How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

Earlier this year, Apple announced the newest version of the iPad Pro. With it came several new features, such as LiDAR and Pro Cameras, but the new iPad Pro Magic Keyboard overshadowed many of these features. The keyboard features a floating hinge and a minimalist frame that looks great on camera and at the Apple store. But is it really "magic"?

In this article, we'll cover the good and bad of the latest iPad Pro accessory and offer some alternatives for those who want a little more bang for their buck.

How to get the most out of the Apple Magic Keyboard

Starting at $299 (and going up to $349), the Magic Keyboard is no small investment. As such, it's vital that you get the most out of all of its features, especially if you consider yourself a power user. Below are four tips for how to use the iPad Magic Keyboard.

Pass-through Charging

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

At the base of the Magic Keyboard is an additional USB-C port that supports pass-through charging. This allows you to charge your iPad Pro through the Magic Keyboard while also plugging accessories into the iPad Pro. While mostly confined to iPadOS, the USB-C port is still handy, even though you can only really transfer data from the Files app.

When you're using the Magic Keyboard, you'll always have at least one port available for connecting an accessory.

Replace Gestures with Keyboard Shortcuts

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

Another handy feature of the Magic Keyboard is being able to replace standard iPad gestures with keyboard shortcuts.

If you're moving to the iPad from a PC or Mac, you are likely to substitute gestures with keyboard shortcuts pretty regularly. With the Magic Keyboard, you can replace the standard iPad gestures with keyboard shortcuts, allowing you to use your iPad without ever having to touch the screen.

To enable this feature, open the Settings app, go to Accessibility, Keyboards, and turn on Full Keyboard Access. You can turn on Full Keyboard Access and tap Commands to view all of the commands you can access. You can even modify the existing commands by making your own shortcuts.

Change Your Cursor Settings

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

In iPadOS 13.4, Apple added trackpad and mouse support to the iPad, which has been on many people's wish lists for a long time. However, using a cursor on the iPad isn't quite the same as on a desktop or laptop computer. The cursor is just a circle that you use to hover over buttons, links, and apps that takes on the shape of whatever is beneath it.

You can customize this cursor to suit your preferences, such as changing the speed, turning tap-to-click on or off, and turning two-finger right-click on or off. You can find these settings by going to Settings, General, and Trackpad or Trackpad & Mouse after connecting one of these accessories.

Bring Back the Escape Key

Anyone who has experienced the MacBook Pro Touch Bar knows just how essential the Escape Key is. It's useful in a variety of apps for deselecting, leaving fullscreen, and returning to the Home screen.

Here's how to add the Escape Key to the Magic Keyboard: connect your Magic Keyboard to your iPad Pro. Open Settings, tap General, Keyboards, then Hardware Keyboard, and finally Modifier Keys.

In the Modifier Keys section, you'll have the option to alter a few different keys such as the Command key, Option key, Control key, and Caps Lock key. The physical button itself won't change, but you can change what it does when you press it, including mapping them to the Escape Key.

The Magic Keyboard is Just Not 'Magic' Enough

Despite all of these positive qualities, the keyboard has missed the mark.

It's Heavy

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

This may come as a shock to non-Magic-Keyboard owners, but the Magic Keyboard is heavier than the iPad Pro itself. When the 12.9-in Pad Pro and Magic Keyboard are combined, they weigh more than a MacBook Air and is thicker, too. So, don’t put on any unnecessary weight. If you want to add more accessories, choose something light.

Unless you have a stable surface to work on, like a desk or table, the Magic Keyboard makes it more challenging to use your iPad Pro.

It Doesn't Protect Your Device

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

It seems as though in Apple's goal of making the Magic Keyboard as laptop-esque as possible, they neglected to consider the need for a "case" entirely. The Magic Keyboard provides little to no protection for the iPad Pro, aside from keeping your screen free of scratches while the case is closed. You could even see how the Magic Keyboard might put your iPad Pro at a higher risk. The irregular weight balance makes it easy to tip over, sending your iPad tumbling to the ground. Although laptops are also portable, they're certainly not exposed to the same kind of abuse that an iPad is, which doesn't seem to be addressed in the Magic Keyboard's design.

The keyboard does protect the back of the iPad Pro. But when you want to travel light, you definitely don’t want to take it with you. However, using the iPad Pro naked is not an option either. That’s why a protective case is important.

How to Choose the Right iPad Pro Protective Case

To maximize the Magic Keyboard's potential and to keep your iPad Pro safe, it's essential to pair the Magic Keyboard with a compatible protective case.

Compatible with the Magic Keyboard

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

The iPad Pro attaches to the Magic Keyboard using magnets, which can easily be weakened or made useless with the wrong protective case. You should be able to keep the case on the iPad Pro even when using the Magic Keyboard. When you want to travel light, you can detach the iPad Pro with the case from the Magic Keyboard.

Protective & Stylish

How to turn off Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

It's also important that a protective case for the iPad Pro actually protects your device, with or without the Magic Keyboard. It's easy to end up with a case that is all looks with no actual protection. The iPad Pro is a sleek, elegant device, and arguably one of the most stylish devices Apple has released in a while, so looks aren't to be ignored.

Magic Keyboard Compatible iPad Pro Case

When weighing all of these factors together, it's clear that there's only one option for the dedicated iPad Pro user: the MagEZ Case 2 for iPad Pro. Its design perfectly matches your device, making it an ideal iPad Pro protective case.

Like all of our MagEZ cases, it contains magnets that allow you to use it with your Magic Keyboard without any difficulty. The MagEZ Case for iPad Pro is made from our signature aramid fiber, one of the most protective materials on Earth, used in spaceships and bulletproof vests.

Conclusion

The Magic Keyboard is the best to date, marking a turning point in the iPad's journey towards becoming a standalone computer. Still, it's not perfect, which is why pairing it with a protective solution like the MagEZ Case for iPad Pro will help you get the most out of your keyboard and iPad.

  • The Touch ID feature does not work with iPads, only M1 Macs.
  • You can connect a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to any iPad or iPad Pro.
  • To connect: Turn the keyboard on, then open Settings > Bluetooth > Magic Keyboard.

This article explains how to connect the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to an iPad or iPad Pro.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is an update of the original Magic Keyboard that’s pretty similar to the original, except it has a Touch ID button. This keyboard originally shipped with the first M1 iMac, but it’s fully compatible with all M1 Macs and can also connect to your iPad, iPad Air, or iPad Pro.

While the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is compatible with iPads, the Touch ID feature only works with M1 Macs. This feature does not work with any iPad, including the M1 iPad Pro. The keyboard itself connects and works in other respects, but it is not compatible with the Touch ID feature on iPads and does not add the Touch ID feature to the M1 iPad Pro that has no built-in fingerprint sensor.

Here’s how to connect a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to an iPad:

  1. Turn on your Magic Keyboard by flipping the power switch.

  2. Open Settings on your iPad, and tap Bluetooth.

  3. Tap Magic Keyboard in the OTHER DEVICES section.

    If Bluetooth is off, tap the toggle and wait for your iPad to discover the keyboard.

  4. When the Magic Keyboard moves to the MY DEVICES section, it’s ready to use.

You can use your Magic Keyboard with multiple devices by manually pairing each time you want to switch, or by first pairing to your iPad, and then plugging it into your Mac with a Lightning cable. It will automatically connect to your Mac, and you can then unplug the cable. If you turn off Bluetooth on your iPad, you can avoid any potential conflicts from using this trick to use a Magic keyboard with multiple devices without manually pairing each time.

To turn off Bluetooth, just follow steps 2-3 from the previous section, and tap the Bluetooth toggle. That will temporarily turn off Bluetooth and disconnect the keyboard. When you turn Bluetooth back on later, the keyboard and any other Bluetooth devices will automatically connect.

If you want a more permanent disconnection, you can have the iPad forget your keyboard. The keyboard will no longer connect to your iPad, and you will have to reconnect it using the process described in the previous section if you want to use the keyboard and iPad together again in the future.

Here’s how to disconnect a Magic Keyboard from an iPad:

  1. Open Settings, and tap Bluetooth.

  2. Tap the info (i) icon that’s located to the right of the Magic Keyboard entry in the MY DEVICES section.

  3. Tap Forget This Device.

    If you select Disconnect, the keyboard will only disconnect temporarily. It will reconnect automatically later.

  4. Tap Forget Device.

  5. When your Magic Keyboard appears in the OTHER DEVICES section, it’s no longer paired to your iPad. To use them together in the future, repeat the connection process described above.

The Touch ID feature of the Magic Keyboard is only designed to work with M1 Macs. That means you can use it with an M1 iMac, Mac mini, or Macbook Air, and use the fingerprint sensor to log in, pay for things through Apple Pay, and other related features.

When the keyboard is connected to any other device, the Touch ID button is not enabled. That means it can’t provide input to the Touch ID feature on any iPad that has a built-in fingerprint sensor, and it doesn’t add Touch ID to the M1 iPad Pro that doesn’t have any fingerprint sensor at all.

While the M1 iPad Pro doesn’t support Touch ID, even if the Magic Keyboard is connected, the iPad Pro does include the faster and more secure Face ID.

FAQ

  • Why am I unable to pair my Magic Keyboard to my iPad?

    If you set up the keyboard with another device, you will first have to unpair the Magic Keyboard to pair it with your iPad. If the issue is connectivity, other fixes for iPad Bluetooth issues including ensuring Bluetooth is on and restarting both devices. Also, check that your iPad is current with the latest software from Settings > General > Software Update.

  • How do I connect a Magic Keyboard to a Mac?

    To connect a Magic Keyboard to a Mac, start by plugging in the keyboard to your MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, or MacBook Air with the provided USB to Lightning cable and toggling the keyboard on. Then enable Bluetooth on your Mac from the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar or System Preferences > Bluetooth. When the two devices pair, you will see the Magic Keyboard in the Bluetooth preferences window.

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