This article is about the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID that was first available with the M1 iMac and can also be purchased separately. 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.
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. Tap the info (i) icon that’s located to the right of the Magic Keyboard entry in the MY DEVICES section.
When your Magic Keyboard appears in the OTHER DEVICES section, it’s no longer paired to your iPad. Why Doesn’t the Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature Work With iPads?
The Touch ID feature of the Magic Keyboard is only designed to work with M1 Macs. 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.
How to Connect a Magic Keyboard to Your iPad or iPad Pro
This article is about the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID that was first available with the M1 iMac and can also be purchased separately. 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. 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. Tap the info (i) icon that’s located to the right of the Magic Keyboard entry in the MY DEVICES section. When your Magic Keyboard appears in the OTHER DEVICES section, it’s no longer paired to your iPad. Why Doesn’t the Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature Work With iPads?
The Touch ID feature of the Magic Keyboard is only designed to work with M1 Macs. 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.
Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
The wireless Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad (shown below) have built-in features that make it easy to enter emoji, switch keyboard languages, lock your Mac Studio, and perform many system functions with the touch of a key. Slide the on/off switch on the back edge of the keyboard to turn it on (so green is visible) or off.
After that, whenever you’re asked for your password to unlock the screen or make purchases, you can use Touch ID.
For more information, see Use Touch ID on Mac in the macOS User Guide. Mission Control (F3): Press to view what’s running on your Mac, including all your spaces and open windows. Dictation/Siri (F5): Press to activate dictation—you can dictate text wherever you can type (for example, in Messages, Mail, Pages, and other apps).
Press and hold to activate Siri, then immediately speak your request. Media (F7, F8, F9): Press to rewind, to play or pause, or to fast-forward a song, movie, or slideshow.
Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
The wireless Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad (shown below) have built-in features that make it easy to enter emoji, switch keyboard languages, lock your Mac Studio, and perform many system functions with the touch of a key. Slide the on/off switch on the back edge of the keyboard to turn it on (so green is visible) or off.
After that, whenever you’re asked for your password to unlock the screen or make purchases, you can use Touch ID. For more information, see Use Touch ID on Mac in the macOS User Guide.
Mission Control (F3): Press to view what’s running on your Mac, including all your spaces and open windows. Dictation/Siri (F5): Press to activate dictation—you can dictate text wherever you can type (for example, in Messages, Mail, Pages, and other apps). Press and hold to activate Siri, then immediately speak your request. Media (F7, F8, F9): Press to rewind, to play or pause, or to fast-forward a song, movie, or slideshow.
Which Desktop Macs Work With Apple’s Magic Keyboard With Touch ID?
The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID was included with the purchase of an M1 iMac and featured accent colors that matched the all-in-one computers perfectly. Transmitting biometric authentication with Touch ID wirelessly isn’t easy, and it must be used with certain Macs for full functionality. That’s only a handful of desktops right now, but moving forward, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID will work with all new Macs released.
People still daily driving Intel Macs should look for the original Magic Keyboard, which is available for $99 and doesn’t have Touch ID support. The company also created a new desktop, the Mac Studio, which is also compatible with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
How to Connect a Magic Keyboard to Your iPad or iPad Pro
This article is about the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID that was first available with the M1 iMac and can also be purchased separately. 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. 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.
Tap the info (i) icon that’s located to the right of the Magic Keyboard entry in the MY DEVICES section. When your Magic Keyboard appears in the OTHER DEVICES section, it’s no longer paired to your iPad. Why Doesn’t the Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature Work With iPads?
The Touch ID feature of the Magic Keyboard is only designed to work with M1 Macs. 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.
Set up and use Magic Keyboard for iPad
Find out what to do if your iPad Pro doesn’t charge when it’s connected to your Magic Keyboard.
Touch ID on New Magic Keyboard Isn’t Compatible With M1 iPad Pro
Higher-end 24-inch iMacs will ship with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID in the box at no additional charge, but it will be a $50 upgrade option for the base model.
Touch ID on iMac’s Magic Keyboard won’t work with iPad Pro
The Touch ID sensor on the iMac’s new Magic Keyboard reportedly won’t work with the latest iPad Pro, despite running the same M1 chip powering compatible Macs. The updated Magic Keyboard ships in the box with the new 24-inch iMac that Apple announced in its “Spring Loaded” event on Tuesday.
Dive into anything
If this doesn’t work as a full laptop/computer replacement, then it will be time to do some shopping for an actual Mac, at which point I’ll want the keyboard with Touch ID.
Apple Magic Keyboard With Touch ID Review
Apple’s Mac laptops and desktops have long been the go-to option for creative professionals and tech enthusiasts who value style and simplicity over all else. But while Apple continues to push the envelope with its PC hardware (and how much people are willing to spend on it), the company’s Magic Keyboard doesn’t enjoy the same amount of innovation, with its overall look and function remaining virtually unchanged for years. Bizarrely, getting the black keys will cost you $20 more, bringing the total up to a staggering $199 from the already high $179 for the white-key variant. If that’s not you, however, you’ll find a number of Mac-compatible mechanical keyboards that offer a far superior typing experience.
The wireless keyboard is outfitted with a long-lasting battery that promises a full month of power in between charges. It automatically syncs with your Mac, and it includes a woven USB-C-to-Lightning Cable, for charging and wired use—no wireless pairing necessary.
The Touch ID sensor takes the place of the defunct eject button on the previous Magic Keyboard. You pick your favorite finger (in this case, my pointer), and you place and lift your fingertip onto the Touch ID scanner multiple times, allowing your fingerprint to be completely scanned.
You can even use the Touch ID sensor to quickly switch users, a nice feature if you’re using your Mac as the designated family computer. Of course, the addition of biometrics to any device is a sure-fire way to draw the ire of consumers wary of giving more data to big companies, so the feature is optional. The keyboard requires the latest Apple silicon (i.e. the M1 chip or its variants), so if you don’t have an M1-powered iMac or Mac laptop, you can forget about making use of Touch ID. The addition of Touch ID is a welcome change, but the problems that plague the keyboard—namely its shallow key travel—still provide a less-than-ideal typing experience.
When you factor in an almost-$200 price for the black version, it’s easy to pass on the full-size Magic Keyboard, even if you’re the most die-hard Apple junkie.
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