If you have all manner of devices—iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, even Android—then you know that in order to easily type on them, you probably need a Bluetooth keyboard. But if you don’t have a Bluetooth keyboard, a simple app lets you use the integrated keyboard on your MacBook with lots of other devices.
The app is called Typeeto, and it can be found in the Mac App Store for $12.99. While may seem like a lot, it’s a lot less than buying a separate Bluetooth keyboard, and is better suited for an uninterrupted workflow because you can seamlessly switch between your devices.
Essentially, Typeeto uses the same Bluetooth connection as you would for a separate keyboard, except with Typeeto, you don’t have to pair to one device, then disconnect and pair to another. Typeeto basically does that job for you, automatically connecting and disconnecting whenever you want to switch devices.
Step One: Pair Your Devices to Your MacBook
Before you can begin using Typeeto, you first need to make sure all the devices you want to type on are paired to your Mac over Bluetooth. If you use an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, then you can pair in the usual method. First open the Bluetooth settings on the device you want to pair to make sure it is discoverable, then open the Bluetooth panel on your Mac, find your phone or tablet, and click “Pair”.
You will need to confirm the code shown on your Mac’s screen is the same one on your phone or tablet, then tap “Pair” to confirm the request.
On the Apple TV, you will need to first let your Mac know it wants to pair with it. Begin by opening the Settings on your home screen.
Next, click “Remotes and Devices”.
On the Remotes and Devices screen, click “Bluetooth”.
You need to make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your Mac, then select it on the Apple TV’s Bluetooth screen.
On your Mac, you will receive a pairing request, click “Pair” to complete the process.
You will now be connected to your Apple TV.
Step Two: Connect with Typeeto
Once paired with anything, Typeeto will prompt you that your device is connected and you can begin typing.
When Typeeto is actively connected to a device, an overlay will appear at the bottom of the screen.
As you pair more devices to your Mac, Typeeto’s list of available devices will grow. Whenever you want to switch to a different device, click on the icon in the menu bar and select it.
You can reconnect to any device at any time by selecting it from the menu bar or clicking on the icon in the Dock.
Typeeto also has some preferences you may want to peruse. The General options let you assign a keyboard shortcut so you can use Typeeto to paste text to the device, which may be a bit more practical in lieu of the universal clipboard feature, especially if you don’t have macOS Sierra installed.
You can manage any devices you have paired to your Mac and subsequently use with Typeeto, such as renaming them, adding quick launch keyboard shortcuts (very useful for quick switching), and the ability to forget devices.
Finally, you can change the theme from light to dark.
All this does is change how the screen overlay appears.
The biggest caveat with Typeeto is that it costs $12.99. If you look on Amazon for Bluetooth keyboards, many can be found for around $20. As we explained earlier however, the downside to that is you have to manually connect and disconnect each time you want to use the keyboard with another device. Either that, or you have to use multiple keyboards, which is impractical, expensive, and takes up valuable desk space.
How to Use Universal Clipboard in macOS Sierra and iOS 10
How to Use Your iPhone or iPad as an Apple TV Remote
The nicest thing about Typeeto is that it just works. Perhaps that most difficult aspect is actually pairing your devices to use with it. Once that process was complete, however, we had no problem jumping from Apple TV to iPad to iPhone. Moreover, if you also have Android devices, you can use Typeeto with those as well.
You’re not on the hook for $12.99 immediately. You can try Typeeto for 7 days by downloading it directly from the website. That way, you can then at least see how it works and whether it is right for you.