Connect a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad to your iPad

: June 7, 2024
: Apple

Table of Contents

Connect a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad to your iPad

Connect a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad to your iPad

Learn how to pair your iPad with a wireless mouse or trackpad.

Before you begin

Connecting a Bluetooth accessory to your iPad requires iPadOS 13.4 or later. These iPad models support iPadOS 13 and later:

iPad Pro (all models)
iPad Air 2 or later
iPad (5th generation) or later
iPad mini 4 or later

Learn how to identify your iPad and update your software.

How to connect a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad to your iPad

Turn on your Bluetooth accessory and place it near your iPad.
Make sure that your accessory is in pairing or discovery mode.
- Apple Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad should be ready to pair at this point.
- If you’re pairing a third-party accessory that you’ve used with another device, follow the pairing-mode steps from its manufacturer.
Open the Settings app on your iPad.
Tap Bluetooth.
Look under Other Devices for your Bluetooth accessory, then tap its name to pair it with your iPad.

Depending on the accessory that you’re connecting, you might need to take extra steps. Follow any onscreen instructions that appear. If you’re pairing with Apple Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad and you’re asked to provide a code, use 0000 (four zeros).

If you’re having trouble connecting your accessory, try these tips.

iPadOS doesn’t support scrolling or other gestures with Apple Magic Mouse (1st generation) or Magic Trackpad (1st generation).

If you see a connectivity alert

When using a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad with your iPad, you might see an alert that says “Using this accessory may affect Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.”

Wireless interference can happen when you use a Bluetooth accessory with some iPad models. The more Bluetooth accessories that are connected to your iPad and active, the more likely you are to experience wireless performance issues.

If this happens, and you have connectivity issues, try disconnecting any Bluetooth accessories that you’re not using. In Settings > Bluetooth, tap the information button next to the accessory’s name, then tap Disconnect.

Reconnect, disconnect, or forget the Bluetooth accessory

After it pairs with your iPad for the first time, your accessory appears under My Devices in Settings > Bluetooth. Tap your accessory’s name to reconnect it to your iPad when it’s not connected.

To disconnect the accessory or have your iPad forget the accessory, tap the information button next to its name.

Learn more

Using a wireless accessory with your iPad is similar to using one with a desktop or notebook computer. But there are some features that make the experience unique to iPad. Learn how to use a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad with your iPad.
You can see the battery percentage of your connected Bluetooth mouse or trackpad in the Batteries widget. Learn how to add widgets in the Today View on your iPad.
Don’t see the onscreen keyboard when you have a trackpad or mouse connected? Tap the keyboard button in the lower-right corner of the screen. In the menu that appears, tap the show keyboard button . To hide the software keyboard, tap the dismiss button .

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Published Date: September 16, 2020