How to Restore a Disappeared Keyboard on Samsung Galaxy S20

If your Samsung keyboard, or any other keyboard such as Gboard, Microsoft Switft keyboard, etc doesn’t appear when you type something on your Samsung Galaxy S20, it means the keyboard is not active to use.

This problem can occur after a system update/app update, keyboard cache, or due to temporary software glitches.

Follow the solutions I have given below to restore any missing or disappeared keyboard on your Samsung Galaxy S20.

Note: Solutions in this guide will work on any Samsung Galaxy S20 model (S20, S20 Plus, S20 Fe, and S20 Ultra models.)

Editor’s note: We created these instructions using a Samsung Galaxy S20 running Android 13. Depending on your device’s software version, some steps and menu positions may look slightly different.

Fix 01: Check if the Keyboard is Active

A keyboard provided by a keyboard app must be activated before use. Here is how to check and activate the keyboard you want so it will appear again when you type on your Galaxy S20.

1. Go to Device Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on “General management”.

3. In the window, tap on “keyboard list and default”.

4. Check if the toggle button is turned on next to each keyboard. If not, toggle it on.

5. Now open the notepad and check if your keyboard appears.

If your desired keyboard doesn’t appear when typing, you need to change the input method to your desired keyboard. Here is how to do it:

1. While the keyboard appears on the screen, tap on the keyboard button.

2. Check if your keyboard is on the list. If so, tap on it to make it the currently active keyboard.

Fix 02: Clear Keyboard Cache

If the cache of the keyboard that has disappeared is full or corrupted, it could be the reason behind this problem. To rule out this possibility, clear the cache of the keyboard app.

Here are the steps to follow to clear the keyboard cache:

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Apps”.
3. Find and tap on the keyboard app that has been missing. If it is the default Samsung keyboard, toggle on the “show system apps” options from the filter section.

4. Once you are in the app info window, tap on “Storage”.
5. Finally, tap on “Clear cache” and confirm it.

Fix 03: Update the Keyboard App

By updating the keyboard app, you can resolve bugs within the keyboard app that may be causing the issue. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Open “Google Play Store”.
2. Search for your keyboard app name.
3. See if there is an “Update” button next to your keyboard app in the search results. If so, tap on it to update the app.
4. Wait for the update to finish and then restart your Galaxy S20.

Fix 04: Check the Keyboard in Safe Mode

Safe Mode provides the ground to identify if third-party apps are causing issues with the normal functionality of a smartphone. This is done by limiting the apps run on Safe Mode.

To Boot your Samsung Galaxy S20 into Safe Mode, follow the steps below:

1. While the phone is turned on, press and hold the side key and Volume down key together to bring the power menu.

2. Tap and hold the “Restart” button to bring the Safe mode option.

3. Tap on “Safe mode” button to boot your Samsung S20 into Safe Mode.

After your phone is booted into safe mode, open the Notepad app and start typing. You can switch from keyboards as I mentioned in “Fix 01” to check if your keyboard appears and works correctly. 

If it does, it means you need to uninstall recently installed third-party apps before noticing the issue and see if the problem resolves.

Fix 05: Re-install the Keyboard App

If the keyboard still doesn’t show up when you type, you need to remove the keyboard app and re-install it completely. This will ensure a clean install without corrupted data or cache. 

To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Google Play Store.
2. Search for the keyboard app.
3. Tap on the correct keyboard app from the search results.
4. There should be two buttons “Uninstall” and “Open”.
5. Tap on Uninstall and confirm.
6. After the keyboard app is uninstalled, tap on the “Install” button to install the app again.
7. After the app is installed, open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to activate and use it.

Fix 06: Update Your Galaxy S20

System updates bring bug fixes and patches for system bugs. If the keyboard app is still not appearing when you type on your Samsung Galaxy S20, apply a software update to fix the problem.

To update your Samsung Galaxy S20, follow the steps below:

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Battery and device care”.

3. Tap on “Software update”.

4. Tap on “Download and install” option to start checking for a new update.

5. Once an update is found, your phone will notify you. Then you can go ahead and install the update.

Are you still facing issues? Leave a comment below so we can help you!