How can I hide the keyboard in the messages app (SMS) on the iPhone?

After you type a text message or a reply message on the iPhone, the keyboard sticks around. This leaves only half the screen to read your text messages from the person you just contacted. Hiding the keyboard would make it easier to read the SMS messages.

Unfortunately, right now iOS does not have an easy way to hide the keyboard when this happens. There is a workaround. To hide the keyboard, touch the Messages button in the upper left corner of the screen to go back to the main list of messages. Now re-select the contact you were viewing or select a different contact and the keyboard will be hidden. You can now view all of the messages from this contact without the keyboard taking up the bottom half of the screen.