Our iPhones are our communication devices with the world, whether to catch up with friends and family or to argue with others. Either way, you're bound to do a lot of typing on your little slab of metal and glass. And until now, the only feedback you've been able to have on your iOS keyboard were audible pops, though that only works if you don't keep your iPhone on silent 24/7.
A new feature in iOS 16 allows you to enable haptic feedback on the iOS keyboard, which is something that Android devices have had for a long time. So yes, iOS is finally catching up in some UI aspects. With haptic touch feedback, you'll be able to know when each keystroke registers because there will be some tactile feedback each time you tap a character on the keyboard.
Here's how to enable the haptic keyboard feedback on your favorite iPhone or iPad with iOS 16.
Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.
Enable haptic keyboard feedback on iPhone and iPad
If you've wanted some keyboard feedback without it being annoying clicks, then haptic feedback is perfect. It lets you know that each keystroke has registered without bothering you or even letting anyone else know that you're typing. And enabling it is an easy task!
- Launch Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap Sounds & Haptics.
- Scroll down and tap on Keyboard Feedback.
- Tap the toggle for Haptic to ON (green).
- Optionally, you can tap the toggle for Sound to either ON or OFF as you prefer.
That's it! Every time you type a character on the iOS keyboard, you will feel tactile feedback. Gone are the days of a physical keyboard on your smartphone, so this is the closest thing to it.
Getting closer to Android
Haptic touch on the keyboard is a feature I've wanted on the iPhone for quite some time. I'm glad that iOS 16 is finally adding it because I enjoy having some feedback that won't bother others around me while I type. This is just another feature that brings iOS closer in line with Android, just like Lock Screen customization and landscape support for Face ID.
