iPad Mouse Support - The Missing Elephant

[sracer]

Don't know what you expect, but I think it's GREAT. Makes reading news, etc so much better and a LOT less fingerprints to clean up.

WELL DOWN, Apple...

I was expecting Apple to underwhelm us with this support. I was hoping that they'd do mouse support the right way.

Android has had full mouse support from nearly the beginning of Android's life. Completely optional. When there's no mouse detected/in-motion, no mouse pointer. When a mouse is detected and active, the mouse pointer appears and works exactly as mice work on desktop operating systems.

When a $100 Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet provides full mouse support but a $1000 iPad Pro can't, well....

 

[muzzy996]

I was expecting Apple to underwhelm us with this support. I was hoping that they'd do mouse support the right way.

Android has had full mouse support from nearly the beginning of Android's life. Completely optional. When there's no mouse detected/in-motion, no mouse pointer. When a mouse is detected and active, the mouse pointer appears and works exactly as mice work on desktop operating systems.

When a $100 Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet provides full mouse support but a $1000 iPad Pro can't, well....

This. And the argument that not everyone needs mouse support is rather weak as clearly not everyone needs the Apple Pencil yet it exists.

There are times when I’d much rather have the option to move my hand away from the keyboard to grab a mouse on the desk to use as an input device than to pick up a stylus and try to interact with the screen. Each of these input methods have their merits and each should exist in these flagship devices.

 

[Lucifer666]

To argue about this is absurd. It's not like we are asking for some tech that hasn't been invented yet

 

[Richdmoore]

Is there a way to hide the menu with AssistiveTouch on but no device connected?

I saw a post on reddit about someone using a shortcut to turn on/off the function. I haven’t had time to test mouse support myself yet however.

They added a turn assistive touch feature on/off shortcut, then placed it in the control center I think.

Of course, despite looking I can’t find the post now on reddit.

 

[sparksd]

I saw a post on reddit about someone using a shortcut to turn on/off the function. I haven’t had time to test mouse support myself yet however.

They added a turn assistive touch feature on/off shortcut, then placed it in the control center I think.

Of course, despite looking I can’t find the post now on reddit.

Yeah, I found that and am using it to toggle AssistiveTouch from Control Center. I was looking to keep AssistiveTouch on all the time with mouse activation only needing turning on the mouse (Bluetooth mouse) but as long as AssistiveTouch is on, the menu displays.

 

[Drecca]

Yeah, I found that and am using it to toggle AssistiveTouch from Control Center. I was looking to keep AssistiveTouch on all the time with mouse activation only needing turning on the mouse (Bluetooth mouse) but as long as AssistiveTouch is on, the menu displays.

can we get a link to that reddit post?

 

[sparksd]

can we get a link to that reddit post?

Sorry - I meant I found the shortcut, not that post. You can get it by going to the Control Center under Settings and add Accessibility Shortcuts.

 

[DaBrain]

Why ever buy an iPad in that case? Couldn't you ask the same question about literally every feature - keyboard, file system etc.

People want iPads because they're very portable and let them do many things well - sometimes better than a normal laptop. So if adding some additional functionality brings more value to users without killing anyone's dog, why not do it?

And I honestly find it hard to believe people can't understand why you'd want a mouse on an iPad. We want it for precisely the reasons a mouse/trackpad is useful on computers - rapid and precise relative pointing. Neither touch nor pencil can deliver that. And that combines with the comfort from having keyboard & mouse vs keyboard and reaching across to peck at a wobbly vertical slab of glass

I agree & also would love to keep the screen cleaner more often & my hand not blocking the view. 😉👍

 

[deuxani]

Yeah, I found that and am using it to toggle AssistiveTouch from Control Center. I was looking to keep AssistiveTouch on all the time with mouse activation only needing turning on the mouse (Bluetooth mouse) but as long as AssistiveTouch is on, the menu displays.

There is a toggle under Assistive Touch called Always Show Menu, if you turn it off the menu will disappear so you can keep Assistive Touch on all the time. Or do you actually want to see the menu when you are using your mouse?

EDIT: Aaah I just read that if a mouse is disconnected the menu shows up again. That was your issue.

 

[sparksd]

There is a toggle under Assistive Touch called Always Show Menu, if you turn it off the menu will disappear so you can keep Assistive Touch on all the time. Or do you actually want to see the menu when you are using your mouse?

EDIT: Aaah I just read that if a mouse is disconnected the menu shows up again. That was your issue.

Right. But I did find having the AssistiveTouch shortcut available in Control Center makes the on/off toggling of it a lot easier than burrowing through the Settings menus.

 

[deuxani]

Right. But I did find having the AssistiveTouch shortcut available in Control Center makes the on/off toggling of it a lot easier than burrowing through the Settings menus.

Yeah they hid it really well! They really don't want regular users to use a mouse

 

[sparksd]

Yeah they hid it really well! They really don't want regular users to use a mouse

They made sure of that with the idiotic circle cursor.

 

[deuxani]

They made sure of that with the idiotic circle cursor.

Actually, when I saw it in videos it annoyed me too and I thought it was just another measure by Apple to make it less appealing for us to use. But in real life I'm fine with it. I changed it to the smallest pointer as possible, got used to it and didn't even notice it after 5 minutes of use.

 

[pdoherty]

To argue about this is absurd. It's not like we are asking for some tech that hasn't been invented yet

The issue boils down to Apple doing what's good for it, as opposed to what their customers want. To Apple, restricting a full desktop experience to Macs keeps the product lines from bleeding together, I'm guessing, which is why they've taken so long to add mouse support, and why it sounds like it's been gimped when finally implemented.

 

[ascender]

Is the circular cursor not for the benefit of people who have requested this feature from an accessibility perspective?

Of course, there should be an option to change it or turn it off...

 

[sparksd]

Is the circular cursor not for the benefit of people who have requested this feature from an accessibility perspective?

Of course, there should be an option to change it or turn it off...

Don't know where the request would be made. I'm one of the users who benefits from an accessibility perspective - I have hand tremors that can make some touch interactions very difficult but which can be handled with a mouse (I can apply downward pressure on a mouse, steadying it). I don't care for the circular cursor and would prefer to see a cursor selection option.