iPad users could gain enhanced mouse support in iPadOS 14

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPad edited March 2020
The iPad's existing mouse support could be further built out in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, with code references strongly suggesting Apple will be increasing support for the peripherals in the next major release of the mobile operating systems.




During initial betas for iOS 13, it was discovered Apple had included the ability to use a mouse to control an iPad, including clicking and manipulating the home screen using the input peripheral. While the support is still included in the full release version, the feature is included more for accessibility, allowing those unable to use the touchscreen to still be able to interact with the mobile devices.

In code for iOS 14, Apple will be building out its support for mice in the next milestone version of iPadOS expected later this year. The support will make the mouse work much more like it does within macOS, such as the cursor changing from the standard arrow to a hand or other symbols depending on what is being hovered over.

Apple may make some changes to make touch inputs work more like a mouse, via gestures. It is proposed the two-fingered tap of the display could function similar to a mouse's right-click.

At the same time, Apple is thought to be still leaning towards posing the iPad as a touch-centric interface, even with a mouse connected to it, by making the cursor disappear from the screen after a few seconds of being still.

The code also seemingly links into earlier reports that Apple is preparing to introduce an iPad Pro keyboard that has a built-in trackpad. According to the code references, there are two new Smart Keyboard model identifiers, with mentions seeming to imply a typical layout of a trackpad being closer to the user than the keyboard.

Apple won't be the first to consider adding a trackpad to an iPad keyboard. The Brydge Pro included a trackpad as part of an iPad Pro keyboard.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,886member
    If it encourages keeping the hands on the table and not having to reach up to tap the screen, I'm all for it. It makes sense for the same reasons it doesn't make sense to add touchscreens to Macs... Operating the device from the keyboard & trackpad/mouse could increase productivity, and unlike the Mac, the iPadOS UI is already designed with bigger UI elements & targets, designed for the finger -- so using an iPadOS pointing device only makes them even easier to hit. (On a Mac, the UI is designed for the smaller click targets of a pointing device, penalizing bigger, finger-based input).

    Should be interesting, and probably about time. The challenge will be ensuring developers don't design explicitly for pointing device input, and maintain finger-based UI targets as-is.
    jony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 24
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Will it definitely be a pointer then, or could the trackpad act similarly to the Siri Remote on the Apple TV, and scroll through selectable options instead?
  • Reply 3 of 24
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,931member
    If it encourages keeping the hands on the table and not having to reach up to tap the screen, I'm all for it. It makes sense for the same reasons it doesn't make sense to add touchscreens to Macs... Operating the device from the keyboard & trackpad/mouse could increase productivity, and unlike the Mac, the iPadOS UI is already designed with bigger UI elements & targets, designed for the finger -- so using an iPadOS pointing device only makes them even easier to hit. (On a Mac, the UI is designed for the smaller click targets of a pointing device, penalizing bigger, finger-based input).

    Should be interesting, and probably about time. The challenge will be ensuring developers don't design explicitly for pointing device input, and maintain finger-based UI targets as-is.
    Agree - I actually prefer to keep my hands on the keyboard as much as possible for the same reason. I share your concern about the interface - one of the things that made the iPhone and iPad so good and successful was that Apple didn’t try to turn a desktop interface into a touch interface. If they add mouse support, they need to ensure they don’t lose the iPad’s core strength in the process. 


    Edit - so we’ve been seeing rumors of an ARM Mac. That’s kind of what the iPad is slowly becoming
    edited March 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 24
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
    Yawn!  How about multi user profiles?! That has been on the list for many years!
    S8ER95Zentropysjony0
  • Reply 5 of 24
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,701member
    StrangeDays said:
    If it encourages keeping the hands on the table and not having to reach up to tap the screen, I'm all for it. It makes sense for the same reasons it doesn't make sense to add touchscreens to Macs... Operating the device from the keyboard & trackpad/mouse could increase productivity, and unlike the Mac, the iPadOS UI is already designed with bigger UI elements & targets, designed for the finger -- so using an iPadOS pointing device only makes them even easier to hit. (On a Mac, the UI is designed for the smaller click targets of a pointing device, penalizing bigger, finger-based input).

    Should be interesting, and probably about time. The challenge will be ensuring developers don't design explicitly for pointing device input, and maintain finger-based UI targets as-is.
    If they did that I'd bet money their app doesn't get accepted in the App Store.  Apple is strict about things like that.
    jony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 24
    MisterKitMisterKit Posts: 496member
    I think it is good to have a mouse option for iPad but I don’t see where it would help me. When I use my iPad I hold it with both hands.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 24
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Apple should just slap it into a Chromebook style case and call it the ARM Mac. Mouse, keyboard, trackpad? The iPad is dead as we know and love it. 
  • Reply 8 of 24
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,701member
    lkrupp said:
    Apple should just slap it into a Chromebook style case and call it the ARM Mac. Mouse, keyboard, trackpad? The iPad is dead as we know and love it. 
    Or it might end up expanding the market for an iPad even more.  Only time will tell.
    MisterKitwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 24
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    If it encourages keeping the hands on the table and not having to reach up to tap the screen, I'm all for it. It makes sense for the same reasons it doesn't make sense to add touchscreens to Macs... Operating the device from the keyboard & trackpad/mouse could increase productivity, and unlike the Mac, the iPadOS UI is already designed with bigger UI elements & targets, designed for the finger -- so using an iPadOS pointing device only makes them even easier to hit. (On a Mac, the UI is designed for the smaller click targets of a pointing device, penalizing bigger, finger-based input).

    Should be interesting, and probably about time. The challenge will be ensuring developers don't design explicitly for pointing device input, and maintain finger-based UI targets as-is.
    If they did that I'd bet money their app doesn't get accepted in the App Store.  Apple is strict about things like that.
    I’m not sure that’d even be necessary. As a proportion, how many iPads would be bought with this accessory?  50% maybe?  What app developer would limit their market to half its potential for the sake of some bigger touch/click targets, unless they really needed to?  And if they need to, then why not let them, the iPad would benefit from more software, even if it occasionally comes with an additional hardware requirement. Some software already has additional hardware requirements, so it’s not such a radical idea.
    edited March 2020 muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 10 of 24
    MisterKitMisterKit Posts: 496member
    There really is a different experience between using a desktop/laptop computer and using an iPad. Apple has for sometime now avoided jumping into this muddy end of the pool. It is not easy to combine the two. I find the iPad experience to be great. Short of being able to run Logic Pro X the iPad is all I need. When I want to record and edit music it’s back to MacOS.

    The history of Apple is not to follow but to lead. Most of the time they nail it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 24
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,168member
    lkrupp said:
    Apple should just slap it into a Chromebook style case and call it the ARM Mac. Mouse, keyboard, trackpad? The iPad is dead as we know and love it. 
    Well it would be an iOS device, not a MacOS device.quite a bit different to a Mac, performance and use cases. So it would signal the iPad has vanquished the Mac. It’s doable, I have gone without an Mac for 11 months with just an iPad Pro at home and while commuting.
     
    Mind you, given how the Mac has been treated for the last few years, with long, long gaps between updates, dodgy keyboards, locking down hardware and OS updates that are, well let’s just say not at the standards Mac users expect, a conspiracy minded person might think that has been the plan all along, just it’s taken a bit longer than expected to execute.
    edited March 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 24
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,168member

    crowley said:
    If it encourages keeping the hands on the table and not having to reach up to tap the screen, I'm all for it. It makes sense for the same reasons it doesn't make sense to add touchscreens to Macs... Operating the device from the keyboard & trackpad/mouse could increase productivity, and unlike the Mac, the iPadOS UI is already designed with bigger UI elements & targets, designed for the finger -- so using an iPadOS pointing device only makes them even easier to hit. (On a Mac, the UI is designed for the smaller click targets of a pointing device, penalizing bigger, finger-based input).

    Should be interesting, and probably about time. The challenge will be ensuring developers don't design explicitly for pointing device input, and maintain finger-based UI targets as-is.
    If they did that I'd bet money their app doesn't get accepted in the App Store.  Apple is strict about things like that.
    I’m not sure that’d even be necessary. As a proportion, how many iPads would be bought with this accessory?  50% maybe?  What app developer would limit their market to half its potential for the sake of some bigger touch/click targets, unless they really needed to?  And if they need to, then why not let them, the iPad would benefit from more software, even if it occasionally comes with an additional hardware requirement. Some software already has additional hardware requirements, so it’s not such a radical idea.
    Adobe would. Because they are adobe.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 24
    macky the mackymacky the macky Posts: 4,801member
    I’ve often needed a mouse as a pointer device during text editing... I’ll be jumping on this as soon as it’s available...
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 24
    ITGUYINSDITGUYINSD Posts: 516member
    MisterKit said:
    I think it is good to have a mouse option for iPad but I don’t see where it would help me. When I use my iPad I hold it with both hands.
    I'm pretty sure the pointer/mouse/trackpad support is for people who use covers or stands that allow the iPad to stand on its own.  
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 24
    ITGUYINSDITGUYINSD Posts: 516member
    macky the macky said:
    I’ve often needed a mouse as a pointer device during text editing... I’ll be jumping on this as soon as it’s available...
    This.  Selecting/copying/pasting text on the iPad (and iPhone) is an exercise in frustration.  
    StrangeDaysMplsPmuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 16 of 24
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    entropys said:

    crowley said:
    If it encourages keeping the hands on the table and not having to reach up to tap the screen, I'm all for it. It makes sense for the same reasons it doesn't make sense to add touchscreens to Macs... Operating the device from the keyboard & trackpad/mouse could increase productivity, and unlike the Mac, the iPadOS UI is already designed with bigger UI elements & targets, designed for the finger -- so using an iPadOS pointing device only makes them even easier to hit. (On a Mac, the UI is designed for the smaller click targets of a pointing device, penalizing bigger, finger-based input).

    Should be interesting, and probably about time. The challenge will be ensuring developers don't design explicitly for pointing device input, and maintain finger-based UI targets as-is.
    If they did that I'd bet money their app doesn't get accepted in the App Store.  Apple is strict about things like that.
    I’m not sure that’d even be necessary. As a proportion, how many iPads would be bought with this accessory?  50% maybe?  What app developer would limit their market to half its potential for the sake of some bigger touch/click targets, unless they really needed to?  And if they need to, then why not let them, the iPad would benefit from more software, even if it occasionally comes with an additional hardware requirement. Some software already has additional hardware requirements, so it’s not such a radical idea.
    Adobe would. Because they are adobe.
    Maybe that's alright.  Would a Photoshop where most tools are buried three menus or scroll screens deep because the icons have to be so large really be that good?  Some software is complicated and needs to fit a lot on screen.

    As long as it's not a majority of software I don't see it being much of a problem, and since developers are hardly likely to code for a more limited audience deliberately then it's unlikely to be a large scale thing.
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 24
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,322member
    entropys said:
    lkrupp said:
    Apple should just slap it into a Chromebook style case and call it the ARM Mac. Mouse, keyboard, trackpad? The iPad is dead as we know and love it. 
    Well it would be an iOS device, not a MacOS device.quite a bit different to a Mac, performance and use cases. So it would signal the iPad has vanquished the Mac. It’s doable, I have gone without an Mac for 11 months with just an iPad Pro at home and while commuting.
     
    Mind you, given how the Mac has been treated for the last few years, with long, long gaps between updates, dodgy keyboards, locking down hardware and OS updates that are, well let’s just say not at the standards Mac users expect, a conspiracy minded person might think that has been the plan all along, just it’s taken a bit longer than expected to execute.

    It will be an iPadOS device which frankly needs to be unleashed from both MacOS and iOS conventions to allow it to shine. iOS tap targets are to large MacOS too small for iPad. The interface can use any number of accessories but can only really rely on the touch screen.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 24
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,886member
    ITGUYINSD said:
    macky the macky said:
    I’ve often needed a mouse as a pointer device during text editing... I’ll be jumping on this as soon as it’s available...
    This.  Selecting/copying/pasting text on the iPad (and iPhone) is an exercise in frustration.  
    It really is. Especially on certain websites with javascript events attached to their text boxes (cough this website), it can be extremely frustrating. (tho to be fair text selection on this site has gotten better in the past year...hoping someone applied forum bug fixes at some point). 
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 24
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,931member
    StrangeDays said:
    ITGUYINSD said:
    macky the macky said:
    I’ve often needed a mouse as a pointer device during text editing... I’ll be jumping on this as soon as it’s available...
    This.  Selecting/copying/pasting text on the iPad (and iPhone) is an exercise in frustration.  
    It really is. Especially on certain websites with javascript events attached to their text boxes (cough this website), it can be extremely frustrating. (tho to be fair text selection on this site has gotten better in the past year...hoping someone applied forum bug fixes at some point). 
    That’s one of my main uses for the Apple Pencil. I either use it or I use shift-arrow on my keyboard to select text on my iPad. I feel like my fingers are getting fatter as I age because selecting text on my iPhone or iPad keeps getting harder and less accurate.
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 24
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Serious mistake. Apple aren’t being harsh enough on lazy software and this will give developers a perfect reason not to bother investing in touch UI design or even writing native apps at all. This single move will render the iPadOS as impotent as Windows10.
    Keep mouse support for accessibility only.

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