Apple Warns About Third-Party Keyboard Issue in iOS 13 and iPadOS, Fix Coming Soon

Apple today released a support document warning users about a security issue affecting third-party keyboards in iOS 13 and iPadOS.

Third-party keyboards can be set to run standalone without access to external services or can request "full access" to provide additional features. A bug in iOS 13 and iPadOS can cause keyboard extensions to be granted full access even if full access hasn't been approved.

keyboardaccessbug
According to Apple, the bug does not affect Apple's built-in keyboards, nor does it impact keyboards that don't make use of full access.

Third-party keyboard extensions in iOS can be designed to run entirely standalone, without access to external services, or they can request "full access" to provide additional features through network access. Apple has discovered a bug in iOS 13 and iPadOS that can result in keyboard extensions being granted full access even if you haven't approved this access.

Apple says that the bug will be fixed in an upcoming software update. Third-party keyboards that you might have installed can be viewed by opening up the Settings app, and then going to General > Keyboard > Keyboards.

iOS users concerned about their data and the access granted to third-party keyboards can mitigate the issue by temporarily uninstalling third-party keyboards.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature

Here's When iOS 26 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: Out Now!]

Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal. A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Get iOS 26 Features With New Firmware Update

Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware. With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
iphone 17 lineup

iPhone 17 Models Launch on September 19 With These New Features

Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping." The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes: iPhone 17 Display Changes The iPhone...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 15, 2025 5:45 am PDT by
Following three months of beta testing, iOS 26 was released today, September 15. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, and it is available to install via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features included in iOS 26. Even more new features and changes are outlined in Apple's release notes for the update. Some of ...
iPhone 17 Pro Air Boxes

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Boxes Revealed

Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday. Image Credit: Jon Freier Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...

Top Rated Comments

Rychiar Avatar
78 months ago
People still have third party keyboards? I forgot that was even a thing years ago.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MagMan1979 Avatar
78 months ago
I always thought add-on keyboards were a bad idea on Android ripe for abuse (proven right over the years), and I have believed this to be an equally bad idea on iOS since the day it was introduced, and once again proven right.

The built-in iOS keyboard is second-to-none for accuracy and ease of use, why some one would want to infect their iOS device with a potentially keystroke-harvesting POS is beyond me.


Apple needs to be split up. They can’t get anything done remotely on time. Half of new iPhone’s features missing. iOS delayed (as is MacOS for years). Then .1 release. Oh sorry we forgot to add security patch. And and and

Too big to manage.

When small and nimble Apple was world class. now it’s just another IBM
Thank god people like you don’t run Apple.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JohnApples Avatar
78 months ago

This has got to be the most bug riddles release I've seen in a while. This version was definitely rushed, and the 13.1 release was equally as rushed for whatever reason. I've seen the Trump Tariffs given as a reason, but either way I'm sure Apple programmers will be happier when 13.1.x or 13.2 is out.
This is fairly buggy. But it’s nothing compared to iOS 11 *shudders*
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SoundJudgment Avatar
78 months ago
Now that Apple has Swipe in their keyboard... Swift-Key can go the way of the Dodo.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deuxani Avatar
78 months ago

People still have third party keyboards? I forgot that was even a thing years ago.

I always thought add-on keyboards were a bad idea on Android ripe for abuse (proven right over the years), and I have believed this to be an equally bad idea on iOS since the day it was introduced, and once again proven right.

The built-in iOS keyboard is second-to-none for accuracy and ease of use, why some one would want to infect their iOS device with a potentially keystroke-harvesting POS is beyond me.
Till iOS 13 I was still using SwiftKey and loved it. You guys might be native English speakers, but for many languages in the rest of the world the default Apple keyboard was/is almost useless. Till iOS 13 my language didn’t even have word prediction, let alone being able to talk in two languages without changing the keyboard (which is very common in my country). SwiftKey had all of that for years, so obviously many people use third party keyboards if Apple is too lazy or just doesn’t prioritise a simple keyboard update for other than the big languages.

But only now I can finally switch. Even though many other people probably still can’t or won’t.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
78 months ago
It's bad enough third-party keyboards get to see everything you type but giving those apps access to network services (intentionally or not) lets them share that data with others. Very smart of Apple to compartmentalize the two and require users to grant network access - unfortunate about the bug which breaks the logic but they found it quick enough. If anything it'll raise awareness of the security issue when you do explicitly grant network access to these keyboard apps.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)