Complete documentation for native Bluetooth Keyboard support/shortcuts on **iPhone**?

(Before I begin, it might explain quite a bit if I note that the only reason I had not yet posted this question here is that I was not aware I could do so. Otherwise, I would have, years ago.)

Some important acknowledgments:

  • iPhone (iOS) currently supports Bluetooth Keyboards. In fact, it is being actively developed on at this very moment. I know this because I have been documenting (via blind test) Bluetooth Keyboard shortcut alterations in Safari between iOS 15 dev betas.
  • When iPad OS was split, so too were both the user-facing and dev-facing official documentation of the operating system’s native support (shortcuts, really,) from Apple. When this happened, the docs all but stopped acknowledging iPhone’s continued support because the goto iPad doc - “Learn iPad keyboard shortcuts” - does not have an iPhone equivalent. Pretty much all the iPhone User Guide has to offer is a howto on pairing.
  • This split - combined with the explicit product introduction of a magic keyboard dedicated to iPad - has resulted in (as far as I can tell, as a non-developer) an overwhelming state of confusion regarding the whole idea of using a Bluetooth Keyboard with iPhone. I have spent the past few years talking to developers who somehow did not know their iPhone apps had working Bluetooth Keyboard shortcuts. I have made it a habit to just write the shortcuts tables myself by way of blind testing off the handy iPad guide which appears when ⌘ is held (not on iPhone!)
  • There really are those of us who regularly use Bluetooth Keyboards with our iPhones. Most I have met do so for what I would definitively classify as Accessibility concerns. (My personal use is not quite definitively so.)

My question, really is:

Where can I find complete documentation of both keyboard shortcuts support in native apps/the OS and UIKeyCommand’s uniquely-iPhone considerations?

(Please assume I have seen any related docs on developer.apple.com and support.apple.com.)

I’d like to leave it there at the risk of being uselessly verbose. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing back.

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Asked 2 months ago by
extratone
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Answers

Hardware keyboards are generally an iPad feature—hence many hardware keyboard features, such as the keyboard shortcut menu and the shortcut bar (both introduced in iOS 9) are unavailable on iPhone. However, hardware keyboards are still supported for text editing on iPhone, and since iOS and iPadOS both share many of the same underlying technologies, then key commands are also supported ( especially to support common text editing commands, such as ⌘B to toggle bold text, and ⌘⌫ to delete a line).

As you mentioned, hardware keyboards are useful on iPhone for numerous Accessibility features, especially for those who find it difficult to use the touchscreen. Full Keyboard Access, for example, can be enabled both on iOS and iPadOS 13.4 or later, and is supported using many of the same APIs as focus keyboard navigation (which is otherwise an iPad feature). We have a great WWDC session this year which covers many of these accessibility topics: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2021/10120/

Here's a support document where some of the hardware keyboard accessibility features are discussed: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/keyboards-ipha7c3927eb/ios

In general, you shouldn't need to make iPhone-specific accommodations when adopting UIKeyCommand. Your iPhone app shares the same interface as your iPad app in a horizontally compact layout, such as in Split View or Slide Over mode.

Posted 2 months ago by
Frameworks Engineer
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  • Thanks so much for your prompt answer! Apologies… I’ve waited to resolve or comment further so as not to waste your time. I hope it’s not too off topic for this forum, but I do have one more request.

    Since iPhone is without an equivalent to iPadOS’ handy per-app Keyboard Shortcuts Guide (the frame which appears from holding ⌘,) I was wondering if a list of the still-supported Bluetooth Keyboard Shortcuts still supported on iPhone per native app might be included in a future edition of Apple’s iPhone User Guide in the Apple Books Store, or perhaps in other user-facing documentation.

    This is somewhat topical in that it appears Safari for iOS’ Bluetooth Keyboard Shortcuts map is currently changing over the course of this Beta cycle. (If I’m being too obtuse here I would be glad to cite specific examples if they are wanted.)

    Otherwise, I have already begun a project to do so and would be glad to share the end product with Apple if that would be welcome.

    Again, I suspect I am now quite off-topic for this forum, but I would be extremely grateful - if so - if you could direct me to a more appropriate place where I might continue this discussion about user-facing documentation, specifically.

    Once again, I very much appreciate your time and your patience. This will be my last post on this thread in consideration of its potential to be off-topic/disruptive in what I’m sure is a very busy time for you guys. (Unless I hear back otherwise.)

    —
    extratone
    1 month ago
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