How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard

To connect a Magic Keyboard to your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, enable Bluetooth and then press the power button on the keyboard. Once the devices pair, the keyboard will be ready to use. Turn on the Magic Keyboard. The power button is...
Method 1 of 3:

Using the Magic Keyboard with an iPhone or iPad

  1. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 1How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 1
    Turn on the Magic Keyboard. The power button is on the back edge of the keyboard on the left side. When you press it, the green light will turn on.[1]
    1. The Magic Keyboard has an internal battery that must be charged. If the keyboard doesn't turn on, use the Lightning-to-USB cable to charge it now.
  2. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 2How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 2
    Open Settings on your iPad or iPhone.
  3. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 3How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 3
    Tap Bluetooth.
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    Make sure the Bluetooth switch is on. When Bluetooth is turned on, your phone or tablet will scan for Bluetooth devices and display the results.
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    Tap Magic Keyboard. The keyboard is now connected and ready to use.
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    Swipe down from the top of the screen. The Notification Center will appear.[2]
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    Scroll to the Batteries section. The battery charge level for the Magic Keyboard is listed next to 'Bluetooth UPS.'
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    Open an app you use often.
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    Press and hold a modifier key. This will show all shortcuts in the app that use this key. Try it with the following keys:
    1. Shift
    2. Option
    3. Command
    4. Control
  10. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 10How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 10
    Use Command and Tab to switch between apps. Here's how:[3]
    1. Press and hold Command and Tab together.
    2. Continue holding Command as you tap the Tab .
    3. Each time you tap Tab , the device will cycle through open apps.
  11. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 11How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 11
    Press and hold the keyboard power button. This will turn off the keyboard. Though the keyboard goes into sleep mode on its own, you'll probably want to turn it off if you won't be using it for a while.
Method 2 of 3:

Using the Magic Keyboard with a Mac

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    Enable Bluetooth on your Mac.[4]
    1. Click the Apple menu.
    2. Click System Preferences.
    3. Click Bluetooth.
    4. Make sure 'Show Bluetooth in menu bar' is checked.
    5. If you see 'Bluetooth: On' beneath the blue Bluetooth symbol on the right, no change is necessary. Otherwise, click Turn Bluetooth On.
  2. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 13How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 13
    Plug the Lightning end of the cable into the keyboard. This is the smaller end of the Lightning-to-USB cable that came with your keyboard. The port is on the back edge of the keyboard near the center.[5]
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    Plug the USB end into the Mac. You'll find the USB port on the front or side of your notebook, or the back of a monitor.[6]
  4. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 15How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 15
    Press the power button on the keyboard. It's on the back of the keyboard on the left side. The devices will pair.
    1. A pop-up window will appear once the pair is successful.[7]
  5. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 16How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 16
    Click Done. The keyboard is now ready to use.
  6. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 17How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 17
    Try some keyboard shortcuts. macOS has many keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate the operating system:[8]
    1. Command+Q: Quits an app.
    2. Command+T: Opens a new tab in your web browser.
    3. Command+Tab : Switches between apps.
    4. Command+ Option+H: Hides all open apps.
    5. Command+C: Copies selected data.
    6. Command+V: Pastes selected data.
    7. Command+spacebar: Opens Spotlight.
    8. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 for a list of all macOS keyboard shortcuts.
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    Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar. It's at the top right area of the screen and looks like a bowtie flipped on its side.
  8. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 19How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 19
    Hover the mouse over 'Magic Keyboard'. Now you'll see the keyboard's current battery level. Leave the cable connected until the charge reaches 100%.
    1. The battery should last about a month on a single charge.[9]
  9. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 20How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 20
    Press and hold the keyboard power button. This will turn off the Magic Keyboard.
    1. If you don't turn the keyboard off when you're not using it, it'll eventually go into low-power mode to preserve its battery charge.
    2. Turning it back on will automatically pair it the Bluetooth-enabled iOS device.
Method 3 of 3:

Using the Magic Keyboard with Apple TV

  1. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 21How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 21
    Turn on your Apple TV. If you have a 4th generation Apple TV, you can pair it with your Magic Keyboard to make it easier to find things to watch.
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    Update to the latest version of tvOS. To use a Magic Keyboard with Apple TV (4th generation), you'll need to have tvOS 9.2 or later. Follow these steps using your Apple TV remote:[10]
    1. Open Settings
    2. Select System
    3. Select Software Updates
    4. Select Update Software
    5. If an update is available, select it to start the update. Otherwise, return to the home screen.
  3. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 23How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 23
    Press the power button on the keyboard. It's on the back on the left. When you press it, the green LED will illuminate.[11]
    1. The Magic Keyboard has an internal battery that must be charged. If the keyboard doesn't turn on, use the Lightning-to-USB cable to charge it now.
  4. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 24How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 24
    Open Settings on the Apple TV.
  5. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 25How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 25
    Select Remotes and Devices.
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    Select Bluetooth. The Apple TV will scan for available Bluetooth devices and list them in the results.
  7. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 27How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 27
    Select your keyboard from the results. The Magic Keyboard should pair instantly.
    1. You will also notice a battery gauge next to the keyboard. This shows how much charge is left in the keyboard. Be sure to charge the keyboard when this gauge is low.
  8. How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 28How to Use the Apple Magic Keyboard Picture 28
    Use Apple TV keyboard shortcuts. Now that your keyboard is all set up, you can use these keyboard commands while you watch or listen to content:[12]
    1. F3: Switch between apps
    2. F4: Go to the Home screen
    3. F7: Rewind
    4. F9: Fast forward
    5. F8 or spacebar: Pause/play
    6. F11: Decrease volume
    7. F12: Increase volume
    8. Use to navigate.
    9. Press Return to select.
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    Press and hold the keyboard power button. This will turn off the Magic Keyboard.
    1. If you don't turn the keyboard off when you're not using it, it'll eventually go into low-power mode to preserve its battery charge.
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