So, you bought a new wireless keyboard and want to use it with your iOS device. For those who do a lot of typing on their iPhone or iPad, an external keyboard can be more efficient than the onscreen keyboard.
In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you how to pair an external Bluetooth keyboard with your iPhone or iPad so you can comfortably type long notes, emails, and documents.
Pair a Bluetooth keyboard with your iPhone or iPad
1) Open the iOS Settings app and tap Bluetooth. Make sure it’s switched on and stay on this screen.
2) Now, power on your Bluetooth keyboard and follow the instructions you received with your keyboard to put it into pairing mode. Usually, it involves holding the Bluetooth key for a few seconds.
Unlike Apple’s Magic Keyboard, which can be paired to only one device at a time, some keyboards support multi-device pairing. For example, my HP 350 Series keyboard can stay paired to three devices (however, it can stay connected and work with any one device at a time). For this keyboard, I have to press the Bluetooth key, and the tiny light confirms that I have switched to device mode 1, 2, or 3. Once I reach device mode 3, I hold the Bluetooth key for a few seconds to enable pairing mode for it. I have set device mode 1 to my iPad, device mode 2 to my Mac mini, and device mode 3 to my iPhone.
3) After a moment, you should see the keyboard displayed under the Other Devices heading of the Bluetooth settings page on your iPad or iPhone. Tap it.
4) A pop-up will appear on your iPhone or iPad screen, showing a numerical code.
Enter the code displayed on your iPhone screen on your hardware keyboard to confirm pairing. Note that some keyboards don’t show the option to confirm via a six or four-digit code and pair directly after you tap the name.
5) The new keyboard should then automatically display under My Devices and show as Connected.
You should now be able to use your new Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad or iPhone. The device should also remain in the My Devices list in your Settings. So, if you turn off the keyboard and then turn it on the next day, it should be ready to use again.
If you want to use Apple Magic Keyboard with iPhone or iPad
You can use Apple’s Magic Keyboard with your iOS device. But note that the Magic Keyboard can only be connected to one device at a time. So, if you’re already using it with your Mac desktop (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro), make sure you have another keyboard for Mac; otherwise, you may not be able to enter the Lock Screen password to use your computer. Once you have taken care of that, do the following:
- Go to Mac’s System Settings > Bluetooth, click the info icon ⓘ next to the Magic Keyboard, and click Forget This Device.
- Turn off your Magic Keyboard using its power key.
- Wait 15 seconds, then turn the keyboard back on.
- After that, follow the above steps to pair it with your iPhone or iPad.
Remove a Bluetooth keyboard
If you decide to remove the external keyboard for any reason, you can unpair it just as easily.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap Bluetooth.
- Tap the info icon ⓘ next to the keyboard under the My Devices section.
- Tap Forget This Device and confirm.
As you can see, setting up that cool new Bluetooth keyboard you just bought is a breeze. And, if you absolutely love your new keyboard and want to recommend it to others, let us know what kind it is and what makes it so awesome in the comments below!
On a related note: