Since I didn't expect a modern smartphone to lack such a primitive feature, I spent some time the other day trying to figure out why both my Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard and my husband's Apple Wireless Keyboard
My Archos 5 Internet Tablet, which runs Android 1.6 without all of the Google goodies, can do it with no problem so I just assumed that a device with "real" Android would be able to as well. I never bothered confirming that assumption with my Nexus One since it was better to use in my hands than on a table with peripherals connected to it. But if I had tried it, I would've found out a while ago that non-rooted Android phones don't support Bluetooth HID (the profile needed to connect keyboards and mice). That would've saved me from being disappointed by the HTC EVO for the first time.
I don't know why I wanted to use a Bluetooth keyboard with the EVO; HTC's lovely on-screen keyboard is perfectly suitable for the amount of text input I would ever do on a phone. I can't do my work (Pocketables, the forum, and now this site) on any smartphone because I'm really picky about what I want to do and how I want to do it, but when I start mentally composing entire paragraphs of a post I want to write, I often thumb-type it on whatever handheld I'm using and email it to myself.
So I was thinking that I'd do that on the EVO, but with a Bluetooth keyboard since it's so much faster than thumb-typing.
Of course by the time I retrieved the keyboards, changed the batteries, turned on the EVO's Bluetooth, and began to pair the devices, I was really looking forward to sitting in my usual spot in the living room, taking my Sony Vaio Z off the tray table I use as a desk, setting up my EVO and keyboards (I was planning to test both), and typing away. I was even going to write a quick post about how well it worked and how mobile computing is all about personal choice.
Instead, I'm writing about how it all didn't work and showing you how both keyboards were "paired but not connected."
There are some Android apps that enable Bluetooth keyboard use, but they're incomplete (e.g., KeyPro isn't compatible with my keyboards) or ridiculous (e.g, BlueInput supports my ThinkOutside keyboard but it doesn't register punctuation marks, numbers, the space bar, or the enter key!). Most other solutions require root. The HTC EVO has been rooted, yes, but the details haven't been released yet.
So just in case you didn't know before that the EVO (and other non-rooted Android phones) can't be connected to a Bluetooth keyboard, you know that now.
Thanks for providing the lo-down on bluetooth keyboards and the Evo. I have to admit I’m a little disappointed. I too have the stowaway, and one of the reasons why I’m switching from my Palm Pre was the lack of bluetooth keyboard support.
I guess I had wrongly assumed that a platform as mature as Android would have native bluetooth keyboard support. Oops.
Well written article. Short and to the point.
ah crap. Not another phone that should be able to use a bluetooth keyboard but can’t. I bought a Pre thinking it would be able to do so (geeze all the other Palm phones can use their bluetooth keyboards) but not the Pre? and supposedly not the EVO either. Darn. You’ll excuse me if I wait until they drop in a proper Bluetooth stack for the EVO. When a company says “the check is in the mail” or the loan is assumable” I always feel like I’m left waiting at the alter while the company moves heaven and earth to make sure PacMan will run.
Have you seen this yet?
http://www.tombom.co.uk/blog/?p=124
someone was able to use a simple hack to connect a USB keyboard to their Droid phone. (no rooting required… just making a dongle and plugging it in at the right time during boot up)
What if you turn off the HTC Sense and use the stock 2.1 Android? Does that fix the Bluetooth problem?
No, Android 2.1 simply doesn’t support Bluetooth HID (the profile needed to connect BT keyboards and mice).
I’m interested to see an update to this. Will this work with Froyo? Have any of the apps been updated to an acceptable level?
Just makes me curious how this works then: http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-69354.html. Personally, I would love to create a docking station for my Evo when I am at home. Could almost get along without my PC at that point.
The Freedom Pro Bluetooth keyboard works with the Evo.
If anyone is into bleeding edge… the nightly builds of cyanogenmod 6 custom ROM bring full Bluetooth HID support to the EVO. Keyboards, mice, Wii controllers, etc… http://www.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=729367
Appreciate the input. I ordered myself one. Hope everything will go smoothly. Thanks again.
Using Cyanogen I’ve been able to pair to a Apple Magic Mouse and a Wii controller but not my Apple Wireless Keyboard… anyone else having that problem?
Brian,
Any idea why it worked for you even though Jenn K. Lee said above on 6/12 (to another Brian: “No, Android 2.1 simply doesn’t support Bluetooth HID”?
Thanks!
Jonathan
I found the following answer as to why the Freedom Pro works and others do not at the following site: “Freedom Pro Bluetooth Keyboard Android 2.1 (and apparently 2.2) does not support Bluetooth HID, so most bluetooth keyboards will not work yet on Android mobile phones. Fortunately, the Freedom Pro keyboard can use HID or SPP bluetooth.”
http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Pro-Bluetooth-Keyboard/product-reviews/B0030IT6AO/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
“4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Awesome accessory for Evo 4g Android phone!, June 22, 2010
By imrational – See all my reviews Freedom Pro Bluetooth Keyboard
Android 2.1 (and apparently 2.2) does not support Bluetooth HID, so most bluetooth keyboards will not work yet on Android mobile phones.
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from:
Fortunately, the Freedom Pro keyboard can use HID or SPP bluetooth. The makers of the keyboard are extremely dedicated in getting their keyboard to sync and give frequent feedback to customers.
From my keyboard, I can write in “Docs to Go” or other word processing programs, hit a key and load “Music”, select and play music, then flip back to my word processor.
Compared with the fastest texting keyboard on my phone, when using the Freedom Pro, I’m typing at least two to three times faster.
I highly recommend this product.
If you are still looking, this person discovered a way to link the ThinkOutside HID keyboard with a DroidX: http://www.droidxforums.com/forum/droid-x-general-discussion/11135-droid-x-think-outside-stowaway-keyboard.html
Thanks Jason!!!! I’LL LOOK INTO THAT – I guess this is just a dashed hope that Google was really committed to open standards. I think ill still get a EVO this week. But I was hoping be able to starttraveling without my laptop as a result. Oh well. At least the features are in development so I can look forward to it in the two years I’m likely to keep the EVO.
Anyone trying KeyPro?
Have you tried Apple’s Magic Trackpad? Any specific instructions?
there is some kind of new app called wifi keyboard in the app market. It has a widget that toggles the text input method, and then you open up a browser on a computer and enter the address it gives you. It works like a dream. My xperia x10 with android 1.6 doesn’t have a keyboard on it, but all the keyboard shortcuts still work. I can navigate through my phone with the arrow keys, typing is instantaneous, and opera mobile even showed a cursor that moved with the arrow keys.
It’s not very convenient having to open op your browser, why not just use the computer right? It just made me want a bluetooth keyboard even more. But if you have some kind of wirelss keyboard on your computer it might work for you.
What about this lil guy? Wouldnt mind physically hacking it up a bit to fit my EVO:
http://www.boxwave.com/products/keyboardbuddycase/apple-iphone-4-keyboard-buddy-case_3968.htm
I wrote about this problem for the HTC Hero, and called it an “idiot-savant.” It does some things really well, but it can’t tie its shoes. HTC apparently does not care, and the argument I heard was that the Hero was old technology so they weren’t going to waste time making Bluetooth keyboards work.
The Apple Wireless Keyboard paired and connected with the iPad, out of box, probably 1.5 minutes.
Same reasons, wanted to power email, blog and wordprocess, with a comfortable life-sized real keyboard that I could “touch type” with.
Don’t buy an HTC phone until you have proof that they support Bluetooth keyboards!
I just tried mgvh solution for the Thinkoutside HID keyboard, and this worked for HTC Evo 3D and the Freedom Universal keyboard. Open the settings on the Evo, run bluetooth but dont pair with the keyboard yet. Turn the keyboard on to HID, then press Ctrl, Fn, and Alt Gr on the keyboard. Now pair with the keyboard, it should give you a code other than 0000, i had to hit cancel, but it attempted to pair a second time and now is fully connected to the Evo. Thanks mgvh for the solution, i have been looking for this for weeks.