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Set up the TalkWriter keyboard on iPhone

The TalkWriter keyboard lets you dictate and rewrite text in any app on your iPhone or iPad — Messages, Mail, Notes, Safari, anywhere you can type. This guide walks you through adding the keyboard and granting the one permission it needs. It takes about 2 minutes.

Available on: iOS 16 and later · iPhone and iPad

Quick checks​

Before you start, make sure:

  • TalkWriter is installed from the App Store.
  • You're signed in. Open the TalkWriter app once and sign in with Apple, Google, or email — the keyboard uses your account for AI features.
  • You're online. Dictation and TalkTone run in the cloud, so the keyboard needs Wi‑Fi or cellular.

How to set it up​

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
  3. Tap Add New Keyboard…
  4. Under Third‑Party Keyboards, tap TalkWriter.
  5. Tap TalkWriter again in the list, then turn on Allow Full Access and tap Allow on the prompt.

That's it — the TalkWriter keyboard is now available in every app.

Full Access is required

TalkWriter needs Full Access because dictation and AI rewriting happen securely in the cloud, which requires network access from the keyboard. Without it, the keyboard can't reach your account or transcribe speech. TalkWriter never logs your keystrokes — see Security & Privacy.

Switch to the TalkWriter keyboard​

Once it's added, switch to it whenever you want to dictate:

  1. Open any app and tap a text field so the keyboard appears.
  2. Tap and hold the 🌐 globe key (bottom‑left), then choose TalkWriter from the list.
    • Tip: a quick tap of the globe cycles to the next keyboard; tap‑and‑hold lets you pick TalkWriter directly.
  3. The TalkWriter keyboard appears, with a mic button for dictation and a top bar for language and Rewrite.

To start dictating, see Dictate with the keyboard on iPhone →.

FAQs​

Do I have to switch keyboards every time? No. iOS remembers your last keyboard per app. Many users keep TalkWriter as their main keyboard and switch back to the system keyboard only when they need a specific layout.

Why does iOS warn that the keyboard "may collect all text you type"? That's a standard iOS message shown for every third‑party keyboard with Full Access. TalkWriter does not store or transmit what you type — it only sends audio you explicitly dictate (and text you explicitly select to Rewrite) to our servers. See Security & Privacy.

The TalkWriter keyboard isn't in the list — what do I do? Make sure the app is fully installed and you've opened it at least once, then restart your iPhone and repeat the steps. If it still doesn't appear, reinstall TalkWriter from the App Store.

Can I use it on iPad? Yes. The steps are identical. On iPad the keyboard is wider and shows more controls in the top bar.

Does it work in every app? It works in any standard text field. A few high‑security fields (for example password boxes and some banking apps) block all third‑party keyboards by design — iOS falls back to the system keyboard there automatically.

Still stuck?​

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