This Mac tip is provided by Mark Greentree and was originally posted on Mark’s blog – Everyday Mac Support. For more of Mark’s tips visit his site, follow him on Twitter, or browse his archive of posts here.
How to: Use The Bluetooth Keyboard Plus The On Screen Keyboard
Did you know when using an Apple Bluetooth wireless keyboard, with your iOS device, you can also have the onscreen keyboard displayed?
By default, the onscreen keyboard will not display when using a connected Bluetooth keyboard. Whilst this allows for maximum screen real estate, it does limit the ability to quickly pickup the iOS device and input keyboard related data.
If you press the Eject button on your Bluetooth keyboard, the onscreen keyboard will appear. Pressing it a second time will make it disappear.
Once both keyboard options are available you can continue adding text to a document, without a physical keyboard, whilst having a coffee break for example. You can use various apps, and the keyboard will appear when text entry is requested. You can also hide the onscreen keyboard by tapping the retraction button located at the bottom right of the virtual keyboard. Although, when you do this the keyboard will not reappear until you press the Eject button on the physical keyboard again.
This is a perfect solution for anyone who doesn't wish to completely disconnect their Bluetooth keyboard from their iOS device.
It should be noted that the above tip applies to Apple's Bluetooth wireless keyboard. Other Bluetooth keyboards may perform differently.
