Seeking keyboard commands for bluetooth keyboard paired with an iDevice

By Kate from UK, 23 July, 2013

Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories
Is there a mini bluetooth keyboard user out there who could tell me keyboard commands please? I know quite a few, but picking up one at a time is laborious. is there a list anywhere, or would someone write one if they know lots of keyboard commands. I know mini keyboards may not have all the same keys as each other. I have control, command, option and function keys. I can double tap, read messages, move insertion point to beginning or end, change rotor values, go to home screen, turn on app switcher, turn on screen curtain, turn speech on or off, lock the screen, and maybe others I can't think of. I'd like to know how to delete apps from app switcher, how to move icons on the screen, how to change the name of a folder, how to go to the first or last button on the screen, if in a list of texts from someone I have to arrow through them all or use the iphone screen to get me to where I can type. There are many occasions where I can't talk to the phone, and I'd like to be able to do as much with a keyboard and a bluetooth headset as possible. Thanks, and anything else you can tell me is useful, I may not know I need to know it yet! Kate. x

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By Esther on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 23:20

Hi Kate,

Here's a link to Ricardo Walker's podcast on the Bear Motion mini Bluetooth keyboard:

http://www.appletothecore.info/2012/01/pairing-bear-motion-bluetooth-keyboard.html

I'll also give you a link to my Mac-access list post:

• ThinkGeek TK-421 review:

http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/2010/006829.html

That post details more keyboard combinations than were outlined in Ricardo's podcast, though you'll get all the most used shortcuts in his podcast. Use the current address of the podcast, not the one in my post.  All these files date from over 2 and a half years ago.

By Soupy on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 23:20

Here's a list of keyboard commands that coincidentally landed in my inbox this evening: General navigation Keys + Action VO + left or right Select previous or next item VO + up or down Preforms or move to the selected rotor option VO + Space Activate the selected item. (open app, press button) VO + H Go to home screen VO + H 2 times Open/close multitask pane Escape Go back, cancel, close pop-up Cmd + Tab Switch to next app or hold Shift for previous VO + A Read all from first object in selected area VO + B Read all from selected item VO + M Move to status bar VO + I Open Item Chooser for current area VO + F Search and go to match with Enter VO + G Next search match, hold Shift for previous Handling VoiceOver Control Pause/resume speech VO + S Toggle speech off/on VO + Shift + S Toggle Screen Curtain on/off VO + Cmd + up or down Adjust the selected speech rotor option VO + Cmd + left or right Change the speech rotor setting VO + / Add label to selected item VO + K Start VoiceOver training, Escape to exit Quick Nav Commands Turn on "Quick Nav" to use these commands by pressing left + right up + down Activate the selected item. (open app, press button) left or right Selects the previous or next item up or down Preforms or move to the selected rotor option up + left or right Change to next or previous rotor setting Option + left or right Move to next or previous horizontal screen/page Option + up or down Move/scroll up or down the screen/page Control + up or down Select the first or last item in the area Control + left or right Go to next or previous container/area Safari Web Shortcuts Hold Shift for previous H Next heading 1 to 6 Next respective heading level 1–6 L Next link S Next text element W Next landmark R Next text field X Next list T Next table M Next element of same type I Next image B Next button C Next form element Text Field Commands You must have "Quick Nav" off to use these commands. When moving cursor, hold Shift to select/deselect text left or right Move cursor by character up or down Move cursor by row Option+ left or right Move cursor by word Control or Cmd + left or right Move cursor by phrase Cmd + A Select all Cmd + C Copy selection Cmd + X Cut selection Cmd + V Paste Cmd + Z Undo. Note: you can also shake the device Cmd + Shift + Z Redo. Note: you can also shake the device Eject Show/hide screen keyboard Other Keyboard Action VO + - Preforms special action Cmd + Space Change language keyboard layout F1 Decrease screen brightness F2 Increase screen brightness F7 Previous song F8 Pause/resume song F9 Next song F10 Mute sound F11 Decrease volume F12 Increase volume

By the grumpy apple on Friday, August 23, 2013 - 23:20

hello. i was looking at the list of keyboard commands and i found something that conserns me.a command to mute the sound on the phone. if the sound is accidentally muted, can i get it aback. i am using my friend's keyboard, and i am thinking of getting my own. any help with this will be greatly appreciated. also, does this command mute voice over as well? thanks.

Katie, You will have no trouble unmuting the phone. The F10 command is a toggle so if you unintentionally mute the device just tap F10 again and speech and sound will come back. Hope this helps.

By DPinWI on Saturday, July 23, 2016 - 23:20

I just purchased a bluetooth keyboard. Its primary use is with a laptop running Windows, but I'd also like to use it with my phone, iPod, iPad and maybe Apple TV.

I read about key combinations with VO. What is that key combination on a standard keyboard? Or, is it an Apple only key?
What is the command key?

Thanks.

By tunmi13 on Saturday, July 23, 2016 - 23:20

If you don't have a bt keyboard but have another keyboard that connects to iDevices, ALTOGETHER is COMMAND, WINDOWS is OPTION, etc.
As for the commands for the bt keyboard, pressing the COMMAND key will pop up some keyboard hints to look at. You can scroll through them using the up and down arrows.

By Jake on Saturday, July 23, 2016 - 23:20

Hi there. On a standard keyboard, option is alt and command is the Windows key. The only things different about these keys on a standard vs Apple keyboard is their location and printed label. The key information generated is identical, and runs both ways. So, ctrl-option is ctrl-alt. If you needed to use an Apple keyboard with Windows, this works the other way around as well. To press alt-f, for example, press option-f.