iOS 16 Features an All-New iPhone Keyboard Layout Option

iOS 16 adds native support for the Dvorak keyboard layout on the iPhone, providing users with an alternative to the standard QWERTY layout.

Dvorak iOS Keyboard Feature
Dvorak was designed to make two-handed typing faster and more ergonomic compared to QWERTY. Patented by August Dvorak in 1936, the layout reduces finger motion by placing all vowels in the middle row on the left side of the keyboard and commonly-used consonants like R, S, T, N, and L on the right side. However, given that typing on a smartphone involves your thumbs only, Dvorak is not as beneficial on the iPhone.

On an iPhone running iOS 16, the Dvorak layout can be enabled in the Settings app under General → Keyboard → Keyboards → English → Dvorak, alongside existing QWERTY, AZERTY, and QWERTZ options. Dvorak is only available for English right now.

Prior to iOS 16, using Dvorak on the iPhone required installing a third-party keyboard from the App Store or connecting a capable external hardware keyboard. Dvorak has also long been supported on the Mac and can be enabled in the System Settings app under Keyboard → Input Sources by clicking the plus sign and selecting Dvorak.

Related Roundups: iOS 16, iPadOS 16
Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

dmk1974 Avatar
9 months ago
I'd just like to be able to throw the number row above the querty row (like Android) without some hack.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
9 months ago
No one can learn a new layout, the normal one is stuck in our brains lol
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ELman Avatar
9 months ago
Changing the keyboard on your co worker is a good laugh.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
9 months ago
Dvorak is the black coffee of keyboard layouts.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FasterQuieter Avatar
9 months ago
Hmm, my sense memory still can't get used the nav bar being at the bottom of safari/search. A whole new keyboard? I'd need to live another century to adjust to that.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
9 months ago

Not sure what you mean by "Apple's keyboard layout." Are you talking about QWERTY?
Sorry, should have been more direct. But yes. QWERTY keyboard.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)