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Enlarge / The Dvorak layout is present disposable for iPhone.
Benj Edwards / Ars Technica
Tired of QWERTY? Starting with iOS 16—which launched past month—the Apple iPhone present supports the 86-year-old Dvorak keyboard layout natively. Previously, Dvorak typing aficionados needed to instal a third-party app to usage the layout.
Dvorak uses a antithetic statement of keys than the standard QWERTY layout with the purpose of improving typing velocity and ergonomic comfort. August Dvorak and William Dealey invented the layout successful 1936 aft studying the deficiencies of the QWERTY typewriter keyboard, which was already 60 years aged astatine that point.
Apple and Dvorak person an absorbing history. The institution first included autochthonal Dvorak enactment for its computers successful the US exemplary of the Apple IIc, released successful 1984. It included a peculiar "Keyboard" fastener that would swap the layout betwixt QWERTY and Dvorak logically, but the carnal keycaps would request to beryllium re-arranged to lucifer if you needed a statement reference.
Enlarge / The QWERTY and Dvorak keyboard layouts broadside by broadside connected iPhone.
Benj Edwards / Ars Technica
Interestingly, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak ("Woz") learned Dvorak astir 1993 and ne'er looked backmost (he wasn't progressive with Dvorak connected the Apple IIc, helium says). In an email to Ars Technica, Woz recounted however helium archetypal learned Dvorak. "I was connected a formation to Tokyo and I ran Mavis Beacon teaches typing successful Dvorak mode," helium wrote. "I spent 5 hours learning it and ne'er again looked astatine a QWERTY keyboard. That’s each it took. My lad had already switched implicit successfully, and learned Dvorak successful a abbreviated clip and rapidly got up to the aforesaid velocity helium typed successful QWERTY successful astir a week."
Enlarge / Selecting the "Dvorak" layout successful Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
Ars Technica
To usage Dvorak connected your iPhone, archetypal marque definite you've upgraded to iOS 16 oregon later. Next, unfastened the Settings app and navigate to General > Keyboard > Keyboards, past pat your connection and prime "Dvorak" from the list. The adjacent clip you propulsion up the keyboard, you'll spot the antithetic layout, with a location enactment that reads "AOEUIDHTNS"—exactly however August Dvorak would person liked it.
It's worthy noting that Dvorak's purported velocity improvements travel from utilizing 10 fingers to type, truthful if you're conscionable learning Dvorak, you mightiness not spot immoderate velocity improvements implicit QWERTY erstwhile typing with 2 fingers, specified arsenic your thumbs. However, longtime Dvorak users volition apt beryllium pleased.
"What I liked astir astir Dvorak past was the feeling of utilizing little vigor with your fingers," Woz said. "Since iPhones came, I had to edifice to QWERTY but it wasn’t successful my encephalon anymore. I had been a precise accelerated QWERTY typist my full life, but present it’s gone. I person to look astatine the letters connected my iPhone."
Ars informed Wozniak of the autochthonal Dvorak enactment successful iOS 16, and helium replied, "OMG! Thank you precise much!"
