iPhone Landscape Keyboard Text Problem, How-To Fix

After updating to the latest iOS, some readers report annoying problems texting in landscape mode. Symptoms include missing shortcuts and actions, hanging on the first line of text, automatically capitalizing each word, placing each word on a new line, seeing only half keyboard, even a blinking suggestion bar at the top of your iPhone’s keyboard, and other bizarre behaviors! For those experiencing this iPhone landscape keyboard text problem, it’s beyond frustrating!

Contents

• 0.1 Related Articles
• 1 Can’t Find Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Actions like Undo?
  • 1.1 For iOS 11+ Users, Many Standard Keyboard Shortcuts Are Gone!
• 2 Let’s Diagnose
  • 2.1 So what is the Proximity Sensor Anyway?
  • 2.2 Portrait Orientation Lock
• 3 Reset All
• 4 Accessibility Settings
  • 4.1 Change Your Accessibility Settings
• 5 If All Else Fails

Related Articles

• iPhone or iPad Keyboard Shortcut Bar Disappeared? Fix it


• Love Shortcuts? 50 for your iPad Pro Keyboard


• iPhone Keyboard Lad or Not Working? How-To Fix it


• iPhone or iPad Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working?

Can’t Find Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Actions like Undo?

For iOS 11+ Users, Many Standard Keyboard Shortcuts Are Gone!

If you updated to iOS 11 or above and lost your keyboard shortcuts on the left and right, and this is sadly the new norm for your iPhone’s Keyboard–NO SHORTCUTS!. 

For some reason, Apple changed the keyboard layout in iOS 11. So now the arrow keys, undo, hide keyboard, and even the comma buttons that many of us enjoyed and used daily are gone. Apple completely removed these options from the landscape keyboard starting in iOS 11. 

Compare this new keyboard layout to one from iOS 10–you see the difference! And for many people, this change is most unwelcome. Instead, in iOS 11 we get the One-Handed and QuickType keyboards. To learn more about these changes, see this article.

Let’s Diagnose

These types of issues are often caused when your hand (or something else) covers the iPhone’s proximity sensor.  This sensor is located at the top of your iPhone, near the front-facing camera and the ambient light sensor.

So what is the Proximity Sensor Anyway?

The proximity sensor detects any object close to the screen, including your hands, ears, or just about anything!   Its main function is to put your iPhone’s display to sleep when placing calls or when your iPhone is at the ear.

Check Apple’s support site to find out the exact technical specs of your iPhone model.  Then check and see if this iPhone landscape keyboard text problem occurs when you cover the proximity sensor.  If so, adjust your hand’s position so the sensor is not blocked.

Portrait Orientation Lock

Another common reason for this iPhone landscape keyboard text problem is orientation lock. Check and see if your iPhone’s portrait orientation lock is in the top screen status bar. If so, turn it off by swiping up from screen bottom to open the Control Center, then tap to unlock.  to learn more about control center, check out this article.

Depending on your iPhone model and your iOS version, your iPhone or iPad may include a side switch that users set for either mute or orientation lock. For more information on the side switch, check out our article.

 

Reset All

So if the issue is not related to either the proximity sensor or to your screen orientation lock then let’s start with the simplest fixes first.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings and test again.

Accessibility Settings

Many users find that changing some of the accessibility settings fixes this iPhone landscape keyboard text problem.  It looks like adjustments made to accessibility often leads to unexpected iPhone behaviors.  Some iFolks have tried the following with success.  So try these suggestions, one at a time and see if one of these does the trick!

Change Your Accessibility Settings

1. Open Settings> Privacy>Location Services and scroll down to System Services
   
   
   
   1. Turn Compass Calibration OFF
   
   
   2.  Open Settings>Compass and Turn Use True North OFF
   
   
   3. Reboot the iPhone
   
   
   4. Open Settings>Compass and Turn Use True North ON
   
   
   5. Open Settings> Privacy>Location Services and scroll down to System Services
      
      
      
      1. Turn Compass Calibration ON.
      
      
      
      
   
   
   6. Open Settings>Privacy>Location Services>Compass
      
      
      
      1. Set to “While Using the App.”
      
      
      
      
   
   
   7. Open the compass app (default folder is Extras)
      
      
      
      1. Swipe to the right and then back to the left
      
      
      
      
   
   
   8. Finally, open Messages and see if this worked for you
   
   
   
   


2. Switch off Reduce Motion in Settings/General/Accessibility/Reduce Motion then Reboot


3. Turn off Reachability in Settings/General/Accessibility/Reachability then Reboot


4. Turn off Zoom in Settings/General/Accessibility/Zoom then Reboot


5. Toggle off Raise to Listen in Settings>Message>Raise to Listen then…guess what, yup Reboot


6. Turn on Button Shapes in Settings>General>Accessibility>Button Shapes and Reboot

If All Else Fails

If you are yet to solve this bug, try a restore from an earlier backup--hopefully you have indeed backed up via iCloud, iTunes, or another third-party method.  In the case that you don’t have a backup, perform it now AND then restore your iPhone as NEW.

First, backup your iDevice to ensure all your media and data are secured and then restore it through iTunes or iCloud.

The simple steps for restoring from iTunes are

1. Connect your iPhone with Mac or PC


2. Select your device from the top left corner


3. Click on Restore iPhone


4. Confirm it

For more in-depth steps on restoring, check out these articles

• Restore via iCloud


• How to Restore via iTunes


• Restoring via Older iTunes Backup

If you need to restore with an older backup, take a look at our article on locating your iTunes backups folder.