There are a lot of little small tweaks and feature changes buried in iOS 11, and an option for a one-handed keyboard is one of them. With the one-handed keyboard, the entire on-screen keyboard can be shifted to either the left or the right so you can type more comfortably with a single hand even with a phone as large as the iPhone 7 Plus.

The feature is compatible with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones, although it appears it may not work on 4.7-inch iPhones if display zoom has been turned on.

ios11onehandedkeyboard
Once you know the feature is available it's easy to get to and activate, as long as you have multiple keyboards turned on in Settings. Here's how:

  1. With the keyboard open, long press on the globe or the emoji symbol if you have the emoji keyboard activated. A simple tap won't work because this brings up emoji or other keyboard options.
  2. At the bottom of the display, there are three keyboard options: shifted left, centered, and shifted right. Choose right or left to pick one of the one-handed keyboards.

With the one-handed keyboard enabled, the keys are shifted to the left or right by about an inch on the iPhone 7 Plus. The keys remain off-center for as long as you're using the keyboard, unless you tap the large white arrow.

Tapping on that arrow returns the keyboard to its standard center position, and you'll need to repeat the above steps to get it to shift over again.

one hand keyboard settings
If you don't have multiple keyboards set up, you'll need to either turn on another keyboard by navigating to the Keyboards option within the General section of your Settings app or manually turn on one-handed keyboard to the left or right on that same page.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

drzen Avatar
98 months ago
Microsoft's implementation was much better with the curved arc one handed keyboard mode.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Heebeejeebies Avatar
98 months ago
Thanks, folks...we added a clarification on the models it works with.

Seeing some reports from 6s owners that it doesn't work even with zoom turned off. (Like the post above this one. :))

I don't think we have a 6s among our staff members to test on, so would appreciate any other reports.
I've got a 6s. Works fine for me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GreyOS Avatar
98 months ago
Article could clarify that it’s available on the 4.7” phones too, but not if you have Zoom mode enabled
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WildCowboy Avatar
98 months ago
Thanks, folks...we added a clarification on the models it works with.

Seeing some reports from 6s owners that it doesn't work even with zoom turned off. (Like the post above this one. :))

I don't think we have a 6s among our staff members to test on, so would appreciate any other reports.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
98 months ago
not available on SE but probably not necessary
Yes the whole phone is one-handed :cool:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
98 months ago
Article could clarify that it’s available on the 4.7” phones too, but not if you have Zoom mode enabled
Thanks for the heads up. I thought it should be available on the 4.7 too but it wasn't showing on my wife's 6s. However, she has zoom mode enabled, so that explains it
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...