What is a third-party keyboard? iPhone Full Access explained

A third-party keyboard is a keyboard app made by a developer other than Apple and added to iPhone or iPad settings. Full Access is a separate iOS permission that lets such a keyboard use capabilities including network communication and shared resources with its containing app.

The permission does not mean that every keystroke is automatically sent. With UnimeType, a request can start only after you choose Convert, Polish, or Explain and grant the required AI-processing consent. Ordinary typing does not start one.

What iOS permits

Apple places a third-party keyboard in a restricted environment by default. Full Access, called open access in Apple’s developer documentation, permits capabilities that include network communication and shared resources with the keyboard’s containing app.

Full Access defines what iOS allows the keyboard to do. The keyboard’s behavior and privacy policy determine when it sends text and what the service stores.

What starts a UnimeType request

A request can begin only after you choose one of these actions and grant the required AI-processing consent:

• Convert requests writing-system conversion for the captured paragraph or explicit selection.
• Polish requests a small rewrite for explicit selected text or the sentence around the caret.
• Explain requests a short explanation for explicit selected text or the sentence around the caret, without replacing the host text.

UnimeType sends the text needed for that action to the configured service. Privacy and protected content explains what text is sent and when.

The AI keyboard translator guide shows this explicit action in a complete typing workflow.

For example, suppose you have written:

I’ll be home around 七点, can you save me some dinner?

When you choose Polish, UnimeType may send the selected text for processing. Opening the keyboard and continuing to type does not start a Polish request.

Should you enable Full Access?

Leave it off if you do not plan to use features that send text to a processing service. The same applies when a school or workplace prohibits third-party keyboards, when the message cannot be sent to an external service, or when you have not read the applicable privacy policy.

Before enabling it, check:

1. which actions require the network;
2. when text leaves the device;
3. whether the configured service stores request text or chat history;
4. whether your organization permits both the keyboard and the processing service.

Use a short selection when only one phrase needs help. Never process passwords, recovery phrases, or payment details.

Questions people ask

What is a third-party keyboard on iPhone?

It is a keyboard app installed from a developer other than Apple. After installing one, you add it under iPhone or iPad keyboard settings before it can appear as an input option.

What does Allow Full Access mean?

It permits broader capabilities for the keyboard extension, including network communication and sharing resources with its containing app. The permission does not define when a particular keyboard sends text.

Is Full Access required for ordinary typing?

No. UnimeType requires it for the network-backed actions available from the keyboard.

Does enabling it mean every key is automatically sent?

No. Full Access permits network communication, but UnimeType sends text only after you choose Convert, Polish, or Explain and grant the required consent.

Should I enable it on a company phone?

Only when the organization permits third-party keyboards and the configured processing service. On a managed device, follow the organization’s policy.

Apple’s documentation

Apple’s Custom Keyboard developer guide documents the default restrictions and the open-access setting used for network access and app-container sharing. The iPhone and iPad setup guide shows where UnimeType fits into the system setup. For cases where the permission or the text makes an AI action unsuitable, read When not to use an AI keyboard.