Typing and keyboards
How to Add a Third-Party Keyboard on iPhone (and What Full Access Means)
By the llcloud team 4 min read
Quick answer
Install the keyboard app, then open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and pick it under Third-Party Keyboards. Switch to it by touching and holding the globe or emoji key in any text field. Allow Full Access is a separate switch: without it iOS keeps the keyboard offline, so keystrokes go only to the app you type in. Turn it on only if you trust the developer and need a feature that requires it. Keebi works fully without it.
The keyboard that comes with your iPhone is not the only one you can use. Any keyboard from the App Store can replace it everywhere you type, and you can switch back in one tap. Adding one takes about a minute. The part worth slowing down for is the Allow Full Access switch, because it decides what the keyboard may do with what you type.
How do I add a keyboard on iPhone?
Install the keyboard app from the App Store first. Then:
- Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard.
- Under Third-Party Keyboards, tap the keyboard you installed.
Many keyboard apps also open the right Settings page for you from their own setup screen. On recent iOS versions the switch also appears under Settings > Apps > [keyboard name] > Keyboards. Keebi, for example, takes you straight to its switch when you first open it.
You do not need to allow Full Access to finish this. The keyboard is ready to use once it is in the list.
How do I switch between keyboards on iPhone?
In any text field:
- Touch and hold the globe key, or the emoji key if you only have one other keyboard.
- Slide to the keyboard you want and let go.
A quick tap on the globe key jumps to the next keyboard in the list. iPhone remembers the last keyboard you used, so once you switch, it stays up in the next app until you switch again. To change the order, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tap Edit and drag the keyboards into place.
What does Allow Full Access mean on an iPhone keyboard?
When you tap a third-party keyboard in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, you may see a switch called Allow Full Access. It changes what iOS lets the keyboard do, and Apple's developer documentation spells out both sides.
| Without Full Access | With Full Access | |
|---|---|---|
| Network | No access at all | Allowed |
| Where your keystrokes go | Only to the app you are typing in | Can be sent for processing on a server |
| Sharing data with its own app | Read only | Can read and write a shared container |
| Microphone | No access | Still no access (Apple's dictation microphone works below it) |
| Location and contacts | No access | With your permission |
That is why iOS shows a warning when you turn the switch on: it is telling you that the developer could now receive what you type. It is not a sign that the keyboard does so. Many keyboards ask for it for ordinary reasons, like a clipboard history or vibration on each key.
Should I turn on Full Access?
Ask two questions before you do:
- What does it unlock? A good keyboard says exactly which features need it. If it will not work at all without Full Access, ask why.
- What does the privacy policy say? Look for a plain statement that typed text is not sent anywhere, and check the App Store privacy label.
Keebi is built to work completely without it. Autocorrect, the one-tap undo, themes, layouts and most Pro features run with Full Access off. Turning it on adds clipboard history, GIFs, haptics, speak keys and syncing learned words to the app. The keyboard has no analytics or crash reporting. The only thing it sends is GIF search: when you open GIFs, it asks GIPHY for GIFs and sends the words you type into the GIF search. The Keebi privacy policy covers it in detail.
Why does my iPhone keep switching back to Apple's keyboard?
That is iOS doing what it is designed to do. Apple's developer guide lists three cases where a third-party keyboard steps aside:
- Password fields. Any field that shows dots as you type uses Apple's keyboard, and your keyboard comes back in the next normal field.
- Phone number pads, like the number fields in Contacts.
- Apps that opt out. An app can refuse all third-party keyboards. Banking and health apps often do.
A third-party keyboard cannot use the microphone either, because iOS gives keyboard extensions no access to it. Dictation still works: on iPhones with Face ID, iOS shows its own dictation microphone below the keyboard. On an iPhone with a Home button, switch to Apple's keyboard with the globe key to dictate.
If your keyboard vanishes from every app, open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and check that it is still in the list. Deleting and reinstalling the keyboard app removes it from the list, and adding it again fixes that.
How do I remove a keyboard from my iPhone?
- Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
- Swipe left on the keyboard and tap Delete.
Deleting the keyboard app removes its keyboard too. iOS always keeps at least one keyboard, so you cannot remove the last one.
What to try first
If you are adding a keyboard because autocorrect keeps changing your words, our guide on stopping iPhone autocorrect changing words covers the built-in fixes first, then what a keyboard like Keebi does differently. If something does not work as described here, Keebi support is answered by the developer.
Still choosing a keyboard? Our comparisons cover how Full Access and privacy differ in Keebi vs SwiftKey, Keebi vs Grammarly Keyboard and Keebi vs Typewise.
Sources
Questions
Is it safe to allow Full Access for a keyboard on iPhone?
It depends entirely on the developer. Without Full Access, iOS keeps a keyboard in a sandbox with no network, so what you type can only reach the app you are typing in. With Full Access, Apple says the keyboard can send keystrokes for processing on a server. Turn it on only for a keyboard whose privacy policy you have read and trust, and only if you need a feature that requires it.
Why does my iPhone switch back to the Apple keyboard?
iOS always uses its own keyboard in password fields and in phone number pads, and switches back to yours afterwards. Some apps, often banking apps, also refuse every third-party keyboard. If your keyboard disappears everywhere, check that it is still listed in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, and add it again if it is gone.
Can I use dictation with a third-party keyboard?
Not inside the keyboard itself. Apple does not give keyboard extensions access to the microphone, so a third-party keyboard cannot listen on its own. On iPhones with Face ID, iOS shows its own dictation microphone below any keyboard, Keebi included: tap it and talk, and Apple's dictation types into your app. On an iPhone with a Home button, switch to Apple's keyboard with the globe key when you want to dictate, then switch back. The Apple keyboard stays in your list unless you remove it, which iOS does not let you do for the last keyboard anyway.
How do I make a third-party keyboard my default on iPhone?
There is no default setting, but iPhone remembers the last keyboard you used. Switch to the new keyboard once with the globe key and it stays up in the next text field. To keep it first in the list, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tap Edit and drag it to the top.
Do I need Full Access for Keebi?
No. Keebi works completely without Full Access, including autocorrect, the undo chip, themes and most of Pro. Only clipboard history, GIFs and typing stats, which are Pro, need it. Full Access is optional. It adds clipboard history, GIFs, haptics, speak keys and syncing learned words to the app. With it, the keyboard sends one thing: when you open GIFs, it asks GIPHY for GIFs and sends the words you type into the GIF search. Everything else you type stays on your iPhone.
