I’ve a MacBook Professional that I take advantage of for many issues, and a desktop Home windows PC I principally use casually to play video games. I just like the Apple Magic Keyboard sufficient that I’ve discovered a approach to make use of it with each of my computer systems directly. It’s a little bit of a foolish hack — but it surely requires no further equipment and simply works — right here’s how.
In contrast to most trendy wi-fi keyboard and mice, the Magic Keyboard doesn’t have a built-in function to allow you to pair to a number of machines. See as an example the Logitech MX Keys, which might join over Bluetooth to as much as 3 gadgets concurrently and permits you to change between them with a keystroke.
However I just like the format and tactility of the Apple keyboard sufficient that I needed to maintain utilizing it. The built-in Contact ID sensor for unlock can also be a comfort I didn’t wish to quit, if I might assist it. Fortunately, I discovered a dumb hack to let me just do that.
So right here’s what I do: I join the MacBook to the keyboard wirelessly over Bluetooth … and I’ve the wired Lightning to USB connection completely plugged into the Home windows PC.
When the Home windows PC is switched off, as it’s more often than not, the keyboard defaults to Bluetooth and seamlessly pairs itself to the MacBook. Once I boot up the Home windows PC, the wired connection takes precedence and all keyboard enter is then directed on the PC.
If I wish to toggle typing again to the Mac, I flick the ability change on the keyboard itself and it reverts to wirelessly speaking to the Mac. The Contact ID sensor additionally works to unlock the Mac so long as the wi-fi connection is lively.
It’s not precisely what I might name elegant, but it surely does work so I’ve rolled with it for a pair years now. A fancier answer to this drawback would possible contain plugging the keyboard into a KVM switch of some type. However generally, the straightforward answer is sufficient.
I additionally proceed to await the next-generation Apple Magic Keyboard, which is able to undoubtedly add a USB-C port and probably new multi-device pairing options to convey it as much as function parity with each different wi-fi keyboard out in the marketplace at this time.
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