# Can I pair an Apple wireless keyboard with an Android (?) tablet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260 "2018-06-17T14:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/1 "2018-06-17T14:44:25Z")
Mrs. L.A. will soon be issued a tablet to replace her PC laptop. I assume, but do not know, the tablet will have an Android OS. She wants a keyboard to use with it. I have an Apple wireless keyboard that I’m not using. I’ve just paired it to my MacBook Pro, and it works fine. Can my wife use it with her tablet when she gets it? ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/2 "2018-06-17T16:40:48Z")
No tablet handy but I just paired my Apple keyboard to my wife’s work phone running Android 5.1. Worked just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/3 "2018-06-17T17:02:26Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > No tablet handy but I just paired my Apple keyboard to my wife’s work phone running Android 5.1. Worked just fine. I have an LG Tribute phone. (Almost no memory, but I’m not a mobile-phone guy anyway.) I’ve just tried to pair the keyboard to it, but the phone isn’t finding the keyboard when I ‘Search for devices’. Thanks, and fingers crossed it will work when Mrs. L.A. gets the tablet. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/4 "2018-06-18T03:19:10Z")
Make sure you unpair the keyboard from the Macbook Pro. I have one too, paired to my Apple TV. I tried to pair it to my iPad but it wasn’t visible unless I put it into pairing mode. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/5 "2018-06-18T04:07:49Z")
How do I un-pair it? ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/6 "2018-06-18T04:36:16Z")
My computer was off when I tried this, as was the keyboard. Phone had Bluetooth off as well. I held the KB power button down until the green light started flashing. Turned on Bluetooth on the phone and the keyboard shows up, no name, just a hex id. Tapped on it and it connected. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/7 "2018-06-18T13:25:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > How do I un-pair it? The Android standard Bluetooth settings app has a list of devices it’s been paired with. (At least, once Bluetooth is switched on.) There will either be a gear icon to the right or a submenu that appears if you long-press the device entry, and on that submenu should be a trashcan icon or a button labeled “forget” to unpair that device. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/8 "2018-06-18T14:06:56Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > The Android standard Bluetooth settings app has a list of devices it’s been paired with. (At least, once Bluetooth is switched on.) There will either be a gear icon to the right or a submenu that appears if you long-press the device entry, and on that submenu should be a trashcan icon or a button labeled “forget” to unpair that device. The keyboard is paired with my MacBook. How do I un-pair it so I can attempt to pair it with the phone? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/9 "2018-06-18T15:30:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The keyboard is paired with my MacBook. How do I un-pair it so I can attempt to pair it with the phone? You don’t. Pairing isn’t exclusive. Your keyboard will happily hook up with anything you pair it with. Most of the _selectivity_ of Bluetooth is on the host end (computer, tablet, etc.), Not the peripheral end. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pair-an-apple-wireless-keyboard-with-an-android-tablet/816260/10 "2018-06-20T04:25:37Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The keyboard is paired with my MacBook. How do I un-pair it so I can attempt to pair it with the phone? If your MacBook is on when you try to pair with the phone, you may have an issue, but I wasn’t quite right about unpairing. You should just be able to put the keyboard in pairing mode and the phone will see it as a device it can pair with. To pair, just push the power/pair button until the LED flashes.