Guides › Keyboard › Android

Keyboard Not Working on Android

Fixes for the on-screen keyboard first, then for Bluetooth and USB keyboards. Menu names vary slightly between phone makers.

Using a physical keyboard?

Connect it, then open the keyboard test in Chrome and press each key to see which ones the phone receives. Skip to step 5.

1. Restart the phone

If the on-screen keyboard has stopped appearing or freezes, a restart fixes it more often than anything else.

2. Clear the keyboard app's cache

  1. Open Settings › Apps and choose your keyboard app (for example Gboard or Samsung Keyboard). You may need to show system apps.
  2. Tap Storage, then Clear cache.
  3. If problems continue, Clear storage resets the keyboard. You'll lose learned words and keyboard settings.

3. Make sure a keyboard is chosen

  1. Open Settings › System › Languages & input › On-screen keyboard (or Keyboard list and default on some phones).
  2. Check your keyboard is turned on and set as the default.

4. Update the keyboard app

Open the Play Store, search for your keyboard app and install any update. If you recently installed a different keyboard app, try uninstalling it.

5. Bluetooth keyboards

  1. Charge the keyboard or replace its batteries, and switch it on.
  2. Open Settings › Connected devices (or Connections › Bluetooth), forget the keyboard and pair it again.
  3. Disconnect other Bluetooth devices the keyboard might be connected to, such as a tablet or computer.

6. USB keyboards

Most Android phones support USB keyboards through a USB-C adapter (called OTG). Try another adapter, and check the keyboard on a computer to rule out a fault.

7. Wrong characters on a physical keyboard

Open Settings › System › Languages & input › Physical keyboard, choose your keyboard and pick the layout that matches it.

Still not working?

Start in safe mode (press and hold the power button, then press and hold Power off). If the keyboard works there, a downloaded app is interfering. If the touchscreen itself doesn't respond where the keyboard appears, check it with the touch screen test.

Frequently asked questions

The on-screen keyboard disappears when I connect a physical one.

That's normal. To keep both, turn on Show on-screen keyboard under the physical keyboard settings in step 7.

Some keys on the on-screen keyboard don't respond.

If the same area of the screen never responds, the touchscreen may be damaged there. Test it with the touch screen test.