Bluetooth keyboard and mouse refuse to work together

[Gotmilk0112]

As of a couple days ago, my bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse refuse to function simultaneously on my iPad. Alone, they both work fine, but as soon as they're both connected, one of them will crap out while the other still works, and if I try and reconnect the one that crapped out, then the other one will stop working.


Like...I'll connect the mouse, and it works fine. Derp around for a bit, no problems with it whatsoever. Then I turn on the keyboard and it connects, and all of a sudden the mouse stops responding for about 4-5 seconds. Once it comes back however, the keyboard stops working and the light on it starts blinking as if it's trying to connect to the iPad.


And it just goes on and on like this, with the mouse and the keyboard seemingly both fighting to stay connected to the iPad. This literally just started happening on Thursday afternoon. In the morning, they were working fine, but then in the afternoon and ever since, they've been fighting each other like this.


Any idea what could be wrong? I tried rebooting, reinstalling BTC mouse, using the "Reset" button on the bottom of the mouse, re-pairing both devices, etc....nothing seems to work.

 

[dhewson777]

I was of the understanding that you can only connect one Bluetooth device at a time? That would explain what you are seeing.

I would run the keyboard and use the touchscreen for navigation, seeing the apps are designed for touchscreen rather than a mouse.

 

[TheRambler]

I had the same trouble after I updated my iOS and found a very helpful site on the Wibbly Wobbly Web, I've copied and pasted it below, hope it helps

If you have not used a Bluetooth device with your iPad for a long time, if you deleted it from your Bluetooth device menu, or if you have recently reinstalled the iOS operating system, you may find that the iPad has forgotten how to connect to it. Reconnecting a Bluetooth device is just like connecting it for the first time. This is done by putting the device into discovery mode and then pairing it with the iPad. If you've not used the device in a long time, consult the user guide to refresh your memory on how it should be connected and if a passkey is required.

Step 1

Turn on the Bluetooth device and put it into discovery mode so it can be visible to the iPad. In some cases, simply turning on the device or turning it off and on again puts it into discovery mode. Other devices may require additional actions. Consult the manufacturer's documentation if you can't remember the required actions.

Step 2

Place the iPad beside the Bluetooth device. Tap the "Settings" icon on the iPad home screen. Select "General" and then tap "Bluetooth." Slide the toggle to the "On" position if it is not on already.
Step 3
Scan the list of devices to confirm the iPad has not been paired with a device that will conflict with the one you now want to use again. For example, if you paired a keyboard with the iPad and now want to pair a different keyboard, you need to unpair the current keyboard first. Unpair any Bluetooth device from the iPad by tapping its name in the list of Bluetooth devices and selecting "Forget This Device."

Step 4

Select your Bluetooth device from the list of nearby discoverable devices.

Step 5

Enter the passkey or personal identification number that came with the device if prompted. If you are connecting a Bluetooth keyboard, the iPad will display a code on the screen, which you need to type on the Bluetooth keyboard to pair it with the iPad.

Step 6

Note that the Bluetooth icon in the top of the iPad screen is either blue or white when a Bluetooth device is successfully connected to the iPad. If the Bluetooth icon is gray, Bluetooth is on but no device is connected. If there is no Bluetooth icon, Bluetooth is turned off.

Tips

If you can't find the passkey or PIN for your Bluetooth device, it may be in the documentation that came with the device. It may also be somewhere on the device itself, such as inside the battery compartment. Some Bluetooth devices may work with "0000" or "1234" as the passkey. If these don't work, search for the passkey on the manufacturer's website or call the customer service department.

 

[Mickey330]

As of a couple days ago, my bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse refuse to function simultaneously on my iPad. Alone, they both work fine, but as soon as they're both connected, one of them will crap out while the other still works, and if I try and reconnect the one that crapped out, then the other one will stop working.


Like...I'll connect the mouse, and it works fine. Derp around for a bit, no problems with it whatsoever. Then I turn on the keyboard and it connects, and all of a sudden the mouse stops responding for about 4-5 seconds. Once it comes back however, the keyboard stops working and the light on it starts blinking as if it's trying to connect to the iPad.


And it just goes on and on like this, with the mouse and the keyboard seemingly both fighting to stay connected to the iPad. This literally just started happening on Thursday afternoon. In the morning, they were working fine, but then in the afternoon and ever since, they've been fighting each other like this.


Any idea what could be wrong? I tried rebooting, reinstalling BTC mouse, using the "Reset" button on the bottom of the mouse, re-pairing both devices, etc....nothing seems to work.

I don't use the tweak, so these are just thoughts to see if I can help:

Do you have any other Bluetooth tweaks that may have gotten an update (that could have messed up this one)?

After you uninstalled the tweak, did you check the Preferences folder (in/with iFile) to see if the .plist was also,deleted? Cause, if it's not deleted, then re-installing the tweak doesn't get you a true fresh install.

Have you tried other Bluetooth devices to see if it's just yours?

Do you have the tweak/app iCleaner? It's a free one and what it does is clean up unused files. Maybe running that will help...?

I really don't have anything else, sorry. Hopefully, someone with BTC Mouse working will be along to add in more info/suggestions.

Marilyn

 

[Gotmilk0112]

I was of the understanding that you can only connect one Bluetooth device at a time? That would explain what you are seeing.

But the thing is, the keyboard and mouse DID work together, flawlessly, for about two weeks. But now all of a sudden they're refusing to work together.

The reason I want to use a mouse is for my remote desktop app which supports a mouse; using a mouse for remote desktop is so much easier than regular touch.

I had the same trouble after I updated my iOS and found a very helpful site on the Wibbly Wobbly Web, I've copied and pasted it below, hope it helps

All that is telling me to do is un-pair and then re-pair the device. I've done that like 5 times now. It doesn't work.

Do you have any other Bluetooth tweaks that may have gotten an update (that could have messed up this one)?

Not that I'm aware of...to my knowledge, the only other BT tweak I have is BTStack. Which, of course, is turned off because I'm using the iOS bluetooth stack.

After you uninstalled the tweak, did you check the Preferences folder (in/with iFile) to see if the .plist was also,deleted? Cause, if it's not deleted, then re-installing the tweak doesn't get you a true fresh install.

No, didn't do that...but I tried both "Remove" and "Reinstall" in Cydia, and neither of them worked.

Have you tried other Bluetooth devices to see if it's just yours?

Like I said, both of the devices work fine by themselves, but when they're both turned on, they fight for the bluetooth connection.

 

[Gotmilk0112]

Even after deleting the .plist files and reinstalling, the problem persists.

However, I noticed that the problem is heavily amplified while I'm within my remote desktop app. Just messing around within a word processing app, I can move the mouse with one hand and type with the other hand, and they both work fine, albeit with a little bit of lag on the keyboard. However, once I get into my remote desktop app, the two devices really start fighting over the bluetooth connection, to the point where the keyboard can't even connect while I'm moving the mouse.

Stranger still, the two devices work perfectly fine with my iPhone 5S. Mouse and keyboard function together perfectly fine, with no connection problems. But then I pair them back over to my iPad and they start crapping out again.

This is really frustrating...

 

[Gotmilk0112]

So I just completely reinstalled every component that goes with BTC Mouse, and it still doesn't work. Removed and deleted .plist files for all of the components and then installed them again, and the two devices still refuse to work together.

Switch them over to my iPhone, and they still work together just fine.

And still, on my iPad, it seems that these two devices only have trouble with each other when an active internet connection is involved. In an offline word processor, they both work fine together, but as soon as I open a web browser or remote desktop app, they both fight for the bluetooth connection.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing my iPad to screw with bluetooth devices like this? I'm at wit's end here, no idea what to do.

 

[Gotmilk0112]

...Completely uninstalled every JB app and tweak I had to make sure that nothing was interfering, and it still doesn't work.

Did something break my iPad's bluetooth or something?

 

[scifan57]

Did you make any changes to your wireless router just before your problems started? WiFi and Bluetooth have been known to cause interference problems with each other. Here's an Apple thread that discusses problems similar to yours. https://discussions.apple.com/message/20879209#20879209

 

[Gotmilk0112]

Did you make any changes to your wireless router just before your problems started? WiFi and Bluetooth have been known to cause interference problems with each other. Here's an Apple thread that discusses problems similar to yours. https://discussions.apple.com/message/20879209#20879209

No, I don't think it's a problem with the WiFi. To my knowledge, my college's WiFi has not changed. Furthermore, when I brought it home this weekend, the problem persisted. And even furthermore, when I pair the two devices to my iPhone, which is on the same WiFi, they work perfectly fine together.

It seems like something went wrong with my iPad's bluetooth.

 

[scifan57]

No, I don't think it's a problem with the WiFi. To my knowledge, my college's WiFi has not changed. Furthermore, when I brought it home this weekend, the problem persisted. And even furthermore, when I pair the two devices to my iPhone, which is on the same WiFi, they work perfectly fine together. It seems like something went wrong with my iPad's bluetooth.

Have you considered making a Genius Bar appointment at an Apple Store to have your iPad checked to see if there is a problem with your Bluetooth?

 

[Gotmilk0112]

Have you considered making a Genius Bar appointment at an Apple Store to have your iPad checked to see if there is a problem with your Bluetooth?

My iPad is jailbroken, they'll turn me away.

That and there's no Apple store near me.

That and, this just started happening, so I don't think there's any broken hardware, just a software problem.

 

[Gotmilk0112]

Hm...I'm in one of my college classes right now, and the two devices are working flawlessly together on my iPad, even with browser or remote desktop running.

Perhaps there is something interfering with the bluetooth...I'll have to do some further experimenting.

 

[TheRambler]

The only suggestion I can make is a full Software Restore in iTunes, but this will remove your Jailbreak if you are Jailbroken.

If you are going to go ahead with this, make sure everything is backed up in iTunes before you start.

Sorry, I know this is a bit final

 

[willerz2]

For issues with any associated tweaks and hardware for a mouse, know that the default iOS itself does not allow for a bluetooth mouse connection at all natively speaking, so tweaks that allows for a mouse to be connected to an iPad or iPhone are made from scratch through the use of the SDK for the iOS threshold. Because iOS 7 is still "relatively new" with a heavy overhaul of its SDK and core elements, tweaks like BTC Mouse (which worked flawlessly almost on iOS 6) may not work as they used to because of this change. You can attempt to contact the developer to see if this is a flaw in the coding of the tweak, but outside of that, bringing it to Apple will yield you a "Bluetooth mice are not natively supported by the iOS, we can't really do much" sort of explanation.