iOS 13 makes it possible to use a keyboard and mouse to control your iPad. But one enterprising YouTuber has shown that it’s equally possible to rig up an old-school Macintosh keyboard and mouse to control an iPhone.
Sure, it’s a bit fiddly, but it’s undeniably fun in a geeky kind of way. You can check out the oddball demonstration in the video below.
Getting the iPhone X to work this way is actually surprisingly easy. It involves the iOS 13 feature making it possible to use a mouse to control an iPad. This accessibility feature is intended to make the iPad easier to use for some users. However, YouTuber Napabar shows that the same principle can be used for the iPhone X.
To get the connections to work, Napabar used a USB adaptor for the old-style RJ11 and serial connectors of the keyboard and mouse. This USB cable was then plugged into a hub, allowing it to work with a Lightning connector. The rest is just about configuring assistive touch in the iOS 13 Accessibility menu.
Would you ever want to do this? I’m assuming not. But it’s an amusing hack of sorts. And, as the resident “Today in Apple history” writer, I’m all for anything that nods to the classic era of the Mac.
