Use your Mac as a Bluetooth Keyboard

KeyPad is a Mac app that lets you use your Mac keyboard and trackpad as a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. You can use it to type text messages on your phone, type to siri, control your TV…anything that you can do with a combination of a keyboard and mouse.

Why buy bluetooth keyboards when you can just use your Mac keyboard (and mouse/trackad) with all your devices. A new bluetooth keyboard and mouse will cost you at-least $35. That is for One Keyboard and mouse. Keypad lets you connect to as many devices as you like; its like having 20 keyboards handy, one for each of your devices.

Keypad is free for one phone/tv/tablet/computer. To use it with more than one device, or to use the Mouse feature requires In-App Purchase (for Multi-device).

What our users are using KeyPad for:

• A Digital KVM – Use your Mac keyboard and mouse to control all your other computers
• Privacy – Keep your private messages and texts on the phone, and still use a full keyboard
• iPad Keyboard – Want to decide if you really want to buy a $250 keyboard for the iPad, try KeyPad first; its free
• A remote control for the Apple TV, and any Smart TV
• Reduce desk clutter – You really only need one keyboard
• Developers – Developing iPhone/iPad apps, try out how it works with a keyboard
• Anybody who truly hates using their thumbs to type messages

In the words of Andy Ihnatko of MacBreak Weekly “A really great app that I didn’t know I was looking for.”

Sadly, nobody goes to the App Store looking for a Keyboard. So users have not heard about us yet. If you are reading this, you can help me. Please help me get the word out.

A Better keyboard:

• Connect to as many devices as you like (Phones, Tablets, TVs)
• Not just a keyboard, a combination mouse, keyboard and media remote
• Always available, with a hotkey for each device, or just select it from the toolbar menu

See our video on how to set up and use KeyPad. https://bluetooth-keyboard.com/setup/

Device support

KeyPad has been shipping from January 2020. Our users have tested it with a lot of devices; Phones, TV’s, iPads, Linux Computers, other Macs, TV Boxes, Apple TV, See more details about the verified devices.

Want to Type to Alexa, Google Home, Home Pod…do me a favor and ask Apple, Google, Amazon to add keyboard support to their smart speakers. KeyPad can help you with those times that speech is not working well, but you want alexa and other smart speakers to do something! While you are at it, tell google to fix YouTube; Youtube on the Apple TV has stopped working with any keyboard from April 2020.

Language Support

KeyPad is being used in over 100 countries (I get goosebumps when I think about it). Some users have requested language support; but KeyPad doesn’t care about the language you use. Select the correct language on the phone, iPad that you want to control, and it works, I have tested with U.K English, French, German, Norwegian, Please let me know if you think differently.

Additionally…

I am always listening for feature requests. If there are any suggestions that you have for KeyPad let me know, and I will implement it. Keep the suggestions coming, it will help me make KeyPad better. Send me email at tools@toolbunch.com if you face any issues or have any suggestions. You can also send me feedback anonymously on my support page.

EricPardee.com – A really nice mention of KeyPad – Thank You!!!

https://www.ericpardee.com/macos-monterey-today/

Mentioned as pick of the week!

10 less known macOS apps you will legitimately want to use every day

https://medium.com/macoclock/10-less-known-macos-apps-you-will-legitimately-want-to-use-every-day-816bf6dde603

KeyPad reviewed in AppleGlitz

https://appleglitz.com/portuguese/revisao-keypad-use-o-teclado-do-mac-para-digitar-no-ipad-ou-iphone/

MacBreak Weekly – This Week in Tech

KeyPad is Pick of the Week in MacBreak Weekly.

https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly/episodes/758?autostart=false

Thank you Andy Ihnatko and Leo Laporte for such an awesome review. Your energy has put KeyPad on the Map!

KeyPad featured in Top 25 Mac Apps of 2021

KeyPad reviewed on Softpedia

Thank you for this awesome review SOFTPEDIA!

See the full review at: https://mac.softpedia.com/get/Word-Processing/KeyPad.shtml

“Over the years, I’ve encountered people who are so proficient with touchscreen keyboards that typing on their phones barely slows them down. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. I dread having to use a touchscreen for typing, and I always wish I could just plug in a keyboard and get it done the old-fashioned way.

Of course, you can just get a Bluetooth keyboard, but what if you want to use a wired device, or one that is currently paired with your Mac? Well, it’s a good thing you asked, because KeyPad lets you do just that.”

Catalin Chelariu

KeyPad Reviewed on iPhoneJD.com.

“KeyPad is a great little app, and the magic that it provides is easily worth the $3 price.”

Thank you for the awesome review Jeff Richardson

https://www.iphonejd.com/iphone_jd/2021/04/review-keypad.html

Keypad review on YouTube – Thanks you Alec

KeyPad reviewed on NotNerd.com

https://www.notnerd.com/episode-277-a-ton-load-of-money/

Keypad mentioned

Getting a lot of users from China. Thank you for the review on macfans: https://www.macfans.com/app/102060

One user wrote a very detailed manual in Chinese on how to setup KeyPad. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/330685604

Getting some traction in korea! https://pcmac.download/kr/category/12019/utility

One user wrote an article on how he used KeyPad to automate gestures on iOS
devices https://guanzhang.medium.com/setting-up-gesture-macros-on-ios-using-macos-for-mobile-games-4891b1920275

https://www.macfans.com/app/102060

KeyPad reviewed on French site maxiapple.com

French article on KeyPad: https://gratuitpourpc.com/1491684442/keypad-bluetooth-keyboard

macupdater.net has listed KeyPad on their site, and are directing people to download our app. https://www.macupdater.net/app_updates/appinfo/com.toolbunch.KeyPad/index.html

AppAgg.com an Application Aggregator has listed KeyPad on their site. https://appagg.com/macos/utilities/keypad-bluetooth-keyboard-34098762.html?hl=en

Mentioned on russian site: https://macoshub.ru/mac/keypad-keyboard-and-mouse/

Using keypad with a screenshare application: https://riedel.wtf/keypad-x-quickscreen/

With MacOS 12.4 you can no longer create a new connection to most devices. I have a fix in place that will work for SmartPhones, do try it out and let me know. If that works well I will work out connecting to other devices.

KeyPad does not work in Ventura. It will work with Sonoma, but the setup video here is not correct. You need to initiate the bluetooth connection to the Phone from the Mac Bluetooth settings. After pairing the Mac will disconnect, but it will work from KeyPad. I will be updating this page with new setup instructions soon.

I respond to all emails and support request. If you are facing any issue, please reach out (tools@toolbunch.com). If you like KeyPad please help me get the word out.

UPDATE: Apple TV does not connect with KeyPad on MacOS Monterey. It continues to work with Big Sur, Catalina and earlier releases. This is a bug in MacOS Monterey.

How to setup KeyPad

KeyPad works like any other physical bluetooth keyboard. The connection needs to be initiated from the device that you want to control. You may need to refer your device documentation for instructions on connecting a bluetooth keyboard. Please do not hesitate to send me email if you have any issues. My email is tools@toolbunch.com

Make KeyPad discoverable to your device

You will get a list of devices that are discoverable on the mac, Please ignore this window, you must initiate the connection from the Device you want to control. This window is the only way to make the Mac discoverable on the device.

Connect KeyPad to your Phone, TV or Tablet

Please refer to your device instruction on how to connect to a keyboard. These instructions vary from device to device. The example here shows what works on the iPhone.

To connect, click on the bluetooth name of your Mac in the device bluetooth settings.

Accepting the connection on the Mac

This popup message varies from device to device. You may need to accept the confirmation message on your device too.

If you do not see this connect dialog, there is some other issue. (please see our support page)

Completing the connection

Please wait for this screen. If it does not show up the setup is not yet complete.

KeyPad setup is complete

Once it is setup any key you type will go to the connected device. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself on how the device is responding to keypad. Not all buttons work on all devices (for example Volume buttons work on a phone, ipad, but not on an Apple TV).

Click on any other window, or press command tab to close the KeyPad window.

Launching KeyPad when you need it next

You can setup additional devices, and their hotkeys in the preferences screen. Go to the toolbar menu and click preferences.

Sometimes the toolbar icon gets hidden behind the menu. If this happens, move to another application (like finder) to make the toolbar visible, and while pressing the command key on your keyboard drag the KeyPad Icon to a better location on the toolbar.

Let me know what you think of KeyPad. Especially if you have any issues.