iPad keyboard won't appear

[Wayne Block]

I have a new 7th generation and all of a sudden the keyboard does not pop up in either Messenger or email.
All the settings seem to be on. Any idea what could be wrong?

 

[giradman]

I have a new 7th generation and all of a sudden the keyboard does not pop up in either Messenger or email.
All the settings seem to be on. Any idea what could be wrong?

Hello Wayne - I'm assuming that you're on the most recent iOS (13.3.1)? Let me just ask one question for starters, do you have a BT keyboard and is it possibly 'paired' w/ your iPad? Dave

 

[Wayne Block]

Hello Wayne - I'm assuming that you're on the most recent iOS (13.3.1)? Let me just ask one question for starters, do you have a BT keyboard and is it possibly 'paired' w/ your iPad? Dave

I do, and I did try to use it earlier, but it needed charging.

 

[scifan57]

Try turning off Bluetooth in Settings and see if your onscreen keyboard appears.

 

[giradman]

I do, and I did try to use it earlier, but it needed charging.

Well, on your iPad, did you go into Settings > Bluetooth to make sure the BT KB is not paired - see pic below were I just paired our KB. Dave
.

 

[Wayne Block]

Thanks, that did it. I guess I have to pair it every time I want to use the keyboard? Luckily, it's not that often.

 

[giradman]

Thanks, that did it. I guess I have to pair it every time I want to use the keyboard? Luckily, it's not that often.

When the BT KB is paired w/ your iPad - hitting the 'Eject' button (right upper corner) should make the 'on-screen' KB (OSKB) appear and useable; hitting the button again should make the OSKB disappear - not sure if that would suit your needs? More information HERE.

For myself, I usually take my MBAir on trips and no longer use the BT KB (now a spare for our iMac) - most of those items in my iPad's BT list are portable speakers & headphones, some of which I need to remove (list was started back in 2011 w/ my first iPad!). Dave

 

[twerppoet]

It should not be necessary to pair/unpair the keyboard each time. If the keyboard has an on/off switch (and it should) then turn it off when you want to use the iPad’s touch keyboard. It should re-pair within a few seconds when you turn the keyboard back on.

Some third party keyboards made specifically for the iPad have a keyboard key. If yours does you can raise and lower the touch screen keyboard using that. The key usually has a keyboard icon.

You can use the globe key on some hardware keyboards to trick third party keyboards to appear. Tap the globe key and select the Emoji keyboard. It will come up. Tap the globe key again and select a third party keyboard. It should appear. If you select the default iPad keyboard, the screen keyboard will disappear again.

Of course you have to have both the Emoji and a third party keyboard enabled for this to work.

Also, I’ve only tested this with Apple’s smart keyboard/case for the iPad 12.9. It might be fluke, and useless on other keyboards. It’s awkward, and possibly a bug rather than a feature.