# How to Split a Smartphone Keyboard with a Gesture > Apple's 2013 patent describes how to split a phone's keyboard in half and move it up the screen with a swipe, making it easier to type with thumbs. - **Patent:** US 8587547 - **Original title:** Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulating soft keyboards - **Owner:** Apple Inc - **Granted:** 2013 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 6 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications ## What it does This patent covers a method and device for changing a full keyboard on a smartphone screen into a split keyboard. When you're using your phone, it shows a regular, unsplit keyboard at the bottom of the screen, along with your app's content. If you make a specific gesture, like a swipe, on the screen, the device turns that keyboard into a split one, with keys for your left thumb on the left and keys for your right thumb on the right. This split keyboard then moves up over the app content. The patent also covers the reverse: swiping the split keyboard back down to make it a full, unsplit keyboard again at the bottom. ## What it does NOT cover - Keyboards that are split by default without a gesture. - Splitting a keyboard without moving it over the application content area. - Methods that do not involve converting an unsplit keyboard to a split keyboard. - Methods that do not involve converting a split keyboard to an unsplit keyboard. - Gestures that do not result in the keyboard moving away from the bottom of the display. ## The clever bit The innovation lies in the dynamic conversion and repositioning of the keyboard based on a simple gesture, specifically designed to facilitate thumb typing on larger displays without permanently obscuring application content. ## Real-world examples 1. iPhone split keyboard feature 2. iPad split keyboard feature ## Why it matters This patent is significant because it addresses a common usability challenge on larger smartphone screens. The split keyboard design, enabled by this patent, allows users to more comfortably type with both thumbs, a crucial feature for many users. It became a standard feature on many devices. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How to Split a Smartphone Keyboard with a Gesture cover? Apple's 2013 patent describes how to split a phone's keyboard in half and move it up the screen with a swipe, making it easier to type with thumbs. ### Who owns patent US 8587547? Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2013. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on September 23, 2031, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 8587547 cited by? This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent is significant because it addresses a common usability challenge on larger smartphone screens. The split keyboard design, enabled by this patent, allows users to more comfortably type with both thumbs, a crucial feature for many users. It became a standard feature on many devices. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Keyboards that are split by default without a gesture. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8587547/device-method-and-graphical-user-interface-for-manipulating-soft-keyboards **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US8587547 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Smartphones Suggest and Correct Words While You Type](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8074172/ios-springboard-home-screen) — Apple's patent on a system that displays word suggestions above a touchscreen keyboard, allowing users to accept or reject them with simple taps or keystrokes. - [How Mobile Devices Switch Between Open Apps Using Gestures](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8291344/ios-autocorrect-keyboard) — Apple's patent describes a way to switch between open apps on a touchscreen by showing a bar of app previews and selecting one with a tap. - [How the iPhone Switches and Adds Mobile Web Browser Tabs](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8214768/ios-notification-center) — Apple's 2007 patent on using swipes, edge taps, and dedicated buttons to create and flip through multiple full-screen windows in a mobile web browser. - [How Multi-Touch Gestures Like Pinch-to-Zoom Work on Smartphones](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7812826/iphone-software-keyboard) — Apple's patent on using two-finger gestures to manipulate images and objects on a touchscreen, allowing for smooth zooming and rotation even if you lift your fingers briefly. - [How Smartphones Organize Apps into Folders](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8423911/ios-control-center) — Apple's 2010 patent describing the logic for creating and interacting with app folders on a touchscreen device, specifically distinguishing between 'normal' use and 'editing' modes.