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Feature Request: Let me resize the iPad floating keyboard

This is a very simple feature request: I’d like the ability to resize the iPad floating keyboard.

Currently, Apple gives us only two options: full width, or an iPhone-sized floating keyboard. On my 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the full-width one takes up too much screen space, while the floating one feels cramped. I’d like to be able to arbitrarily zoom it to any width…

This would be particularly useful with the Quickpath swipe keyboard Apple finally added in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13.

Opinions on this vary, but personally I find it works well. I will still dictate text to my iPhone or iPad by preference, but at times when I can’t — such as in a coffee shop — I’ll use Quickpath. However, you can only use this on the iPad with the floating keyboard, which limits you to a cramped one.

I do understand the reason for this: The point of swipe typing is speed, and it’s faster to swipe on a small keyboard than a larger one. But I’d find if faster still with a little more space.

Arbitrary floating keyboard sizing would be very simple: Pinch in like now to switch to the floating keyboard, then activate the normal pinch-to-zoom gesture to allow you to set the keyboard to any size you like. Spread finger-and-thumb slowly to adjust the size, or quickly to snap it back to full width.

Is this a feature you’d like to see? Please take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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