and hold the smiley face icon or the globe, depending on what you see, then tap another keyboard.

You have a few options if you want to change your iPhone’s keyboard appearance. You can switch your iPhone to Dark Mode to change your keyboard to dark grey with white letters. To do this, go to the Control Panel, press and hold on the brightness indicator, then tap Dark Mode. (Be aware that some apps won’t support the keyboard color change.) Also, installing a third-party app, such as Gboard (mentioned above) will allow you to customize your keyboard’s color.

While Apple doesn’t have an official way to enable a bigger keyboard, there are some workarounds. First, you can enable Display Zoom. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > View. Select Zoomed, then tap Set > Use Zoomed. Everything on your screen will be enlarged, including the iPhone keyboard. Another option is to install a third-party keyboard, such as ReBoard, with an option to upscale the keyboard size.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day