Clicks: an iPhone keyboard case that adds length, not shrinks the screen (2024)

Clicks started as a question two keyboard evangelists asked in late 2023: does a smartphone still need physical keys? Michael Fisher (MrMobile) and Kevin Michaluk (CrackBerry Kevin) founded Clicks Technology with a team including former Apple, BlackBerry and Google employees, and announced a case with a built-in QWERTY keyboard at CES 2024 — $139, shipping within weeks.

The clever part is mechanical, not nostalgic. Instead of covering part of the screen to make room for keys, the case extends the phone's length and bolts the keyboard below the display. It connects through the Lightning or USB-C port like a Backbone controller — no Bluetooth, no battery — draws power from the phone, and supports pass-through fast charging.

The keyboard is a real input device, not a toy: backlit keys, a CMD key that unlocks iOS's hidden shortcuts (CMD+H to home, CMD+Space to search), and a companion app to add functions over time. Fisher framed it for creators — people who already type on laptop keyboards and found glass keyboards unsatisfying, plus the screen real estate an on-screen keyboard takes away.

The Verge's hands-on called it 'well thought out,' praised the tactile feel and noted the wider keys of the 15 Pro Max model could make it a winner. The lineup grew beyond the original iPhone 14/15 models to Google Pixel and Motorola Razr, and by 2025 the product line had evolved into the Communicator and Power Keyboard generation with customizable shortcut buttons.