How to Switch an Apple Wireless Keyboard to Discoverable Mode
By Nicole Vulcan
With an Apple wireless keyboard, you can move around the room with your keyboard, so long as you're within about 33 feet of your computer. Before you can do this, though, you'll need to get your keyboard "paired" with your computer via a Bluetooth connection. The first step is to set your keyboard into "discoverable" mode. When it's in that mode, the keyboard sends out a signal that allows it to pair with your computer. If you've had your keyboard paired with another Mac, it will have to be unpaired before it can be paired with your new computer.
Step 1
Turn on your keyboard by pressing the On/Off button on the side of the keyboard, along the top right side. This causes your keyboard's LED to blink, indicating that it's in discoverable mode.
Step 2
Click the Apple icon from the top left of your Mac computer screen and then select "System Preferences." Click "View" and then "Keyboard."
Step 3
Click "Set Up Bluetooth Keyboard."
Step 4
Select your keyboard from the list of Bluetooth devices that appear on the screen. Then follow the prompts until you get to the screen that asks you to enter the on-screen passkey.
Step 5
Type the passkey numbers that appear on your screen, using your wireless keyboard, and then press "Enter/Return." Your keyboard and computer should now work together.
References
Tips
- If you're having trouble getting the keyboard to blink to indicate the "discoverable" mode, check its batteries. You can access the battery storage by turning the circular covering at the side of the keyboard, on the top left, to open it.
- You can unpair a keyboard by navigating to the Mac's System Preferences, clicking "View" and then "Keyboard," clicking on the name of the keyboard and then clicking "Delete" from the bottom of the Keyboard window.
Writer Bio
Nicole Vulcan has been a journalist since 1997, covering parenting and fitness for The Oregonian, careers for CareerAddict, and travel, gardening and fitness for Black Hills Woman and other publications. Vulcan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from the University of Minnesota. She's also a lifelong athlete and is pursuing certification as a personal trainer.