# Improved iPad keyboard interface for mobile Ignition **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624 "2011-02-09T16:29:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ebidarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c0e974/32.png) [@ebidarian](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ebidarian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/1 "2011-02-09T16:29:52Z")
I am currently developing an interface using the mobile module and an iPad device. I really like how well the system works on the iPad but the current method for using the keyboard interface is an unrealistic option for the production floor where a username and password signature is required constantly. I was wondering if there was any progress on calling the iPad keyboard when a textbox is clicked. Also I was wondering about scaling the internal touch screen keyboard which can be called. In its current form its to tiny to use when called. ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/2 "2011-02-09T18:14:44Z")
There has been no substantive progress on this. The main problem is that there is a technological barrier for the mobile module, as a pure webpage based app, to tell the iOS browser “hey - now its time to pop up a keyboard”. We can’t even fake it out by putting an input element on the page and using javascript to focus it - it simply ignores our best efforts. Unless your finger puts the focus in an input box, you don’t get a keyboard. Trust me, this is very frustrating for us as well. I think we may have to resort to writing a native iOS app that wraps up a browser element so we have some more capabilities. No concrete plans in that direction as of yet however. ---
**Author:** ![ebidarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c0e974/32.png) [@ebidarian](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ebidarian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/3 "2011-02-09T19:23:21Z")
What about getting the internal touchscreen keyboard to scale in size if you increase the font size of the keys? ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/4 "2011-02-09T21:44:08Z")
Yeah that would be worth looking into. I should mention here that this isn’t an issue for Android devices. On an Android device you can press-and-hold the menu key to get the phone’s keyboard to show up. ---
**Author:** ![ebidarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c0e974/32.png) [@ebidarian](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ebidarian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/5 "2011-02-09T22:23:18Z")
Yes android tablets though are currently weak. Maybe the Xoom but the price seems a little high relative to the iPad. After playing around more with the touch screen keyboard I think if it would scale and be movable(it pops up partially out of screen on the iPad) its a strong solution. ---
**Author:** ![ebidarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c0e974/32.png) [@ebidarian](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ebidarian)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/6 "2011-03-10T16:20:21Z")
Any update on iPad keyboard improvement? With the new iPad coming out I would really like to use the iPad for deployement in my system but the current keyboard setup is preventing it. ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/7 "2011-03-12T00:35:49Z")
When there is an update, I’ll post here. ---
**Author:** ![nanixu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/87869e/32.png) [@nanixu](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nanixu)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 6:50am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/8 "2017-12-13T06:50:42Z")
Any update about the mobile keyboard? Actually we try to find something to input chinese from mobile client, is that possible? ---
**Author:** ![outletclarisonic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@outletclarisonic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/outletclarisonic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:20am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/improved-ipad-keyboard-interface-for-mobile-ignition/2624/9 "2018-05-29T06:20:33Z")
Seems that there has not been any update about the keyboard. And speaking of tablets, which do you it’s more cost-effective, iPad or Android tablets? I myself prefer the iPad. Though there are many brands to choose from Android, Apple also offers many different **[iPad generations](https://www.cfone.net/apple-ipad-models-generations.html)** and models.