Xcode – Keyboard Does Not Show Up in Simulator

When using the Xcode Simulator to test your iOS apps, you may encounter an issue where the keyboard does not show up when interacting with text input fields.

Xcode - Keyboard Does Not Show Up in Simulator

This can happen if the simulator is set to use a hardware keyboard by default, which prevents the software keyboard from appearing.

In this tutorial, we will explore two simple methods to resolve this issue and make the on-screen keyboard visible in the Xcode Simulator.


Method 1: Deselect “Connect Hardware Keyboard”

The most common reason the software keyboard does not appear in the simulator is that the “Connect Hardware Keyboard” option is enabled. Follow these steps to disable it:

Step 1

Open the Simulator from Xcode.

Step 2

Go to the menu bar and navigate to SimulatorI/OKeyboard.

Step 1: Unselect Connect Hardware Keyboard

Step 2

Ensure that the Connect Hardware Keyboard option is deselected.

Once this option is turned off, the software keyboard should appear whenever you interact with a text input field in your app running in the simulator.


Method 2: Use Command+K Shortcut

If the keyboard still does not show up or if you want a quick toggle, use the Command+K keyboard shortcut:

  • Run your app in the simulator.
  • Click on a text input field to focus on it.
  • Press Command+K on your Mac keyboard to toggle the software keyboard on or off.

This method provides a quick way to display the software keyboard without navigating through the simulator’s menu options.


Conclusion

If the keyboard does not show up in the Xcode Simulator, you can fix the issue by disabling the “Connect Hardware Keyboard” option or using the Command+K shortcut. Both methods ensure the software keyboard is displayed when interacting with text input fields, making it easier to test your app’s input functionality.