The main gesture
Flick typing
Tap for the main character. Flick down for the alternate character.
Welcome
What VersaKey does
VersaKey is a customizable iPhone keyboard for everyday typing. It combines familiar typing with optional suggestions, correction, alternate layouts, quick-access tools, gestures, themes, and private personalization.
Comfortable typing
Choose the layout, number row, key behavior, and gestures that suit you.
Useful extras
Reach emoji, symbols, Unicode styles, cursor control, undo, and diacritics.
Optional learning
Practice and personalization can help VersaKey better fit the way you type.
Getting started
Set up VersaKey
Install the app first, then add VersaKey to your iPhone’s keyboard list. You only need to do this once.
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1
Open iPhone Settings
Go to General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
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2
Add VersaKey
Tap Add New Keyboard, then choose VersaKey.
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3
Switch to VersaKey
Open any app where you can type. Touch and hold the globe key, then select VersaKey.
If VersaKey is not in the list
Open the VersaKey app once, return to Add New Keyboard, and look under third-party keyboards. If needed, restart Settings and try again.
Optional permission
Full Access
VersaKey’s core keyboard does not require Full Access. You can type, use your custom settings, and use the core keyboard features without it.
How to allow Full Access
- Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
- Tap VersaKey.
- Turn on Allow Full Access and confirm the iOS prompt.
- Open VersaKey, choose Languages → English (US), and turn on the learning features you want.
About the iOS warning
iOS shows a broad standard warning for every third-party keyboard that requests Full Access. For VersaKey, the permission is used only for the optional learning features listed above. Complete typed text and document context are never synchronized. See Privacy for details.
Everyday use
Use the keyboard
VersaKey works anywhere iOS allows a third-party keyboard. Most keys behave as you expect, with extra choices available from the toolbar and long presses.
The main keyboard
- Suggestion area
- Shows corrections, completions, or next-word predictions. A matching saved response can use one wide suggestion cell.
- Toolbar
- Opens styles, emoji, symbols, the number row, saved responses, undo, and diacritics.
- Globe key
- Switches between VersaKey and your other iOS keyboards.
- 123 / symbols key
- Moves between letters, numbers, and punctuation.
- Return key
- Adapts to the action requested by the app, such as Return, Search, or Go.
Try changes before leaving the app
Open Typing preview from the VersaKey home screen. It is a convenient place to test a layout, theme, gesture, popup, or toolbar change.
Words and punctuation
Typing assistance
Open Languages → English (US) to choose which kinds of help VersaKey provides. These settings belong to the selected layout.
Suggestions
Shows likely corrections, completions, and next words. Tap a suggestion to use it.
Auto-Correction
Corrects likely typing mistakes as you continue typing. Recognized words, names, contractions, and hyphenated words are protected.
Personalized Suggestions
Uses your saved personalization to make suggestions more relevant to you.
Learn Words Automatically
Lets VersaKey remember frequently used words. This requires Full Access.
Analyze Typing
Lets practice and normal typing improve how the keyboard fits your taps. This requires Full Access.
Auto-Capitalization
Starts sentences and other appropriate text with a capital letter.
Text Replacement
Uses the text replacements you have configured in iPhone Settings.
Language conventions
You can also control Enable Caps Lock, the Double-Space Period shortcut, Three-Period Ellipsis, and automatic spacing before punctuation.
Natural English behavior
VersaKey keeps a space you entered yourself before punctuation, but removes suggestion-added spacing when punctuation follows. A standalone i suggestion is displayed as I.
Quick tools
The toolbar
The toolbar keeps special tools one tap away. Open Keyboard settings → Toolbar and drag the handles to choose their order.
Unicode styles
Enter letters and numbers in alternate Unicode text styles.
Emoji
Browse and enter emoji without leaving VersaKey.
Extended symbols
Open a larger collection of useful symbols.
Number row
Show or hide the number row directly from the keyboard.
Saved responses
Browse and insert messages you created in the VersaKey app.
Undo
Undo the most recent supported keyboard action.
Diacritics
Add combining marks to a base character, including more than one mark.
Using diacritics
Type a base character, open Diacritics, then choose one or more marks. Backspace removes the newest mark first, followed by the base character. The dotted circle shown in the picker is only a visual guide.
Reusable messages
Saved responses
Save messages you type often, then insert them from the keyboard or call one up with a shortcut. Saved responses do not require Full Access.
Add a response
- Open Keyboard settings → Saved responses.
- Tap +.
- Enter a Shortcut and Message, then tap Save.
Use a response
Open Saved responses from the keyboard toolbar and tap a message to insert it. You can also type its shortcut in a normal text field; the full message appears as a wide suggestion you can tap.
Keyboard settings
Gestures and key behavior
Open Keyboard settings to tailor backspace, the space bar, the key layout, and visual feedback.
Backspace gestures
- Accelerated deletion: delete faster when holding Backspace.
- Flick left: delete the previous word.
- Flick up: delete the current sentence.
- Flick right: undo the most recent supported action.
Space bar gestures
- Flick up: accept the current suggestion.
- Swipe: move the cursor through your text.
Number Row
Keep digits visible above the letters.
Split Landscape Keyboard
Move the two halves of the landscape keyboard closer to your thumbs.
Space bar text
Choose a label up to 12 characters long.
Character Preview
Show a larger preview when a key is pressed.
Key sounds
Turn key sounds on or off and set their volume with the slider directly below.
Flick distance
Choose how far a gesture must travel before it activates.
Long-press delay
Choose how long to hold before popup choices appear.
Turn your iPhone
Landscape typing
VersaKey switches to a wide phone layout when you rotate your iPhone. Choose a full keyboard or split the keys into left and right groups for thumb typing.
Choose the default
Turn on Keyboard settings → Split Landscape Keyboard if you want VersaKey to open split whenever your phone is in landscape.
Switch from the keyboard
In landscape, open the toolbar and tap the keyboard-layout button to move between full and split mode without leaving the app you are typing in.
Language and layout
Languages, layouts, and key choices
The current language is English (US). Choose from QWERTY, Colemak, Dvorak, Colemak-DH, and Workman.
Change the layout
- Open Languages.
- Tap English (US).
- Tap Layout and choose a layout.
- Open Typing preview to try it.
Each layout stays separate
Typing assistance, learned words, training, and personalization are kept separate for each language layout. Switching layouts does not mix their results.
Key mapping
Choose what a key enters when tapped, flicked, or held. A custom one-letter long-press choice follows Shift and Caps Lock automatically.
Popup characters
Add optional Latin character groups to the closest key. VersaKey warns before an unusually large set is enabled because larger sets can use more keyboard memory.
Custom learned words
Add names or other words you do not want VersaKey to treat as mistakes. Remove them at any time.
Automatically learned
Review or delete words remembered by automatic learning.
Make it yours
Keyboard appearance
Preview every visual change in the app before using it elsewhere. Themes can follow the app you are typing in or stay Light or Dark.
Theme
Choose Classic, Ember, Sapphire, Evergreen, Baby Pink, Rose, Banana Yellow, Sunbeam, Monochrome, Amethyst, Clementine, Lagoon, or a Custom theme.
Background color
Show or hide the theme’s keyboard background color.
Character shadow
Add contrast around the characters printed on keys.
Key style
Choose Flat or Raised keys.
Key press feedback
Choose whether a pressed key Darkens or Illuminates.
Custom themes
Edit character keys, utility keys, the background, and key-character color. You can share or import custom theme color files without Full Access.
Optional learning
Personalization
Personalization is optional. Use as much or as little as you want, and review the saved words and progress information in the app.
Custom learned words
Add a word yourself from Languages → English (US) → Custom learned words. This does not require Full Access.
Automatic learning
Turn on Learn Words Automatically to remember frequently used words, then review them under Automatically learned.
Analyze Typing
Enable this with Full Access if you want normal typing and practice to improve how VersaKey fits your taps.
Separate keyboard modes
Touch calibration and practice progress stay separate for Portrait, Landscape, Split Landscape, and their Number Row versions.
Sync personalization
Find this under Keyboard settings → Advanced settings. It syncs learned email addresses and typing-analysis summaries through your private iCloud database.
Build familiarity
Practice and calibration
Practice tools help you get comfortable with VersaKey and, when you choose, provide useful personalization information.
Passages
Type complete passages and track your best speed and accuracy.
Word drill
Practice one word at a time. Choose Random practice or focus on difficult words, and browse the available dictionary.
Personalization reports
Choose a Keyboard mode to see its calibration, recent typing trends, and Word drill progress without mixing differently shaped keyboards.
For calibration
Enable Full Access in iPhone Settings and Analyze Typing in VersaKey, then type naturally in Passages or Word drill. Personalization reports show your current status.
Your information
Privacy at a glance
VersaKey is designed so its core keyboard works without Full Access. Optional learning features save limited information needed to provide those features.
Stored on your device
- Key mappings, behavior settings, and theme
- Saved response shortcuts and messages
- Custom and automatically learned words
- Aggregate practice results and recent progress for each keyboard mode
Optional iCloud sync
- Up to 24 frequently used email addresses
- Limited typing-analysis summaries
- Only when Sync personalization is enabled
- Uses your private iCloud database
Not included
- Complete typed text
- Document context or surrounding sentences
- Raw touch coordinates or touch paths
- Email addresses for training or analytics
You can turn off Analyze Typing, Learn Words Automatically, Sync personalization, or Full Access whenever you want. You can also remove learned words individually.
Read the privacy policyQuick fixes
Troubleshooting
VersaKey does not appear when I tap the globe.
Confirm that VersaKey is listed under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards. If it is missing, tap Add New Keyboard and add it.
VersaKey is missing from Add New Keyboard.
Open the VersaKey app once, close and reopen Settings, then check Add New Keyboard again. Restarting the iPhone can also refresh the list.
Personalization says it is off.
Turn on Allow Full Access for VersaKey in iPhone Settings, then turn on Analyze Typing under Languages → English (US) in the VersaKey app.
A gesture activates too easily—or not easily enough.
Adjust Flick distance in Keyboard settings. Increase it to require a larger movement or decrease it to make flicks easier to trigger.
Long-press choices appear too quickly or slowly.
Adjust Long-press delay in Keyboard settings.
A word should not be corrected.
Add it under Languages → English (US) → Custom learned words. You can also turn off Auto-Correction while keeping Suggestions on.
A saved response does not appear as a suggestion.
Type the complete shortcut in a normal text field. Shortcut matching ignores capitalization. You can always open Saved responses from the toolbar and tap the message directly.
I want to change the landscape keyboard.
Turn Split Landscape Keyboard on or off in Keyboard settings, or use the keyboard-layout button in the toolbar while the iPhone is in landscape.
The layout or appearance is not what I expected.
Open Typing preview and check the selected language layout, Keyboard settings, and Keyboard appearance. Changes should be visible there immediately.
VersaKey is unavailable in a password field or a particular app.
iOS and individual apps can require Apple’s keyboard for secure or specialized text fields. Switch back to VersaKey with the globe key when the app allows it.
Still need help?
Contact support
Tell us what you were trying to do, what happened, and which iPhone and iOS version you use. A screenshot is helpful when the problem is visual.
Email VersaKey support