Configuration - IQKeyboardManager

Configuration Architecture

IQKeyboardManager uses a multi-layered configuration system with three main components:

IQActiveConfiguration

Coordinates keyboard and text input state

IQRootControllerConfiguration

Tracks view controller layout state

IQScrollViewConfiguration

Stores scroll view adjustments

IQActiveConfiguration

The central coordinator that manages the active keyboard session.

Responsibilities

Observes keyboard notifications via IQKeyboardNotification
Monitors text input changes via IQTextInputViewNotification
Determines when to trigger adjustPosition() or restorePosition()
Maintains current keyboard info and active text input view
Manages root controller configuration lifecycle

Key Properties

internal final class IQActiveConfiguration {
    // Keyboard state
    var keyboardInfo: IQKeyboardInfo { get }
    
    // Active text input
    var textInputView: (any IQTextInputView)? { get }
    var textInputViewInfo: IQTextInputViewInfo? { get }
    
    // Root controller state
    var rootConfiguration: IQRootControllerConfiguration?
    
    // Ready when all components initialized
    var isReady: Bool { get }
}

Event System

IQActiveConfiguration sends three types of events:

Show - Keyboard appeared
Change - Keyboard or text input changed
Hide - Keyboard dismissed

enum Event {
    case hide
    case show
    case change
}

Subscribers receive notifications through the configuration completion handler:

typealias ConfigurationCompletion = (
    _ event: Event,
    _ keyboardInfo: IQKeyboardInfo,
    _ textInputViewInfo: IQTextInputViewInfo?
) -> Void

IQRootControllerConfiguration

Captures and manages the root view controller’s initial layout state.

Stored Properties

internal struct IQRootControllerConfiguration {
    weak var rootController: UIViewController?
    
    // Initial state captured at keyboard show
    let beginOrigin: CGPoint
    let beginSafeAreaInsets: UIEdgeInsets
    let beginOrientation: UIInterfaceOrientation
}

Computed Properties

// Current device orientation
var currentOrientation: UIInterfaceOrientation { get }

// Whether controller is in a window
var isReady: Bool { get }

// Whether view origin has changed
var hasChanged: Bool { get }

// Whether interactive pop gesture is active
var isInteractiveGestureActive: Bool { get }

Restoration

func restore() -> Bool {
    guard let rootController = rootController,
          !rootController.view.frame.origin.equalTo(beginOrigin) else { 
        return false 
    }
    
    var rect = rootController.view.frame
    rect.origin = beginOrigin
    rootController.view.frame = rect
    return true
}

IQRootControllerConfiguration is created when a text input becomes active and stores the original layout state to enable restoration when the keyboard dismisses.

IQScrollViewConfiguration

Manages scroll view state during keyboard adjustments.

Stored Properties

internal struct IQScrollViewConfiguration {
    let scrollView: UIScrollView
    let startingContentOffset: CGPoint
    let startingScrollIndicatorInsets: UIEdgeInsets
    let startingContentInset: UIEdgeInsets
    
    private let canRestoreContentOffset: Bool
}

State Management

// Check if scroll view state has changed
var hasChanged: Bool {
    if scrollView.contentInset != startingContentInset {
        return true
    }
    
    if canRestoreContentOffset,
       scrollView.iq.restoreContentOffset,
       !scrollView.contentOffset.equalTo(startingContentOffset) {
        return true
    }
    return false
}

Restoration

func restore(for textInputView: (some IQTextInputView)?) -> Bool {
    var success = false
    
    // Restore content inset
    if scrollView.contentInset != startingContentInset {
        scrollView.contentInset = startingContentInset
        scrollView.layoutIfNeeded()
        success = true
    }
    
    // Restore scroll indicator insets
    if scrollView.verticalScrollIndicatorInsets != startingScrollIndicatorInsets {
        scrollView.verticalScrollIndicatorInsets = startingScrollIndicatorInsets
    }
    
    // Restore content offset (if configured)
    if canRestoreContentOffset,
       scrollView.iq.restoreContentOffset,
       !scrollView.contentOffset.equalTo(startingContentOffset) {
        scrollView.contentOffset = startingContentOffset
        success = true
    }
    
    return success
}

Content offset restoration

The canRestoreContentOffset flag controls whether the scroll view’s content offset is restored when the keyboard dismisses.

Set to true for scroll views containing the text field
Set to false for the text view itself (when it’s scrollable)

This prevents scroll position “jumping” in complex layouts.

Global Settings

Configure IQKeyboardManager globally via the shared instance.

Enable/Disable

// Enable keyboard management (default: false)
IQKeyboardManager.shared.isEnabled = true

// Disable keyboard management
IQKeyboardManager.shared.isEnabled = false

isEnabled defaults to false. You must explicitly enable IQKeyboardManager in your AppDelegate.

Keyboard Distance

Set the default distance between keyboard and text input:

// Default: 10.0 points
IQKeyboardManager.shared.keyboardDistance = 20.0

Requirements:

Must be non-negative
Negative values log warnings

public var keyboardDistance: CGFloat = 10.0 {
    didSet {
        if keyboardDistance < 0 {
            showLog("⚠️ keyboardDistance shouldn't be negative.")
        }
    }
}

Layout Behavior

// Force layout updates during adjustments (default: false)
IQKeyboardManager.shared.layoutIfNeededOnUpdate = false

When true, calls setNeedsLayout() and layoutIfNeeded() on each frame update.

Class-Level Control

Disable keyboard management for specific view controller types:

// Default disabled classes
IQKeyboardManager.shared.disabledDistanceHandlingClasses = [
    UITableViewController.self,
    UIInputViewController.self,
    UIAlertController.self
]

// Add custom controllers
IQKeyboardManager.shared.disabledDistanceHandlingClasses.append(
    MyCustomViewController.self
)

Force enable for specific classes:

IQKeyboardManager.shared.enabledDistanceHandlingClasses = [
    SpecialViewController.self
]

If a class appears in both arrays, disabledDistanceHandlingClasses takes precedence.

Per-View Settings

All per-view configuration uses the .iq extension namespace.

Distance from Keyboard

Override the global keyboard distance for specific views:

// Use custom distance
textField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 50.0

// Revert to global setting
textField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = UIView.defaultKeyboardDistance

Implementation:

public extension IQKeyboardExtension where Base: IQTextInputView {
    var distanceFromKeyboard: CGFloat {
        get {
            if let base = base {
                if let value = objc_getAssociatedObject(base, &AssociatedKeys.distanceFromKeyboard) as? CGFloat {
                    return value
                }
            }
            return UIView.defaultKeyboardDistance
        }
        set(newValue) {
            if let base = base {
                objc_setAssociatedObject(base, &AssociatedKeys.distanceFromKeyboard,
                                        newValue, .OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN_NONATOMIC)
            }
            
            if newValue < 0 {
                IQKeyboardManager.shared.showLog("Warning: distanceFromKeyboard shouldn't be negative.")
            }
        }
    }
}

Enable Mode

Control keyboard management per text input view:

// Use global setting (default)
textField.iq.enableMode = .default

// Force enable for this view
textField.iq.enableMode = .enabled

// Force disable for this view
textField.iq.enableMode = .disabled

Enable modes:

public enum IQEnableMode: Int {
    case `default`  // Use global isEnabled setting
    case enabled    // Always enable for this view
    case disabled   // Always disable for this view
}

Enable mode priority

IQKeyboardManager evaluates enable state in this order:

View-specific enable mode (.iq.enableMode)
- .enabled → Always enabled
- .disabled → Always disabled
- .default → Continue to next check
View controller class lists
- If in disabledDistanceHandlingClasses → Disabled
- If in enabledDistanceHandlingClasses → Enabled
- Otherwise → Use global setting
Global setting (IQKeyboardManager.shared.isEnabled)

// From IQKeyboardManager+Internal.swift
func privateIsEnabled() -> Bool {
    guard let textInputView = activeConfiguration.textInputView else {
        return isEnabled
    }
    
    switch textInputView.internalEnableMode {
    case .default:
        // Check controller classes...
        // Fall back to global isEnabled
    case .enabled:
        return true
    case .disabled:
        return false
    }
}

ScrollView-Specific Settings

Control scroll view adjustment behavior using .iq extensions.

Ignore Scrolling Adjustment

Prevent IQKeyboardManager from adjusting a scroll view’s content offset:

scrollView.iq.ignoreScrollingAdjustment = true

The library checks this when finding scrollable parents:

while let view = superView {
    if view.isScrollEnabled, !view.iq.ignoreScrollingAdjustment {
        superScrollView = view
        break
    }
    superView = view.iq.superviewOf(type: UIScrollView.self)
}

Ignore Content Inset Adjustment

Prevent IQKeyboardManager from modifying content insets:

scrollView.iq.ignoreContentInsetAdjustment = true

Used when calculating scroll view adjustments:

guard let lastScrollViewRect = lastScrollView.superview?.convert(lastScrollView.frame, to: window),
      !lastScrollView.iq.ignoreContentInsetAdjustment else { 
    return 
}

Restore Content Offset

Control whether content offset is restored when keyboard dismisses:

// Restore original content offset (default: true)
scrollView.iq.restoreContentOffset = true

// Keep adjusted content offset
scrollView.iq.restoreContentOffset = false

Configuration Best Practices

1. Initialize Early

Enable IQKeyboardManager in AppDelegate:

@main
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    func application(
        _ application: UIApplication,
        didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?
    ) -> Bool {
        // Configure before views load
        IQKeyboardManager.shared.isEnabled = true
        IQKeyboardManager.shared.keyboardDistance = 15.0
        
        return true
    }
}

2. Use Global Settings as Defaults

Set global defaults, then override per-view as needed:

// Global default
IQKeyboardManager.shared.keyboardDistance = 10.0

// Override for specific text fields
largeTextField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 30.0
compactTextField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 5.0

3. Disable for Special Controllers

Disable for view controllers with custom keyboard handling:

IQKeyboardManager.shared.disabledDistanceHandlingClasses += [
    CustomKeyboardViewController.self,
    ChatViewController.self
]

4. Use Enable Modes Sparingly

Prefer class-level disabling over per-view enable modes:

// ✅ Good: Disable entire controller
IQKeyboardManager.shared.disabledDistanceHandlingClasses.append(MyViewController.self)

// ❌ Less ideal: Disable individual fields
textField1.iq.enableMode = .disabled
textField2.iq.enableMode = .disabled
textField3.iq.enableMode = .disabled

5. Test Scroll View Behavior

If you have nested scroll views, test thoroughly:

// Outer scroll view: Allow offset adjustment
outerScrollView.iq.ignoreScrollingAdjustment = false

// Inner scroll view: Prevent adjustment
innerScrollView.iq.ignoreScrollingAdjustment = true

6. Configure Distance by Density

Adjust keyboard distance based on UI density:

// Sparse UI: More breathing room
sparseTextField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 30.0

// Dense UI: Minimal distance
denseTextField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 5.0

7. Handle Layout Updates

For complex layouts, enable layout forcing:

// Views with complex constraints
IQKeyboardManager.shared.layoutIfNeededOnUpdate = true

Only enable layoutIfNeededOnUpdate if you experience layout issues. It can impact performance with complex view hierarchies.

8. Document Custom Configuration

Add comments when using non-default settings:

// Disabled because this controller manages keyboard manually
IQKeyboardManager.shared.disabledDistanceHandlingClasses.append(CustomChatController.self)

// Extra distance needed to clear custom accessory view
messageField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 50.0  // 30pt toolbar + 20pt padding

Configuration Persistence

IQKeyboardManager configuration is instance-based and persists for the app’s lifetime:

// Singleton instance
IQKeyboardManager.shared

Configuration changes apply immediately:

// Takes effect for next keyboard show
IQKeyboardManager.shared.keyboardDistance = 25.0

Per-view settings use associated objects and persist with the view:

// Stored via objc_setAssociatedObject
textField.iq.distanceFromKeyboard = 40.0

Configuration is not persisted between app launches. Set your preferred defaults in AppDelegate each time the app starts.

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Migration

​Configuration Architecture

IQActiveConfiguration

IQRootControllerConfiguration

IQScrollViewConfiguration

​IQActiveConfiguration

​Responsibilities

​Key Properties

​Event System

​IQRootControllerConfiguration

​Stored Properties

​Computed Properties

​Restoration

​IQScrollViewConfiguration

​Stored Properties

​State Management

​Restoration

​Global Settings

​Enable/Disable

​Keyboard Distance

​Layout Behavior

​Class-Level Control

​Per-View Settings

​Distance from Keyboard

​Enable Mode

​ScrollView-Specific Settings

​Ignore Scrolling Adjustment

​Ignore Content Inset Adjustment

​Restore Content Offset

​Configuration Best Practices

​1. Initialize Early

​2. Use Global Settings as Defaults

​3. Disable for Special Controllers

​4. Use Enable Modes Sparingly

​5. Test Scroll View Behavior

​6. Configure Distance by Density

​7. Handle Layout Updates

​8. Document Custom Configuration

​Configuration Persistence

​Next Steps

Keyboard Management

Subspecs

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Configuration Architecture

IQActiveConfiguration

Responsibilities

Key Properties

Event System

IQRootControllerConfiguration

Stored Properties

Computed Properties

Restoration

IQScrollViewConfiguration

Stored Properties

State Management

Restoration

Global Settings

Enable/Disable

Keyboard Distance

Layout Behavior

Class-Level Control

Per-View Settings

Distance from Keyboard

Enable Mode

ScrollView-Specific Settings

Ignore Scrolling Adjustment

Ignore Content Inset Adjustment

Restore Content Offset

Configuration Best Practices

1. Initialize Early

2. Use Global Settings as Defaults

3. Disable for Special Controllers

4. Use Enable Modes Sparingly

5. Test Scroll View Behavior

6. Configure Distance by Density

7. Handle Layout Updates

8. Document Custom Configuration

Configuration Persistence

Next Steps