Here’s how it works and how to configure a mouse on iOS 13 and iPadOS

Yesterday was a very important day for Apple as it introduced new operating systems aimed at improving the current ones, something that was not easy at all. One of the protagonists was iOS 13 which, to everyone’s surprise, was divided in two, a version for iPhone and another for iPad .

This change doesn’t seem very profound right now but it is to be expected that in the future Apple will treat the iPhone and the iPad differently . However, both systems share the vast majority of new features, including support for a mouse.

It’s something that’s been rumoured these past few weeks and we’ve been able to see it firsthand with the first iOS 13 and iPadOS beta that you can now install on your devices. Now you can connect a mouse to your iPhone or iPad and that’s how it works.

The mouse operation in iOS 13 or iPadOS is not intended to replace your fingers. Apple has included it as an additional accessibility option. This means that it is intended for people who for some reason cannot operate the device with their fingers but can use a mouse . Without the need for a mouse, it may be useful for many other users in certain applications.

To connect a Bluetooth mouse to your iPhone or iPad with iOS 13 or iPadOS, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and click on the new Accessibility option.
• Now go into Touch and press AssistiveTouch.
• A little further down is a section called Pointing devices.
• Click on Devices and put the mouse in sync mode.
• Once the mouse appears, it connects to your iOS or iPadOS device.
• Now just go back and activate AssistiveTouch at the top.

Within these AssistiveTouch we have several settings that we can modify like the cursor speed, the color or the size . The start button and some other options will appear in the classic AssistiveTouch button on one side of the screen.

This is a small breakthrough that many expected, however it is something that is very targeted at a certain type of user who cannot easily interact with touch screens. Both iOS and iPadOS are still systems designed to be used with the fingers and not with a mouse.