iPad 2 and Apple wireless keyboard (function keys not working)...

I have the same issue -- new A1314 keyboard, iOS 4.3.5 (8L1) iPad 2. Keyboard pairs flawlessly and types beautifully, but all function keys save the virtual keyboard key are nonfunctional.

Hopefully this problem is just a minor compatibility issue, and will be addressed in the upcoming iOS 5 release. That seems likely to me, since the "problem" keyboard is the one designed to work with Lion, and iOS 5 promises to share some analogues of Lion's new features. Maybe this is a "bug" that is actually a "feature waiting to be implemented."

Ciao Dah*veed. Such helpful input you were providing anyhow.

If Dah*veed is right this "Apple Support Cummunity" forum is pointless as it apparently does not lead to anything being done about it by Apple, just a place for us lowly scum to vent our frustrations.

That being the case I'll give Apple a call today and give them the link to this discussion so they can see that there is a real problem which needs addressing.

I just proved that the problem is defective keyboards. I went to the local Apple store and tried my keyboard on one of their iPads. The control keys on the top row did not work. Then I tried one of their keyboards on my machine and it did work. So I purchased a new one and will return the one I got from Apple online.

So if you have a keyboard with keys on the top row that don't control brightness or volume, take or send it back. It's a lemon.

Bob Jones

Before you jump to that conclusion, did you check the model numbers on the back of the keyboards to see if they were different? Does the replacement one you purchased which now apparently works on your iPad have the new F4 button with the new Lion OSX function to bring up the iOS style springboard (6x2 rows of squares on the button)? If not then it could be an earlier model you purchased as a replacement.

The newest A1314 model is designed for Lion and I can confirm that all the function buttons do work on my wife's MacBook Pro running the new Lion OSX, so the function buttons do work, just not with the iPad iOS 4.3.5.

As Wanderc has mentioned I also think that this will be addressed in either the next iOS 4.X update or when iOS 5 comes out. The function keys probably do send different codes than the previous model which is yet to be catered to in iOS.

OK, this issue does appear to be specifically linked to "MC184LL/B" as written on the box it comes in. Since 2009 it has been model A1314 on the base of the keyboard however the latest update in the last month has the added function buttons for Lion on the Mac. So we just need to wait for an update on iOS devices to support the function keys on MC184LL/B. So if anyone posts their model number it may be better if you state the ID shown in bold on the side of the box it came in rather than the model number maked on the bottom of the keyboard. At least that way we can see if it is really linked to MC184LL/B.

Okay, let's straighten this out:

I have keyboard model mc184ll/b.

I have an original iPad (mk. 1) running 4.3.5 (8L1)

The only functionality I have is text and numeric entry. The upper right "show virtual keyboard" sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. That is my story. Thank you to the poster who is going to bring this to the attention of apple. You see, it did do some good posting our gripes here.

I found that the show virtual keyboard (eject button I think) only works when your cursor is in a text entry area. Basically the only places where you would have the normal on screen kb pop up.

Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for clearing that issue up!

Seems there are limited ways to raise an issue with Apple. I've called them and the only suggestion was to go to www.apple.com/feedback and raise the issue there. So that feedback is in the system however I think anyone else with the same issue should also do the same. I figure the more people who raise the same issue via the feedback page the more chance of Apple actually taking notice and doing something about it.

Wanting to buy a keyboard and reading this thread, I went to a local Best Buy. They had quite a few of the wireless keyboards out. They had (A) models and (B) models.

ALL of the (A) models worked perfectly with the iPad (typing, brightness, volume, ipod functions, etc).

NONE of the (B) models worked other than basic typing.

They had a stack of maybe 50 new wireless keyboards on the shelf. All but two of them were (B) models.

I got one of the two (A) models. It is working perfectly on my iPad.

Thank you so much for this observation. Someone who know how, PLEASE forward this thread to Apple so they can help us. I bought one from my iPad and got a model B. I really would like to get more out of it than typing!

can confirm that Lear Pilot is correct. I bought a model MC184LL/B keyboard, and the only function key that worked was the keyboard screen button (eject button on keyboard). After reading this thread, I returned my keyboard and exchanged for a MC184LL/A keyboard, and all of the functions you would expect to work on an iPad 2 are functional, ie volume, playback, brightness, etc. If you can find a store that still has any "A" model keyboards, exchange it for one of those, you will have full capabilities with your iPad 2.

My keyboard is an A1314 and can be used only for typing - the function keys don't work at all with my iPad (iPad 1). Maybe this is a different keyboard serial number because I'm in the UK - if I search for the MC184LL/A serial number, Google returns USA sites. I'm still left with a brand new keyboard that only does half its job, and lots of other people complaining about the same thing. Why does no-one take any notice?

A1314 is the generic model number for all current wireless keyboards. Look on the serial code/bar code of the box that your keyboard came in. It will be listed as either MC184LL/A or MC184LL/B. The "B" coded packages are the keyboards that are not 100% compatible, while the "A" coded packages have use of the other functions on your iPad. I have seen that the difference is that the "B" coded keyboards have the new function keys for OS X Lion, while the "A" coded keyboards have the box around the window tiles on F3 (no surrounding box on the "B" keyboards), and there is an odometer logo (dashboard) on the F4 key, as opposed to the 3x2 square logos on the "B" keyboards. Bummer that the newer version of the keyboard is the faulty one, but i'm sure that if you get a keyboard to use with a Mac, you'll be able to set your function keys to fit the new OS X still.

I want to reiterate that the Model (B) keyboard is probably not faulty, per se, just not yet supported by software. It seems highly likely that this new configuration will be supported in an upcoming iOS release. (See above on this thread.)