Keynote Remote won't connect MacBook to iPad/iPhone

Question

Keynote Remote won't connect MacBook to iPad/iPhone

I have a two year old MacBook Pro and a 7-8 year old MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro and an iPhone 15 Pro.

I have used an iPad as a remote with Keynote years ago very successfully. However, when I have tried to do this recently it doesn't work.

These are the steps:

Open a keynote file on Mac
Open Keynote App on Phone/ipad
click Settings in keynote on Mac - Remote is enabled
Click remote in app on iPad/iphone
click devices and add a device
iPhone or iPad finds MacBook and "Link" shows in MacBook setting - click it.
4 digit code pops up on iPad and MacBook - click confirm
Ipad/iPhone then says "Looking for *** MacBook"
Then it says "Make sure keynote is open on *** MacBook and that your devices are on the same network"

I checked

Both devices are on the same network - it's a standard home wifi network with high speeds and I'm sitting next to the router. (I'm in the UK and it's BT)
Blue tooth is on on all devices

I tried every permutation of devices, each time clearing all links and restarting devices, repairing and same result.

I've just tried again this morning with Keynote 15.1 on all devices and still nothing.

I'm going into the office later and I'll try there in case it's my network that's the problem

I would be glad to hear any suggestions.

MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 2024)

Posted on Jan 29, 2026 1:24 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

InquisitiveS

Level 1

8 points

Jan 31, 2026 8:42 AM in response to Sazzarocksdahouse

I have the same problem. With the new version of Keynote on my M1 MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and iPhone 17, the MacBook says that a bluetooth connection with the MacBook is unsupported, and the Remote function does not work.

However, using the older version of Keynote on the MacBook, and the new version on my iPad and iPhone, the Remote function works. By deduction, the problem is with the new version of Keynote on the MacBook.

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Answer 2

Feb 1, 2026 8:21 AM in response to Camelot

You're right.

I had the same issue. I resolved it with :

1 - Open old Keynote and dissociate your phone, close old keynote

2- Open Keynote 15 and associate your phone and it works.

So it seems you couldn't link your phone with two different versions of Keynote.

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Answer 3

Camelot

Level 9

58,647 points

Jan 29, 2026 12:40 PM in response to Sazzarocksdahouse

Has it ever worked for you? or have you never used it before on this combination of Mac/iPhone?

Are you running the same version on both? There was just a new version of Keynote released (15.1)

It seems that iOS automatically updates to 15.1, whereas MacOS lets you retain the previous version 14.4.

A quick test shows iOS (15.1) will control a Mac running Keynote 15.1, but won't connect to a Mac running Keynote 14.4, so it might be a version conflict issue.

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Answer 4

Camelot

Level 9

58,647 points

Jan 31, 2026 12:44 PM in response to InquisitiveS

> the problem is with the new version of Keynote on the MacBook

If only it were that simple...

I have Keynote 14.5 and Keynote 15.1 on my MacBook Pro

I have Keynote 15.1 on my iPhone.

The iPhone is able to connect to, and control, both versions of Keynote (although I have to relink the phone and the Mac each time I switch versions).

So it is not a matter of just 'Keynote on MacOS' being the problem. It's more subtle than that.

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