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iPad + Wireless Keyboard + Onscreen Keyboard?

Is there a way to tell the iPad to bring up the onscreen keyboard? The wireless keyboard connects and the onscreen keyboard disappears. I found that I can press the CD Eject button on the wireless keyboard to bring up the onscreen keyboard. What if the wireless keyboard isn't handy? Isn't there some way to bring up the onscreen keyboard from the iPad itself?

MacBook Pro 2.93ghz, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on May 3, 2010 6:49 PM

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5 replies

May 4, 2010 9:00 AM in response to bluesherpa

In case it helps anyone else, I found this in the manual:

Onscreen Keyboard Doesn’t Appear
If iPad is paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, or if it’s connected to the iPad Keyboard Dock, the onscreen keyboard does not appear. To cause the keyboard to appear, press the Keyboard key on the Keyboard Dock, or press the Eject key on a Bluetooth keyboard. Disconnecting the iPad Keyboard Dock, or moving the Bluetooth keyboard out of range or turning it off, will also allow the onscreen keyboard to appear.


My guess is that the bluetooth signal is reaching much further than you would expect, which explains why the onscreen keyboard won't display when the wireless keyboard and iPad are in different rooms or even separated by as much as 30 feet.

Update: This was confirmed... I ran a small test with one person at the iPad and another person walking around typing numbers on the wireless keyboard. Starting with 1,Return,2,Return,3,Return, etc. The keyboard and the iPad were literally 4 rooms (50+ feet) apart and still working together. It was pretty amazing.

May 16, 2011 10:39 AM in response to bluesherpa

bluesherpa wrote:


Any other options? I've been turning off bluetooth, but that requires leaving the whatever app I'm in, going to config, heading back to the app, finding the right spot, etc.


I agree it is inconvenient to switch to Settings and turn off bluetooth.


This sounds like a +1 on an enhancement request to have a means (perhaps a gesture swiping up) to bring up the on-screen keyboard and perhaps a virtual "eject" key is present to disconnect the BT keyboard!

iPad + Wireless Keyboard + Onscreen Keyboard?

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