The iOS 16 has multiple support for various keyboard layouts including QWERTY, AZERTY, and QZERTY. However, many people do not know that the newest operating system also supports a very old layout on the iPhone.

The Dvorak keyboard is an 86-year-old keyboard that was invented in 1936. Upon learning that this will be native to iOS 16, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak could not contain his excitement about it.

What is Dvorak Keyboard?

 iOS 16 Now Supports 86-Year-Old Dvorak Keyboard: Here's How to Switch From QWERTY to this Native Layout
(Photo : Andreas Rentz/Getty Images))
Woz is delighted to see the Dvorak keyboard making its way to iOS 16.

There are a lot of good keyboard layouts that are downloadable on the App Store. Some are free while others are paid. Among them all, you should not miss a very interesting keyboard that can help you type faster than before.

As Ars Technica reported, August Dvorak and William Dealey are the creators behind the Dvorak keyboard. At that time, the duo was searching for a better alternative to the usual QWERTY setup.

Although we have yet to see the ancient keyboard layout making its way to iOS 16, this is not the first time that Apple added it to its device.

Wozniak's Love With Dvorak Keyboard

In 1984, the Cupertino tech giant included it as a native feature for the Apple IIc computer. Ars Technica also learned that Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple has been using it since 1993.

Speaking of Woz, the engineer said that he began to keep in touch with Dvorak when he was on his way to Tokyo. He stumbled on Mavis Beacon and stuck with Dvorak mode to date.

Wozniak added that he spent five hours learning the arrangement of letters and their ergonomics. Since then, he never switched again to using the QWERTY keyboard.

"That's all it took. My son had already switched over successfully, and learned Dvorak in a short time and quickly got up to the same speed he typed in QWERTY in about a week," Wozniak said.

When he learned that the Dvorak keyboard will be a native iOS 16 feature, he grew excited. He told Ars Technica that this was "supposed to be faster" because it prioritizes the placements of the most-often used letters.

How to Switch From QWERTY to Dvorak on iPhone

According to Phone Arena's report, you can easily activate the Dvorak native keyboard layout on your device by heading to Settings, then General. 

From here, click the Keyboard, then the Keyboard. Set it to English (US) and finally tap on Dvorak. It's guaranteed that your typing speed will improve once you master this keyboard. Of course, you need to use it daily to get used to it quickly.

Related Article: iOS 16 Limited to 200 Custom Lock Screens Per iPhone

How to Switch to Dvorak on Android

For Android users, you can follow these steps if you want to use the Dvorak keyboard on your device.

  1. Open your messaging app.
  2. Type anything in the search area to enable the QWERTY keyboard
  3. Then, click Settings and tap Languages. Select English US.
  4. You will notice that there's a carousel. From here, tap on Dvorak and start removing QWERTY.
  5. Once you're finished, click "Done" on the bottom right corner of your screen.

Read Also: Microsoft SwiftKey on iOS is Leaving the Apple App Store - Could You Still Use it?

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Written by Joseph Henry 

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