How to make iphone keyboard vibrate when typing

This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Apple's most popular product.

Table of Contents Show

How to enable haptic feedback to your iPhone keyboard
Apple's Newest Releases
Get haptic feedback as you type
What to Know
What Is a Haptic on iPhone?
How Do I Make My Keyboard Vibrate?
How to Enable Keyboard Vibration on Your iPhone
How Do I Turn off the Vibrate When I Touch My iPhone?
How Do I Change the Vibration Intensity on My iPhone?
How do I make my keyboard vibrate when I type?
Does iPhone have vibration keyboard?
How do I make my iPhone vibrate when I get a text?

You know that little vibration you feel underneath your finger when you delete an app from your home screen or turn on the flashlight from your lock screen? That's called haptic feedback, and you can now use that feature on your keyboard to enhance typing on the iPhone.

In lieu of those annoying clacking sounds you're probably used to, haptic feedback provides a silent way to get a more immersive experience when using an iPhone. If you're a fan of the feature, you'll be happy to learn that, with the release of iOS 16, haptic feedback integration has spread to some other aspects of your iPhone.

Thanks to iOS 16, you can now get haptic feedback when using your iPhone's built-in keyboard. Whether you're sending a text message or drafting an email, every time you hit a key you'll feel a slight but satisfying vibration, giving the virtual keyboard a bit more of a physical feel.

However, you must manually enable the haptic feedback feature for your keyboard on iOS 16 for this to work. Here's what you need to know.

If you haven't yet updated to iOS 16, check out how to download and install iOS 16 right now, seven hidden features we weren't expecting and all the new features you can look forward to using, like unsending text messages and removing people, pets or objects from your photos.

How to enable haptic feedback to your iPhone keyboard

Before you go through these steps, make sure that your iPhone is updated to iOS 16. You should check out a list of compatible iPhone models and how to go through the installation process.

To enable your keyboard's haptic feedback:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Go to Sounds & Haptics.

3. Tap on Keyboard Feedback.

4. Toggle on Haptic.

Toggle this on and you'll feel a slight vibration each time you tap a key.

Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

As soon as haptic feedback is enabled, you'll feel a slight pulse whenever you tap your keyboard, whether you're hitting space, entering a character or deleting something. Haptic feedback will run regardless of whether your phone is in silent mode or not.

It's worth noting that Apple added a note to its support page for haptic feedback that says, "Turning on keyboard haptics might affect the battery life of your iPhone."

There is no further explanation, like how much battery the feature may actually consume, but it seems to be a significant enough issue that Apple needed to include a statement about it. If you're worried about battery life, you may want to keep haptic feedback on the keyboard turned off, especially since going into Low Power Mode does not disable it.

Apple's Newest Releases

iPhone 14 Pro, Pro Max Review: Welcome to Apple's Dynamic Island
iPhone 14 Review: A Good Upgrade for Most People
Apple Watch Series 8 Review: Improvement By Degrees
Apple Watch SE Review: Almost Everything I Want
Apple iOS 16 Released: New iPhone Features From the Update

Get haptic feedback as you type

Updated on November 11, 2021

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.

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

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

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 settingsand 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.

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.

FAQ

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.