Extra margins around custom keyboard extensions in iOS 26 native apps

Hello,

I’ve noticed an issue with custom keyboard extensions in iOS 26 that seems specific to native apps. When a custom keyboard is opened in apps like Messages, Notes, or Safari, there’s an extra strip of native grey space around the left, right, and top edges of the keyboard.

  • This extra margin cannot be rendered over by the keyboard’s own views.
  • Interestingly, this behaviour does not occur in third-party apps like Instagram.
  • It also wasn’t present in earlier iOS versions.
  • The result is that keyboards with custom or non-grey backgrounds look visually inconsistent (they appear framed by unwanted grey).

Has anyone else run into this? Is this a known change in iOS 26, or could it be a bug? Any guidance or official clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Extra margins around custom keyboard extensions in iOS 26 native apps
 
 
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