How do I pair my Apple wireless bluetooth keyboard with my iPad?

I tried and tried, but I can't seem to get the hang of typing with any sort of speed on my iPad. I love the thing, and it's great for class notes, etc, but I need to be able to type quickly too. So I bought an Apple Wireless (bluetooth) keyboard. How do I pair the two?

Dave's Answer:

I can definitely relate to what you're talking about. In fact, I'm typing in this blog entry on my iPad courtesy of the slick Apple bluetooth / wireless keyboard and it is a rocking' setup, especially when you can touch type as I can. The keyboard is really nice, a bit "clicky" but has a nice keystroke feel so if you're a fast typer, you'll probably be even faster with this!

Which leads to the dilemma of how the heck you pair the two up. The iPad doesn't have System Preferences like your Mac might. Or does it? :-)

What you need to do is go to Settings on your iPad. Once you tap on that, look on the left side for "General", because that's where the Bluetooth settings can be found:

Tap on it and notice that part way down the first screen is "Bluetooth":

If you're like me, you probably have that set to "off" because you aren't yet using a bluetooth device. You need to turn it on (obviously!) so tap on it.

ipad bluetooth keyboard device searching

Okay, once you turn on bluetooth it'll start searching for devices. At this point, push the button on the right top corner of the keyboard. A tiny green light will come on for a second or two to indicate it's been seen. Give it a few seconds -- or more -- and you should see this:

ipad bluetooth keyboard not paired or named

My keyboard already has a name because of when I paired it with my Mac Mini a few days ago, so it pops up as "taylor keyboard", as you can see here:

A few more seconds and a window pops up asking you to type in a confirmation code so that the iPad and the keyboard know they're supposed to pair up:

Do that and once you press Return it should instantly switch to being paired:

Nice! Now you're good to go. If you ever want to unpair it, then tap on the keyboard in the Bluetooth screen in settings, then you'll see:

Oh, and one tip. When you're using the wireless bluetooth keyboard with your iPad, if you want the on-screen keyboard to show up too, just push the "eject" button on the physical keyboard. Done with it? Push that button again. Easy!

Glad I could help out. Now, if you're looking for more iPad help, you've found the right place, and if there are iPad questions that I haven't fielded, please don't hesitate to ask me!

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Comments

Remember that while the Bluetooth keyboard is in range and paired it will have control so the iPad keypad won't appear in situations when you normally expect it would.

Turn the bluetooth keyboard off when not need to return control back to the iPad keyboard.

Posted by: Robert Somerville at April 24, 2010 6:54 PM

Things must get interesting when you're using the keyboard within range of both the Mac Mini AND the iPad :-)

Posted by: Steve Stroh at April 25, 2010 10:23 AM

If only there was some product that offered all the features of the iPad and had a real physical keyboard built in. Now THAT would be the product for me!

Posted by: Dan at April 25, 2010 1:05 PM

... and if only I could leave the keyboard at home when I didn't need to create content but was just interested in consuming it, like on an airplane or otherwise in transit... :-)

Posted by: Dave Taylor at April 25, 2010 9:31 PM

Considering the awkwardness of the setup, is it just the ability to use the iPad as a color Kindle that makes it worth getting over or in addition to a laptop?

Posted by: shambhu at April 26, 2010 7:17 AM

Thanks. Was able to pair my keyboard and iPad.

Have you figured out a way to allow the keyboard to send the shortcut key strokes on say Google Reader. J and K etc work better than the two finger scroll on the iPad.

Or can the keyboard only be used where the on screen keyboard would pop up?

Posted by: Marty at April 27, 2010 11:06 AM

Touche :-)

Posted by: Dan at May 1, 2010 7:18 PM

Hi, thanks for your tip on the keyboard pairing, really helped.

The only thing: I can't find the "Eject" key on the physical wireless Apple keyboard. Where is it?

(So that the onscreen keyboard can work at the same time as when the iPad is paired with the physical keyboard...

Thanks alot

Posted by: Jack at June 9, 2010 5:50 AM

Jack, the eject key is the top right key on the wireless keyboard. Has a little triangle graphic on it.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at June 9, 2010 6:27 AM

Just a head's up that the original 2003 apple wireless bluetooth keyboard (A1016) won't pair with the ipad. Not supported. It won't do it, so don't waste your time. It will get close enough to tease you and make you think you can figure it out.
As for an iPad as a "Color Kindle" ...ah, no. This thing is amazing, try one for a week and you'll find that your laptop sits unused for long stretches of time.

Posted by: foss at July 8, 2010 11:51 AM

My wireless keyboard has worked for weeks with my iPad and now it just keeps searching, searching, searching for the connection. It never comes up with the code to enter. I tried new batteries, but that didn't work. Any ideas?

Posted by: Lynne at July 12, 2010 8:28 AM

I'm having the same problem as Lynne, July 12.

Cheers,

Andy Shaw
Freeelance writer

Posted by: Andy Shaw at July 20, 2010 3:45 AM

Thank you so much for a very clear, helpful blog post. Very nicely done. The combination of the iPad and wireless keyboard is a huge productivity boost. Not sure what took me so long to get the keyboard. Anyway, thanks again.

Posted by: Patrick DiDomenico at August 29, 2010 3:44 PM

I discovered an awesome laser projection keyboard that works with Android Phones. It is manufactured by Celluon and is called the CL850. The CL850 Bluetooth Keyboard driver is available on the Android Market for download just in time for the holidays.

Posted by: Jeffrey Austin White at December 4, 2010 7:24 PM

this is the first thing I've typed on my new keypad. Thought I'd thank you first thing.

I'm always nervious when setting up new Apple products. It's a real bone of contention for me that they don't include a manual - not even a single sheet of set up instructions. I don't care what their excuse is, it's just arrogance. I buy Apple because I love the beautiful simplicity of it, but that simplicty evaporates when I open the box and try to figure out how to get the thing running.

Thank you for writing instructions that bring that simple beauty back.

Posted by: Laurel at January 23, 2011 6:30 PM

I just bought the keyboard from Brookstore and mine just keeps searching devices. Nothing is coming up. Now what?

Lynn S

Posted by: Lynn at January 26, 2011 12:52 PM

I've got exactly the same problem as Lynn - found this by searching for keyboard pairing ipad.

Posted by: Vince Samios at January 28, 2011 9:28 AM

Dear Dave, I have successfully paired my wireless bluetooth keyboard with my IPad. However I have a problem. Whenever I type a bit more quickly it seems to get into trouble. It ceases typing for a time and I have to wait till I can type again - but then the problem repeats. OR a letter may begin to type repeatedly and without control, till the end of the line. OR the digital keyboard appears all of a sudden.
Could it be a problem of poor bluetooth transmission? Or of simple physical desequillibrium? (I use the Apple case - but then I tried all positions and the problem persists).
Thanks if you can help me,
Claudio Lins

Posted by: Claudio Lins at February 18, 2011 11:27 AM

I have the latest Aluminium Wireless Apple Keyboard, an ipad and a Macbook. I have successfully paired the keyboard with the ipad, but I haven't been able to pair it with my Macbook. Is it possible to pair it to both? If so, what do I have to do? Any help would be much appreciated

Posted by: Scrimshaw at March 7, 2011 7:41 PM

I have an iPad and am having a hard time pairing me ZAGG mate keyboard with it. It just keeps searching. Help

Posted by: Lorrie at March 18, 2011 11:30 PM

I, too, say thanks for clear-cut directions. Pairing the keyboard with my iMac was pretty seamless, but the iPad proved problematic. I took iPad into different room and they finally paired up; it was the first time the green "on" light on the keyboard blinked continuously at me, so I knew something was working as it should. Your "wait a few seconds or more' was particularly helpful.

Posted by: Paula Buckner at June 17, 2011 6:46 PM

I already have a wireless keyboard for my iMac. Can I pair this one with my iPad too? In other words, can I pair one wireless keyboard with multiple devices?

Posted by: Mike at August 23, 2011 5:07 PM

Mike, you can but not simultaneously. You need to unpaid it from one device, then pair it with the other. Want to switch back, you'll have to go through the same procedure. If you think about it, this makes sense: otherwise when you push a key, which device is supposed to receive it?

Posted by: Dave Taylor at August 23, 2011 11:10 PM

Thanks Dave

Posted by: Mike at August 24, 2011 7:15 AM

Great, man!! I paired them in a blink! thanx!!

Posted by: Christopher at September 6, 2011 7:21 AM

Cannot get it to pair up. Have Bluetooth turned on in iPad have the bluetooth Apple keybaord. It sees it but then it won't pair up

Posted by: terri at October 3, 2011 6:28 PM

Hello,
I enjoy your site, but here is my problem: I just purchased a new wireless keyboard from Apple, and I have tried to pair my keyboard with my iPad by pushing the button in the upper right corner on the keyboard and making sure Bluetooth is "on". My iPad has been searching for over five minutes and my keyboard has not been found. Can you help?

Posted by: Jewel at December 9, 2011 2:01 PM

Hi There

Im so frustrated trying to pair my new wireless keyboard with my Ipad 2. It is one of those keyboards built into the case.

It sees the device and the keyboard shows up but as far as I can get it putting in the code and pressing enter and it then comes up sying it is unable to pair and to make sure the device is turned on and in range which it is! can you help?

Posted by: Hayley at January 31, 2012 3:26 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!