iOS 16 includes a new iPhone keyboard tactile feature, but Apple says using vibration feedback while typing can affect battery life.
- What is happening? Apple clarified that iOS 16’s keyboard haptics feature could reduce battery life. No wonder it’s off by default.
- Why care? Because if you frequently type and write a lot of messages on any given day, using the haptics on your keyboard can affect your iPhone’s battery life.
- What to do? If you’re unhappy with your iPhone’s battery life, try turning off keyboard tactile and see if that makes a difference.
iOS 16 keyboard tactile sensations shorten iPhone battery life
Apple has updated its support document to confirm what we’ve been suspecting all along.
“Your iPhone keyboard may make a sound or vibrate when you type,” the document says. If you’re in doubt, Apple says that “turning on keyboard haptics can impact your iPhone’s battery life.”Read: How to Unlock iPhone with Voice
The company does not detail the loss of battery life when using this feature, nor does it indicate whether battery drain is minor or major.
We are not surprised by any of this. Using any feature on your iPhone will cost you some battery life. While Android phones use rudimentary vibration motors to create vibrations, your iPhone has special hardware called the Taptic Engine that can produce a range of subtle vibrations.
This is why keyboard vibration is disabled by default.
But you don’t see Apple running around and issuing press statements to warn people that using this or that feature can negatively impact battery life. It is clear that Apple believes and has data to support that people may experience changes in the amount of time they spend with the tactile keyboard enabled.
Perhaps that’s why keyboard haptic feedback is disabled by default in iOS 16? If Apple thought the compromise between functionality and battery life was worth it, then it would have made keyboard tactile experience a standard experience in iOS 16 out of the box.
How to turn on iPhone keyboard vibration
To manually enable keyboard haptics, go to Settings → Sounds and Haptics → Keyboard Responsiveness and turn on the Haptic option. You must also turn on Vibrate in Settings > Accessibility > Touch, otherwise you won’t feel vibration when typing on the keyboard. Read: iPhone Keyboard Mastery Tips