The Clicks Keyboard case for the iPhone (starts at $139)—which puts a BlackBerry-style keyboard below your smartphone screen—might seem like a novelty at first, but its clicky backlit keys and vivid color options help justify its price. That said, its keys are tiny, and the case adds so much length and weight to your phone that you might not be able to comfortably operate or pocket it. The Clicks Keyboard ultimately isn't worth the hassle if you're fully accustomed to a phone's virtual keyboard, but you might be able to overlook its flaws if you sorely miss a tactile, BlackBerry-like typing experience.
Design: A Premium Case With a Full Keyboard
The Clicks Keyboard case is currently available for all iPhone 15 models ($139 for the base or Pro, $159 for the Plus or Pro Max), as well as for the iPhone 14 Pro ($139) and Pro Max ($159). For the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, you get four color options: BumbleBee (yellow), London Sky (gray), Miami Beach (pink with sky-blue keys), and Royal Ink (dark blue). For other iPhone models, you get just two options from that list, the first two for the 15 and latter two for the 14. I tested a London Sky case with my iPhone 14 Pro.
The Clicks Keyboard case for the iPhone 14 Pro measures 7.41 by 2.95 by 0.42 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.19 ounces. This adds 1.6 inches in length to the phone and increases its weight to 9.46 ounces. (For reference, the iPhone 14 Pro by itself comes in at 5.81 by 2.81 by 0.31 inches and 7.27 ounces.)
The soft, silicone upper enclosure tightly hugs the phone. It has a cutout for the silent-mode toggle on the left side and raised covers for the volume up and down buttons. The latter covers are flush with the buttons, and pressing them brings an immediate response. A Clicks logo is visible in the upper right corner of the case, just above the cover for the power button.
The bottom of the case consists of a polycarbonate and silicone backlit QWERTY keyboard. The keys have a diameter of 5.6mm with 0.2mm of travel. All the letter keys have a secondary function that's accessible via the 123 key: numbers for the top row, and common symbols and punctuation for the bottom two rows.
The left side of the keyboard has a Shift key, the 123 button, the change keyboard key (toggles among English, Spanish, and emoji keyboards), and the command button. The Backspace, Enter, microphone, symbols (which confusingly toggles the virtual keyboard), and Tab keys are to the right of the centered space bar.
The keyboard doesn't require charging, but it does need to be plugged into the Lightning port that sits directly above the keyboard. (The iPhone 15 cases have a USB-C connector instead.) Fitting your phone is a straightforward process: I just had to slide the bottom of my phone onto the Lightning connector and then push the top of my device gently into the case until everything was secure.
You don't have to worry about losing your charging port, since the case provides a pass-through Lightning or USB-C port at the bottom. The Clicks case is not a MagSafe-certified accessory, though it allowed for full charging speeds with Apple's original MagSafe charger. MagSafe support isn't guaranteed, however, so your experience might differ.
The back of the case has a hard, smooth polycarbonate finish with a cutout for the camera module. A vegan leather panel directly opposite the keyboard provides a nice grip. The back does a good job of preventing dirt and fingerprints from showing on the phone, while the thick, raised border around the camera cutout offers good drop protection.
Performance: Tricky to Balance
The keyboard is straightforward to use for the basics and includes advanced features for power users. It supports iOS global shortcuts, for instance, as well as a handful for every native iPhone app. You can hit Command+N in Messages and Mail to compose a new message, while the same shortcut brings up a new tab in Safari or Chrome, a new playlist in Music, or a new voice recording in Voice Notes.
Command+H takes you to your home screen, Command and space bar launches a search, and tapping the space bar in Safari scrolls down the page. In all, Clicks lists over 30 keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate around your phone. The shortcuts I tried all worked as expected.
One of the major benefits of adding an external keyboard to the iPhone is that it frees up the part of the screen that the virtual keyboard usually occupies. This was one of my favorite aspects of the Clicks Keyboard; I enjoyed the extra screen real estate for scrolling through search results and reading email.
Clicks claims that it takes 20 minutes to get used to the buttons; two hours to feel comfortable with the layout and controls; two days to master typing and to start using shortcuts; and two weeks to gain full mastery. I used the device for over two weeks for this review, and I can comfortably say I doubt I'll ever come close to mastering it.
I never owned a BlackBerry and have only ever used a virtual keyboard for typing on a phone, but that doesn't fully excuse my lack of adroitness. One of my major complaints about the Clicks is that the buttons proved difficult to hit accurately, even with my small hands. I constantly hit the wrong button, and then another wrong button when I try to press Backspace to correct the first error. The buttons feel high-quality and have excellent travel, but their tiny size and round shape make them too easy to miss.
I also found it impossible to type even a quick message with one hand, since all of the numbers and punctuation marks require an additional press of the 123 key. Typing out a phone number is tedious since you have to press the 123 key before each digit. One-handed typing is also particularly difficult in the dark since the backlight doesn't stay on reliably. That makes it frustrating to find the buttons (123 and change-keyboard) you must simultaneously press to turn the backlighting back on. I ended up reverting to the virtual keyboard many times.
The length and weight that the case adds are also problematic. My iPhone no longer fit into my pocket with the case on, and it was difficult to slide into the side pocket of my purse. I even noticed the extra weight when I placed my phone in the main pocket of my bag.
The weight and bulk also made my phone uncomfortable to use. Clicks advises that you hold your phone by placing its bottom edge on your pinky fingers and supporting the back with your ring and middle finger. I found this uncomfortable for typing, so I reverted to gripping the phone with both hands at the bottom of the keyboard. The company warns that this isn't the best way to hold the device, and it's correct—it makes the phone feel top-heavy. You might have a better time holding the phone in Clicks' suggested position if you have larger hands.
Verdict: Stylish But Unwieldy
The Clicks Keyboard for iPhone may be a dream come true for BlackBerry fans or Sidekick lovers who miss that old-time tactile typing experience: It includes a full set of backlit keys, supports various iOS shortcuts, and comes in several fun color options. But you must weigh those advantages against the significant heft it adds to your device and the sometimes-inconvenient operation. Most iPhone users should stick with their virtual keyboards, though the Clicks Keyboard might be worth a look if you're convinced it will improve your productivity or make typing more enjoyable.
The colorful Clicks Keyboard case provides iPhone users with a tactile typing experience, but not without some usability drawbacks.
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