You can use your iPhone or iPad as a wireless keyboard or mouse with free software available from the App Store. While no official Apple solution exists, there are free third-party apps on the App Store that you can use instead.
First, install the iPhone app and the companion server
There are a number of mouse and keyboard apps on the App Store, and the vast majority of them will likely do the job. For this walkthrough, we chose Yao Ruan’s Remote Mouse because it is free (ad supported), works as both a keyboard and mouse, and is compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux.
First, download Remote Mouse for your iPhone or iPad. Now go to the Remote Mouse homepage and download the server. Make sure you download the correct server for your operating system. If you are a Mac user, you can grab it from the Mac App Store.
Once the app and companion server are installed, it’s time to set everything up to work wirelessly over Wi-Fi.
Setting up your wireless mouse and keyboard
For this to work, your iPhone or iPad will need to be on the same wireless network as the computer you’re trying to control.
First, start the server on your computer. Then launch the mobile app on your iPhone or iPad and grant access to the local network and Bluetooth. You should be prompted to connect to a server, but if you are not, tap the “Not Connected” bar at the top of the screen.
You should see your computer name appear in the list. Tap on it to establish a connection.
If you’re using a Mac, you’ll be prompted to grant Remote Mouse the access it needs to control your computer. To do this, first launch System Preferences> Security & Privacy, then in the “Privacy” tab, select “Accessibility” from the list on the left.
Click on the padlock at the bottom left of your screen and enter your administrator password. You can now check the box next to “Remote Mouse” in the right pane and allow it to control your computer.
Finished!
Ignore any remaining notices on the screen, then get your iPhone and iPad back. You may need to skip some onscreen tips with a simple swipe, after which you should be able to use your iPhone to fully control your computer.
In our testing, the lag was imperceptible in the same room as our MacBook Pro and our wireless router. You can press the keyboard button in the bar that runs along the bottom of the app to bring up a keyboard and type as you normally would.
Use the “Fn” and “Ctrl” buttons to access key combinations that you do not have readily available on an iPhone or iPad keyboard. Note that any text you type briefly appears in the middle of the trackpad, so you don’t have to constantly search while typing at high speed.
Use your Android device as a mouse and keyboard
Being limited to Wi-Fi is unfortunate, but you can still set up an ad-hoc local wireless network on your Mac and connect to it directly if you need mouse functionality but don’t have access to Wi-Fi. local.
Rather have an Android device? Configure it as a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard for an even better experience.
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