11 Ways to Fix iPhone Keyboard Lag After iOS 17/16 Update

Hi there, Recently, I heard about the iOS 17 update and the great features it holds, so I decided to upgrade my iOS. The operation was successful, but I’ve got a problem- lagging keyboard. It takes almost forever for my keyboard to print any letter I click on and it’s annoying. Please, how can I fix this?

Slow or lagging keyboards can be annoying to deal with, as you expect your device to print every letter you click on. However, for some reasons, this might not go as planned. And in such a situation, a guide on how to fix iPhone keyboard lags while typing would be helpful. Here in this post, we will share the comprehensive guide that you can use, as we reveal the 11 simple ways to resolve iPhone keyboard lag issues. Continue reading! 

Part 1. Why Is My iPhone Keyboard Lag?

The Apple iPhone is nicely designed and equipped with a sleek keyboard that responds to clicks within the shortest possible time, so you shouldn’t experience keyboard lag. However, if the keyboard does lag, then there must be something wrong. 

Some of the common reasons for keyboard lag, as discovered by experts include: 

• Wrong Keyboard Settings

Adjusting your keyboard settings to suit your preference is great but at the same time, it can cause delay in printing your entry, especially when you make the wrong adjustment. So when you notice that your keyboard is malfunctioning while typing, it could possibly be because of your wrong keyboard configuration. 

• Software Glitch

Are you using an outdated or beta version of iOS on your iPhone? If so, your device may be vulnerable to bug attack and other errors which pile up to cause software glitch which in turn causes your device to malfunction and display issues like iPhone keyboard lags, etc. To fix this, updating your system via the appropriate source or installing a new firmware package is the best thing to do. 

• Hardware Issues

Broken screen, and damaged flex are some of the hardware issues that can cause your keyboard not to respond to click or take forever to print results. Visiting the nearest Apple store in your vicinity is the only solution to fix this problem. 

Part 2. How to Fix iPhone Keyboard Lag After iOS 17/16 Update

Apply the following troubleshooting solutions to resolve iPhone keyboard lag while typing: 

1. Force Restart iPhone

Force restart is a common troubleshooting solution for fixing iOS related issues. This involves switching the corresponding device OFF and ON, so as to clear bugs and refresh your iPhone RAM so it can function at optimal level. 

The procedure to follow isn’t rigorous and differs for the different iPhone models. Check and apply the steps that suit your phone model from the instructional guide below:

iPhone 8/X and Later Models

• Press down the Volume Up button and quickly release it. 
• Hold down the Volume Down button next and release it also. 
• After that, proceed to press down the Side button. Keep holding onto the button until your device shows the Apple logo. 

iPhone 7/7 Plus

• Hold down the hotkeys; Volume Down + Power simultaneously till your iPhone displays the Apple logo on its screen. 

iPhone 6/6 S and Older Models

• Simultaneously hold down the volume Down and Home buttons. Continue pressing down on both hotkeys till you find the Apple logo on your display screen. 

2. Remove Third Party Keyboard

Although third-party keyboards take typing to another dimension (positively), they are one of the chief culprits for keyboard lags on an iPhone and yours isn’t left out. The reason is that most third-party keyboards aren’t lightweight, garner data about your activities and make heavy requests on your device which can slow down the operations. 

Removing or deactivating the third-party keyboard is the most effective solution to fix this on your iPhone. Follow the procedure below to remove third-party keyboards if you’ve got them installed: 

• Click the gear icon to launch the Settings menu on your iPhone. 
• Swipe down the page displayed and click General. 
• Next, head to where you have the Keyboard tab and click on it. 
• Tap on Keyboard again when the next page loads up. After that, click Edit at the top right corner of the page. 
• Now, tap the red circular icon beside the third-party keyboard to remove it from your iPhone. 

3. Reset Keyboard Dictionary

Keyboard dictionary reset is another handy solution to help fix iPhone lags while typing. This solution helps you clear dictionary conflicts and restores the operations of your keyboard so it starts functioning at optimal levels again. 

Follow the instructions down here to reset your keyboard dictionary: 

• Navigate to the Settings panel on your device. To do that, tap on the gear icon found on your home screen. 
• Hit the General icon, then swipe down the next interface that follows. 
• Click Transfer or Reset iPhone. 
• Next, click Reset. 
• Another screen with all the reset options to fix your device will come up. Click Reset Keyboard Dictionary and enter your screen passcode in the field provided to proceed. 
• Once done, click Reset Dictionary to end the process. 

4. Update iOS Version

Since an outdated iOS version is among the reasons for iPhone lags while typing, updating your device to the latest iOS could help resolve the underlying problem. This solution is super easy to apply and can be performed directly on the device. 

Here’s how to do this: 

• Open the Settings menu on your device. 
• Tap the General button and choose Software Update. 
• Be patient for your device to confirm if there’s an update from Apple’s server. Once confirmed, click on Download and Install to update your iOS. 

5. Close All Opened Apps and Background Apps

Launching too many apps at the same time declutters your RAM which in turn slows down the operations of your iPhone and causes it to malfunction. You can experience keyboard lags for this reason. To fix this issue and restore operations to normal on your iPhone, force closing all opened apps plus background applications will be helpful. 

This solution not only improves the operations of your keyboard, it also enhances the operations of your iPhone in general. Since force closing all apps and background apps are two different things, let’s move one step at a time. 

Find below, how to force close all opened apps on your iPhone: 

• If you use an iPhone without the home button, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to view all opened apps. 
• Next, swipe up on each of the apps to force close it. 

However if you use an iPhone with a home button on it, just triple click on the Home button to preview all the opened apps. Once done, swipe up each of the apps to close it. 

In order to stop background apps from operating, 

• Open Settings and tap on the General icon. 
• Head to where you have Background App Refresh.
• Next, click on the arrow next to Background App Refresh again and select Off to disable background apps. 

6. Enable Reduce Motion

Reduce Motion is a feature built specifically to help you manage the movement of certain elements on your iPhone screen. Activating this feature can help resolve the underlying problem causing iPhone keyboard lags. 

You can enable Reduce Motion feature using the steps below: 

• Get on the Settings menu page by tapping the gear icon. 
• Scroll through the options displayed on your screen and click on Accessibility. 
• Select Motion and click Reduce Motion. 
• Now, drag the slider beside Reduce Motion to turn green and the feature will automatically activate. 

7. Disable Predictive Text

The predictive text is a brilliant feature designed to master your keyboard entry overtime and then use your past content to predict your action when typing. While this is a great feature to use, it sometimes slows down the operations of your keyboard. 

To avoid that, deactivating predictive text would be helpful. Here’s how to do this on your iPhone: 

• Go to the Settings screen and click on General. 
• Swipe down and pick Keyboard from the icons displayed on your screen. 
• Find the Predictive icon, and toggle the slider beside it to show white. 
• Without delay, the predictive text function will be deactivated. 

8. Disable Keyboard Settings and Open Again

Another noteworthy solution to clear iPhone keyboard lags on your device is disabling keyboard settings and re-enabling it to refresh the keyboard. This solution can also help you discover which of the settings is causing your keyboard to malfunction. 

So we suggest deactivating all keyboard settings, and then enabling one after another. While enabling each setting, try using the keyboard to see if the problem will occur. If it does after activating any settings, then that’s the source of keyboard lags. 

Here’s how to disable keyboard settings and re-enabling them: 

• Locate and click on the gear icon to access the Settings menu. 
• Swipe down and tap on General. 
• Select Keyboard and toggle the slider next to all features found on the next screen to turn white. 
• Once done, try activating each of the features and check if keyboard lag persists. 

9. Try Using the Keyboard on a Different App

Still battling with iPhone lags while typing after implementing the solutions above? Try using a different app to see if the problem would occur. Sometimes, keyboard lags can be app specific, that is- happens with a particular app. This is common with apps such as Google Chrome, Twitter, and other heavily cached apps. These apps eat up your iPhone RAM and disorganize the operations. 

10. Using AnyFix- iPhone Repair Tool

AnyFix is a feature rich iPhone repair tool suitable for fixing keyboard lags on any iPhone model. This software is super efficient as it repairs your firmware package and fixes any other system related issues that are causing your device to malfunction. 

Key Features

• With just a few taps, you can rectify iPhone keyboard lag issues from the comfort of your home. 
• Fixes more than 150+ iOS system related issues (black screen of death, unresponsive keys, and more) without erasing your data files. 
• Clear all types of iTunes errors, from error 4000 to error 10, error and lots more. 
• Other advanced functionalities; upgrade/downgrade of iOS, entry/exit of recovery mode, system reset and more.

Step 1. Free download, install, and run AnyFix on your computer. From the home page window, select System Repair.

Step 2. Connect the iPhone to your computer and select the 50+ iPhone Problems from the program window. Then click on the Start Now button to proceed.

Step 3. Choose the Standard Repair option from the program window and follow the screen instructions to put your iPhone into recovery mode.

Step 4. Confirm the device information and click on the Download button to download the device firmware package.

Step 5. Click on the Fix Now button to start the repair process. Wait till the process finishes and make sure that the device stays connected to your computer.

11. Factory Reset iPhone

Lastly, consider restoring your iPhone to factory setting if the problem persists. Factory reset will clear glitches and bugs causing keyboard lags. However, mind you, this action will erase all installed content and settings on your iPhone. If you don’t mind the consequence, you can apply the steps below to factory reset your iPhone: 

• Open Settings and scroll to where you have General.
• Click on the corresponding icon and select Transfer or Reset iPhone from the options displayed. 
• Next, tap Reset > Erase All Content and Setting and type your screen passcode.  

Final Words

With the 11 troubleshooting solutions above, you can handle iPhone lags while typing on any iPhone model. All solutions are free to use, simple to employ and work effectively. However, AnyFix is our most preferred option. The software fixes keyboard lags and clears every other issue slowing down the operations of your iPhone.