iPhone Keyboard Split in Half? Tap the Edge, or Tap Full
An iPhone keyboard split in half or shoved to one side is one of two layouts on Apple’s keyboard page, and the page prints the way back for each. If the keys sit against the left or right edge, that is the one handed layout, and Apple’s fix is “To center the keyboard again, tap the right or left edge of the keyboard.”
If the keyboard is in two halves with a gap in the middle, that is Apple’s split keyboard, and the page prints it for one phone only: “Split the keyboard on iPhone Duo”, when the phone is open in landscape. The way back there is to tap the More button, “then tap Full.”
Keys pushed to one side: the one handed layout
This layout sits under the heading “Type with one hand” on Apple’s page: “To make it easier to type with one hand, you can move the keys closer to your thumb. On iPhone Duo, this option is available only when iPhone is closed in portrait”.
The way in is a touch and hold. Apple’s step 1 is “Touch and hold” the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key, and step 2 is “Tap one of the keyboard layouts.”
The example Apple gives for step 2 is the right handed layout, chosen “to move the keyboard to the right side of the screen.” The menu’s figure shows three buttons along its bottom edge: left handed layout, default layout and right handed layout.
Put it back to full width
One tap does it. Apple’s line is “To center the keyboard again, tap the right or left edge of the keyboard.”
Two halves with a gap: the split keyboard on iPhone Duo
A keyboard in two pieces is a different layout, and the page scopes it to one device and one position. The page’s words: when iPhone Duo is open in landscape, “you can split the onscreen keyboard into two halves to bring the keys closer to your thumbs.”
Turning it on takes Apple’s two steps. Step 1 is “In any app where you can enter text, tap a text field.” and step 2 is to tap the More button, “then tap Split.”
Turning it off uses the same button. Apple: “To put the keyboard back together, tap” the More button “then tap Full.”
Closed, the phone offers the one handed layout instead. Apple’s note: “When iPhone Duo is closed, you can move the keyboard toward one side instead.”
What Apple’s page does not print
The split keyboard appears under one heading on Apple’s page, “Split the keyboard on iPhone Duo”, and every use of the word split in the article body sits in that section (counted on the saved page: 3 in the article body, all in that section). The page prints no split layout for any other iPhone, so on any other iPhone the layout to look for on this page is the one handed one above.
The page prints no Settings switch for the one handed layout (zero hits for the phrases One Handed and One Handed Keyboard, with and without a hyphen); the layout is chosen from the keyboard itself. The Settings path Apple prints under “Change keyboard settings”, “Tap General, then tap Keyboard.”, is for typing features: “Turn the typing features (below All Keyboards) on or off.”
The page prints no restart, reset or software update step for a keyboard that looks split or shifted (zero hits for restart, reset and update in the article body). The fix is the taps above.
Keyboard Settings without leaving the keyboard
Apple’s tip on the same page uses the same touch and hold: “To change your keyboard settings while using the onscreen keyboard, touch and hold” the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key, “then tap Keyboard Settings.”
For other iPhone fixes on this site, see iPhone not ringing on incoming calls, iPhone stuck on Preparing Update and how to switch phones on Verizon.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my iPhone keyboard on one side of the screen?
It is in Apple’s one handed layout, which moves the keys closer to your thumb. Apple says “To center the keyboard again, tap the right or left edge of the keyboard.”
How do I split the keyboard on my iPhone?
Apple’s keyboard page prints a split keyboard for iPhone Duo only, “When iPhone Duo is open in landscape”: tap a text field, tap the More button, “then tap Split.” On other iPhones the page prints the one handed layout instead.
How do I get my iPhone keyboard back to normal?
For keys pushed to one side, tap the right or left edge of the keyboard. For two halves on an iPhone Duo, tap the More button, “then tap Full.”
Is there a setting that turns the one handed keyboard off?
Apple’s keyboard page prints no Settings switch for it. The layout is picked from the keyboard, by touching and holding the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key, and cleared by tapping the right or left edge of the keyboard.
Like many documents, there is no date to reference. Split keyboard seems to be missing in iOS 17 Settings/General/Keyboard.