iOS Keyboard for iPhone: Add Options to Hide, Resize, Remove Bottom Row, and Float

Hi Apple team,

I’d like to suggest important usability improvements to the iOS keyboard that have been widely requested by users (for more than 10) years but are still missing:

1. Hide keyboard: A dedicated button to collapse the keyboard, independent of app implementation or clicking "outisde" the keyboard.
2. Reduce size: An option to shrink the keyboard (smaller keys and reduced spacing).
3. Remove bottom row: That oversized row at the bottom with the globe and microphone buttons takes too much space for little utility.
4. Floating keyboard: A compact movable keyboard, like the one on iPadOS, would be extremely helpful on iPhones too.

All 4 features (plus a restore to the default option) could be accessed via a compact menu with option buttons:

• Hide
• Reduce
• Remove bottom
• Float
• Restore

This menu could be presented by right clicking (long press) in Globe (🌐), Emoji (🙂), [SPACE] or [return] keys.

These limitations have been pointed out repeatedly since a long time ago:

• No built-in button to hide keyboard: over 2,000 users support this request in Apple Communities.
• No size customization: widely discussed in tech forums and ignored by native iOS, unlike Gboard or SwiftKey.
• Oversized layout: Reddit and StackExchange threads criticize the bottom row’s inefficiency.

📊 Some relevant references:

• discussions.apple.com/thread/251711928 (Hide keyboard thread, +2000 votes)
• idownloadblog.com/2023/04/28/how-to-make-iphone-keyboard-bigger/
• reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1guswol/iphone_keyboard_needs_major_upgrades_in_2025/
• reddit.com/r/ios/comments/11esxyi/apples_swipe_keyboard_in_ios_is_steaming_hot/

Please consider implementing these simple but impactful and almost urgent improvements.

They would significantly enhance the typing experience and consistency across apps and screens.

Thank you!

P.S. See an example of an app (bad designed indeed) where the keyboard make it impossible to be used!