Magic Keyboard: The ultimate guide

The Magic Keyboard comes with new Macs but it also works with old Macs, and with iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. It connects over Bluetooth, so you can pair it with anything and everything that supports that standard, but Apple's also made it pair instantly over Lightning with the Mac, making it faster and easier to get started than ever.

Updated December 2016: Reflects changes in macOS, iOS 10, and tvOS 10.

How to connect the Magic Keyboard to your Mac

If you buy a new Retina 4K iMac or Retina 5K iMac it'll come with a Magic Keyboard pre-paired and ready to go. If you have an existing Mac, though, it's incredibly easy to pair a new Magic Keyboard to is and get going as well.

How to connect the Magic Keyboard to your iPad

How to connect the Magic Keyboard to iPad

The new Magic Keyboard has a lower profile, smaller footprint, and yet full-sized keys that, thanks to a re-engineered scissor mechanism, enjoy 33% more stability. It may not be the old-school selectric clickity-clacker some still enjoy, but the Magic Keyboard is slimmer and more portable than ever. And while it's sold with the Mac, it also works perfectly well with the iPad.

How to connect the Magic Keyboard to your iPhone

Smaller and sleeker than ever, the Magic Keyboard might not fit in your pocket like an iPhone or iPhone Plus, but it can fit in your bag and give you a full-sized typing experience when you really need it.

How to connect the Magic Keyboard to your Apple TV (2012)

Yes, there's a new Apple TV coming later this month, but if you currently have an Apple TV (2012) you can easily pair it with the new Magic Keyboard and enjoy faster, less maddening search input right now, today.

$99 - Buy now from Apple (opens in new tab)

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

9 Comments

"Everything you need to know to setup and use" Set up. Not "setup". Anyway, nice guide, hitting all the devices that the keyboard will work with. Helpful stuff!
Fixed, thanks!
Despite what all these clowns are saying,
thank you Rene for the comprehensive guide. Your articles about this keyboard over the past few days have convinced be that this Magic Keyboard is truly the keyboard for all of my Things.
Oh, I would still like to see backlighting, but that would cost battery life and Apple would never allow that.
I'm still on the fence about the new Magic Trackpad, but I know I do really want this new Magic Keyboard.
If I ever get an iMac I will still want the extended keyboard, but this keyboard is just the thing for everything else!
Every day is someone's first day on the Mac or iPad, iPhone or Apple TV, with a new Magic Keyboard or Apple Watch, or whatever. So, when a new product comes out, we like to cover it as completely as possible. That way people can make the most informed decisions about it possible. If someone doesn't enjoy a particular product or article, there'll always be something next. That's the great thing about technology and the internet!
I initially was on the fence about the Trackpad, too. But after some brief discussion with myself, I just surrendered. Who am I fooling, force touch will become an integral part of the OS X experience over time, just as using OS X without gestures is already a huge loss today. The only device I really do not need, is the mouse. Keyboard, Trackpad and an Intuos tablet for image editing and pen input. Done.
I still cannot figure out WHY Apple is forgetting its artist clients. So many of us work in low light and it only makes sense to use a BACKLIT KEYBOARD. When, Apple people? WHEN? Sent from the iMore App
Please, for God's sake - make a backlit keyboard. Sent from the iMore App
I hate that the keys on the new keyboard are white, new white trackpad, new white mouse...it used to work when Apple sold white MacBooks and aluminum & white Macs (Mac Mini, iMac), but, there is no white in any of apple's products, only some accessories (...but why???). I'm very disappointed that apple couldn't just make the change and go with the MacBook's look, black, BACKLIT keys, silver, gray and gold colors for these new accessories. Instead they opted for the same decade OLD colors. (I've always hated white plastic). what happened to "think different", apple?
I actually like this keyboard. I use Citrix and run Virtual Windows Programs and some of the shortcuts don't work, but the funny thing is, I have a Samsung S7 and it syncs this keyboard to the phone, so I can type my phone text instead of using my fingers

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