How to Connect Your OpenAI API Key to QKeyboard

If you already have an OpenAI account, you can connect your own API key to QKeyboard through BYOK and use it for rewrites, replies, and tone changes across any app on your iPhone. This guide covers where to get the key, what it costs, and how to plug it into QKeyboard.

Step 1: Generate an API key on platform.openai.com

API keys are separate from your regular ChatGPT login. To create one:

1. Sign in at platform.openai.com with your OpenAI account.
2. Open the API keys section of your account settings.
3. Create a new secret key and give it a name you will recognize later, such as “QKeyboard.”
4. Copy the key immediately — most providers only show the full key once.

If your account is new, you may need to add a payment method before the API will accept requests. This is separate from any ChatGPT Plus subscription — API usage is billed independently.

Step 2: Understand the cost

OpenAI's API is pay-as-you-go: you are billed per request based on the model you choose and the amount of text processed. Prices vary by model and change over time, so check OpenAI's current pricing page rather than relying on a fixed number. For short rewrites — a sentence, a paragraph, a quick reply — the cost per request is typically small.

Step 3: Choose a model

OpenAI offers multiple models with different speed, quality, and cost trade-offs. For everyday keyboard use — rephrasing a message, fixing tone, tightening a sentence — a smaller, faster GPT model is usually the better fit than the largest flagship model. It responds quickly enough to feel native to typing, and the cost per rewrite stays low. Reserve a larger model for cases where you want more nuanced or creative rewrites and are less concerned about speed or cost.

Step 4: Connect the key in QKeyboard

1. Open QKeyboard's settings from the app or the keyboard menu.
2. Go to the AI Provider / BYOK section.
3. Select OpenAI from the list of providers.
4. Paste the API key you copied earlier.
5. Select the model you want to use.
6. Save.

Your key is stored in the device Keychain, not on QKeyboard's servers. It is only used to send your rewrite requests directly to OpenAI on your behalf.

What changes once BYOK is active

QKeyboard's built-in AI on the Free plan is capped at 20 rewrites a day. Once you connect your own OpenAI key, that cap rises to 100 rewrites a day on the Free plan. If you are on QKeyboard Pro, there is no daily cap at all, whether you use BYOK or the built-in AI.

Keep in mind that with BYOK, usage costs are billed by OpenAI directly to your account, separate from any QKeyboard subscription.

Troubleshooting

• If rewrites fail immediately after setup, double-check that the key was copied in full and that your OpenAI account has billing enabled.
• If a specific model returns an error, confirm your account has access to that model — some newer models are rolled out gradually.
• You can switch back to QKeyboard's built-in AI at any time from the same settings screen without losing your saved key.