The way the software works on a traditional computer is by the system handing off full pointer control to this 3rd party application. Since the iPad’s pointing technology is limited there is no way for an application to control the system’s pointer.
How to use your iPhone as a wireless trackpad in iOS 16
The iPhone has deep functionality, and an app lets you use it as a wireless trackpad for your Mac. With a free pair of apps called Remote Mouse, you can control many functions of your Mac straight from your phone in iOS 16. Setup on your iPhone and Mac is fairly easy and takes only a few steps. From here, you can select which device you want to control and start using your iPhone as a wireless mouse for your Mac.
You can connect your iPhone to your Mac in multiple ways so you can control it wirelessly. Go into the Remote Mouse app on your iPhone Head over to the “Select a Computer” menu Tap on the Plus icon on the top right of the screen Select how you would like to add the new device (from previous devices you have added, through an IP address, or through scanning a QR code on the device you want to control)
Connecting a device through either an IP address or a QR code can be found in the same menu on your Mac. Selecting “Show IP address” will supply you with eight numbers to type into your iPhone to connect the two devices. Selecting “Show QR Code” will display a QR code on your Mac’s screen that you can scan with your iPhone’s camera within the Remote Mouse app.
To stop the connection, click on the icon on the upper taskbar and select “Quit”.
With these features, you can truly do all the basic gestures that would originally do on your Mac but from the comfort of your iPhone. Web Remote (left), Numeric Keyboard (middle), & Media Controls (right)
How to use a mouse or trackpad with your iPhone or iPad in iOS 17
Check the instructions that came with it for details, or search for advice online.
How to use a mouse with your iPad or iPhone
And at long last, you can finally hook up Apple’s own Magic Mouse 2 without diving deep into the Settings app or worrying about support dropping after iPadOS updates. There you can change the tracking speed and choose whether the “Secondary Click” (i.e., “right-click”) will be on the right or the left.
For one thing, you’re going to have a hard time hooking up anything besides a generic optical mouse to anything below the iPad Pro and you’ll likely get a message like the one below. For another, you’re going to need to buy the $29 USB-A to Lightning dongle before you can hook up most standard wired mice to iPhones and older and lower-end iPads.
As with Bluetooth mice, you can change the tracking speed, the “Secondary Click,” and turn off Natural Scrolling by going to Settings > General > Trackpad & Mouse. You still have to use the comparatively awkward pre-iOS 13.4 method of setting up a mouse on iOS if you want to use one with your iPhone. After this, your wired mouse should start working, so long as it’s basic enough to avoid the warning we saw in the iPad section. Again, you can change the tracking speed, the “Secondary Click,” and turn off Natural Scrolling by going to Settings > General > Trackpad & Mouse.
Since Assistive Touch is now on, you may see a circular menu that stays on every screen, and which includes shortcuts to features like the Control Center or Siri.
To hide it, you can go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and then untoggle Always Show Menu. To make it vanish, you’ll have to turn off AssistiveTouch by redoing the numbered steps above.
Using a Mouse to Control Remote Desktops From iPad & iPhone
Splashtop enables remote access to Windows and Mac computers from iOS devices. With the Splashtop iOS app, you can remote into your computer and view the screen in real-time on your iPad or iPhone.
You can remotely control the computer, open files, and more using the iOS touch-based interface. This means that when using a mouse while remoting from an iOS device to a computer, you have to use it the same way you would use your fingers to control the screen. So, when remoting into your computer, click and hold the mouse and then move the cursor up and down to scroll. In no time you’ll feel more in control of your computer when accessing it from an iPhone or iPad!
Once your Bluetooth or wired mouse is connected to your iOS device, you can customize a few of its settings from within the AssistiveTouch menu. You’ll also get fast connections with HD quality and sound and see your remote computer screen in real time.
Get started with our Splashtop free trial and use a mouse to control your computer from your iPad or iPhone device!
Be First to Comment