UIKeyCommand
It might sound a little silly… It might look a little strange…
…but real, lovely iPhone users all over the world prop our phones up on broken, hand-me-down MagSafe docks, ratchet them into terrible homemade tripod/car windshield mount hybrid monstrosities, or simply rest them on the back of our hands so that we may type to them on physical keycaps.
Some of us having been doing so regularly since support for Bluetooth keyboard inputs were first added, (actually at least one of us has actually been using an external hardware keyboard with mobile computers since the 1990s… Oh yes. Now you’re intrigued, right?,) though nobody can tell you exactly when this was done, or what iPhone OS version first included it.
…yes, from the very beginning, the simple abstract truth that Apple’s iPhone supports Bluetooth keyboard inputs has only been acknowledged a handful of times in user-facing documentation, specifically, from Apple.
In fact, here is the vast majority of what the current version of Apple’s iPhone User Guide has to say about it (I'm doing my best to maintain an archive of the entirety here.):
Magic Keyboard
Pair Magic Keyboard with iPhone
You can use Magic Keyboard, including Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, to enter text on iPhone. Magic Keyboard connects to iPhone using Bluetooth.
Pair Magic Keyboard
- Make sure the keyboard is turned on and charged.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth, then turn on Bluetooth.
- Select the device when it appears in the Other Devices list.
Note: If Magic Keyboard is already paired with another device, you must unpair them before you can connect Magic Keyboard to your iPhone. For iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, see Unpair a Bluetooth device. On Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Bluetooth, select the device, then Control-click its name.
Reconnect Magic Keyboard to iPhone
Magic Keyboard disconnects when you turn its switch to Off or when you move it or iPhone out of Bluetooth range—about 33 feet (10 meters).
To reconnect, turn the keyboard switch to On, or bring the keyboard and iPhone back into range, then tap any key.
Enter characters with diacritical marks while using Magic Keyboard with iPhone
If your Magic Keyboard doesn’t include accents and other diacritical marks for the language you’re typing, you can use an Option key modifier or the onscreen keyboard to enter those marks.
Use shortcuts on Magic Keyboard with iPhone
You can perform searches and use text replacements from anywhere on iPhone without taking your hands away from Magic Keyboard.
- Open Search: Press Command-Space.
Note: You can change the actions that are performed by the Command key (and other modifier keys like Caps Lock). Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Hardware Keyboard, tap Modifier Keys, tap a key, then choose the action you want it to perform. - Use text replacements: You can set up text replacements that enter words or phrases after you type just a few characters. For example, type “omw” to enter “On my way!” See Save keystrokes with text replacements on iPhone.
- Choose additional accessibility keyboard shortcuts: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards > Full Keyboard Access, then turn on Full Keyboard Access. See Control iPhone with an external keyboard.
