I tested the Clicks iPhone keyboard case and while it delivered a unique typing experience, it isn't for everyone

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It only takes one look at the Clicks Keyboard for the iPhone to see what it does: it lets you type on your iPhone with a physical keyboard instead of the on-screen keyboard.

For some, the Clicks Keyboard can offer a better typing experience if you actively dislike the iPhone's on-screen keyboard. For others, it could reduce typing mistakes, albeit with the potential compromise of slower typing speed. Its secondary benefits include a full-screen app experience while typing and the ability to assign numerous custom actions to various key combinations, which can be useful.

However, the extra bulk the Clicks Keyboard adds to your iPhone can't be ignored. It's substantial, and it could be a dealbreaker for most people. Other drawbacks include limiting data transfer speeds on the iPhone 16 Pro models, adding extra steps to make CarPlay work, and the case's lack of water resistance.

For the iPhone 16 series, the Clicks Keyboard is currently only available for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which we tested for this review. Functionality and design will be identical when the base iPhone 16 and 16 Plus cases are released. Clicks also sells models for the iPhone 15 series and iPhone 14 Pro phones that offer the same experience but lack MagSafe charging.

Design

The Clicks Keyboard for the iPhone 16 series is an iPhone case with a physical keyboard on the bottom. It has a soft, felt-like interior for the back of the iPhone and a faux-leather inlay on the back of the keyboard portion of the case. Otherwise, the case's hard plastic material is pretty basic.

The case covers the iPhone's buttons and includes a cutout for the iPhone 16's Camera Control button, all of which work fine and don't impede functionality.

Though it's heavier than a typical iPhone case from Apple and many of our top picks for the best iPhone 16 Pro cases, the Clicks case is still surprisingly light for its form and function. Holding the bottom half of the case will make your iPhone feel more top-heavy, but it's still manageable.

The Clicks Keyboard adds almost two extra inches of length to an iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and it's certainly noticeable on a desk, in your pocket, and in your hands. It's the biggest hurdle most people will have to contend with.

Whether you'd accept the Clicks' extra bulk is a personal matter. I got used to it over time, but I prefer my iPhone's size and feel without it. If you find the Clicks Keyboard useful, you can view the bulk as an acceptable compromise. Plus, it's easy to remove the case when you don't need it for a while and put it back on when you do.

The Clicks case will likely protect your iPhone well against drop damage, especially if it lands on the case's sturdier keyboard end. However, I wouldn't expect exceptional protection on the top and sides where the plastic is relatively thin and has no shock-absorbing materials or padding.

The keys are backlit, and you can customize their brightness and lighting duration in the Clicks app. I haven't noticed any effect on battery life from using the Clicks Keyboard with backlit keys, nor is charging speed affected.

The Clicks app is rather spartan and mostly used to control backlighting and certain key functions, like whether the Return key starts a new line of text or sends a message. I wish it offered more customization options or showed me all the default shortcuts the keyboard can perform without leading me to a webpage in the web browser app.

Typing and benefits

The Clicks Keyboard case is a blessing for people who don't like the iPhone's on-screen keyboard for whatever reason. It may boost accuracy, and the feel of the physical keys can bring reassuring tactility and satisfying feedback that no on-screen keyboard can offer. You'll have to relearn certain actions, like adding an Emoji, for example (you have to press the keyboard's Globe button).

If you're proficient with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard, the Clicks Keyboard is hard to justify, as it might make you a slower typer. Using the Clicks made me realize how proficient I've become with the on-screen keyboard, and I found that the Clicks actually slowed me down. Test after test revealed I was significantly faster and comparably accurate with the on-screen keyboard relative to the Clicks Keyboard.

Still, there are a couple of advantages of using the Clicks Keyboard. For one, apps can occupy your iPhone's full screen, and you can see more of your conversation, social media post, or document while you're typing because the on-screen keyboard doesn't take up half the screen.

The biggest advantage is that you can assign almost any key combination to run a custom action you set up in the iPhone's Shortcuts app. It's like the iPhone's Action Button, but instead of offering a single shortcut, the Clicks Keyboard can run dozens, if not more, at a time.

With that said, adding custom shortcuts to the Clicks Keyboard is an unintuitive process that might require extra research, as there's no guide or mention of custom shortcuts in the Clicks app. You'd expect to set shortcuts from the Clicks app, but instead, you adjust them in your iPhone's Accessibility settings, where external keyboard settings are managed. The iPhone's Shortcuts app is notoriously obscure, too, but that's not Clicks' fault.

Drawbacks

Besides the bulkiness, the Clicks Keyboard has a few other downsides.

To get wired CarPlay to work with the Clicks Keyboard, you need to hold the "123" button and press the spacebar to enable USB-C data passthrough mode (which also continues to charge the phone). It's a tolerable extra step every time you plug your iPhone into your car, but it's still an obstacle.

You also need to take the same step to enable USB-C data passthrough mode to transfer data with computers or external drives. The Clicks Keyboard limits the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max's USB 3 data transfer speeds to USB 2, which is the same as the base iPhone 16 models. It's easy enough to remove the case to transfer large files, but it's still a drawback.

The keyboard is also not water resistant, so using it with wet hands is not recommended. Drying your hands is a simple extra step, but it can become tedious if you're sending back-and-forth messages or managing music or podcast playback when doing the dishes, for example. You can easily bring up the iPhone's on-screen keyboard to type with damp fingers, but the risk of water damage remains while the case is on your iPhone.

Should you buy it?

I recommend the Clicks Keyboard to those who actively dislike or struggle with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard. It can be worth the $139 starting price tag if it would meaningfully improve your typing experience.

For those proficient with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard, I hesitate to say that viewing full-screen apps while typing and custom actions are enough to justify the price, extra bulk, and the potentially slower typing experience.

Factor in the high starting price, and Clicks will have an uphill battle to convince most people to equip any of the best iPhones with its keyboard. However, by design, the Clicks Keyboard is not for everyone, as it's a purposely niche product that some would love.