I need to use a mouse with my ipad pro. What gives?

As was previously pointed out, iOS 13 is making more use of finger gestures to control onscreen text and data content which seems to be a good compromise for the absence of a mouse or trackpad.

Bluetooth keyboards have always been available for iPads long before Apple introduced its own.

And third party stylus makers were making smart styluses ( still are ) for iPads long before Apple introduced the Apple Pencil.

Adobe, sometime this year, is releasing its full Photoshop version for iOS, once again, without the need for any mouse or trackpad.

And, Tim Cook has repeatedly stated that both iOS/macOS will share some feature overlap, but these OSes will remain mostly separate from each other iOS will never become macOS and macOS will never become iOS.

Having a full OS on a smaller touch tablet screen is unwiedly, as evidence by full Windows OS on Surface tablets.

All of the UI elements are simply too small to be able to use finger touch most times.

iPads and iOS will remain largely what is has always been...a predominantly finger touch screen interface.

I, also, noted that iOS 13/iPadOS is giving iPads closer spaced columns of apps, now, giving larger iPads/iPad Pros an extra column of apps. Nice.

The ability to open more than one instance of an app. A version of the macOS Exposé feature on iOS. That's another great feature.

Support, finally, for direct connection of flash memory drives and other external drives.

Not sure if this will be a new iOS 13 feature exclusive to the new 2018 iPad Pro models, though, with the USB-C connection.

This may not be available to older iPad Pro models that still use the Lightning connector, I fear.

Lots of cool features to look forward to in iOS 13 and more for iPads and iPad Pro models.

The issue is not finger gestures. It’s reaching toward the screen to touch it. As the Apple engineer pointed out in the article I linked to, it’s the reaching that causes shoulder problems. I know. I experienced it and had to stop using my ipad. It’s okay for silly things like You Tube or social media, but if you are trying to write a serious 300 page document using a bluetooth keyboard and ipad and have to keep reaching to touch your screen, it is bad for your shoulder.

I have been using iPads for 8 years for lots at various tasks and have yet to experience any arm or shoulder issues, as yet.

But I treat my iPads more like an idea and sketchbook/sketch/drawing pad and do a lots of digital art and hand lettering on my iPads.

So I am always in constant contact with my iPad screen most times.

Plus, I use the onscreen keyboard all the time and do not use a separate Bluetooth keyboard.

So I am never sporatically reaching out to tap the iPad screen then go back to typing on an external keyboard.

I only do short spurts of writing and note writing on my iPads.

I have never tried to write an actual book/novel on an iPad, but I suspect if I did, I still would not use an external Bluetooth keyboard.

After 8-years of using iPads, I am pretty well adept and adapted to using the iOS onboard virtual keyboard.

I even use a third party virtual keyboard app that helps me more to be even more efficient with my typing with using an onscreen, virtual keyboard.

I certainly hope so. I’ve stopped using my ipad because of shoulder and neck strain when used with a bluetooth keyboard. It would be so nice to be able to use it like in the adverts as a portable computer for editing long documents.

"I think perhaps you don't understand the meaning of 'troll'...."

Your stilted defense of lkrupp notwithstanding, the definition of "troll" you provided clearly reflects his/her intent with the "dumb idea" comment. Thank you for that.

"Speculation about future Apple plans is prohibited by the Terms of Use to which we all agreed when we signed up."

Mouse support in iOS/iPadOS is no longer speculation, and while we're being pedantic I'm surprised you didn't reprimand lkrupp for violating item 2.2 of the Use Agreement: Be Polite.

I note with some satisfaction that the cabal of naysayers in this thread who continued their chorus of "mouse support in iOS is antithetical to the platform, is a dumb idea and will never happen" until a few days ago, have largely been silent after yesterday's announcements. We now know mouse support will happen in iOS/iPadOS, it will make a very large number of users happy and will in no way impact the experience of those who are opposed, rationally or otherwise, to the very idea. It just seems like everyone wins, save perhaps Apple if this leads to a material decline in MacBook sales.

Gongfermor wrote:

Mouse support in iOS/iPadOS is no longer speculation, and while we're being pedantic I'm surprised you didn't reprimand lkrupp for violating item 2.2 of the Use Agreement: Be Polite.

If it's not speculation, why do the hosts keep removing the links people are posting.

lkrupp said he thought a proposed feature was dumb. Nothing wrong with that. Had he said you were dumb, that would have been rude.

best of both worlds Michel ;)

Mouse option is obviously an accessibility option for now, but if Apple allows it, having now the possibility of a visible cursor, developers will most probably adapt their software for both worlds. Someone pointed out the danger of it though, making some software impossible to drive without a mouse, but we are not there yet ;)

I was definitely convinced they would not implement it so early to avoid cannibalizing MBs, I have to happily admit I was wrong...

Next computer for my daughter will certainly be not a macbook air as I first envisaged (to renew the MBP I gave her), a magic mouse, a keyboard, a stylus, and an external SSD drive on a IpadPro version with sim card. have always been worried to give her a macbook as she is a real dummy with computers, here we are...best of both worlds...She is already an expert on touch gesture (she is an iphone iPad addict since she is 5) and will definitely appreciate the mouse for her university work

maybe because the iOS 13 they were given were under NDA? dunno, just speculating as well, you have to admit the video is quite real (and viral btw)

This is a testing version if I am not wrong, they may end up removing the option, but what it shows at the very least, is that they envisage it as a serious option....

Istyrl wrote:

maybe because the iOS 13 they were given were under NDA? dunno, just speculating as well, you have to admit the video is quite real (and viral btw)

This is a testing version if I am not wrong, they may end up removing the option, but what it shows at the very least, is that they envisage it as a serious option....

I don't actually care one way or the other.

Exactly. I would like people to try the experience first. Work on editing word documents or excel or any other document for over four hours touching the screen doing this and doing that and see how your neck and shoulders feel.

For me, I NEVER expected my iPad to work like a laptop, so not a truly valid point since iPad has NEVER offered mouse support before. Anyone who purchased one and was disappointed didn't do due diligence to begin with. That doesn't mean I won't use a mouse with my iPad if I have that option. It's that I never expected to be able to and for documents that might take hours to write, they are written on my laptop, not my iPad.

Yep. Not easy swallowing the thought that one was wrong especially when the word “never” is used. I try to be careful before using that word. Phablet iPhone (Never), it happened. Stylus (Never) it happened. Mouse support (Never) it may happen. (Thanks for correction rbrylawski)

For me i did not buy the iPad because I wanted mouse support. In fact i did not want it. I like using touch. But, as i started using the New iPad Pro more as my main machine, working on editing docs, I started to develop neck and should strain after 4-5 hours of use. When i go back to my MacBook Air, am fine, so then realised it’s because i reach out to touch the screen all the time when editing documents. I even started using my Apple Pencil to touch the screen so I won’t have to reach out but that helped only a bit. That was when i realise it’s not going to work for me using the iPad as mostly my main machine.

So you’ve nailed it there. You prefer writing documents that require longer time on your Mac, others don’t. Different workflows. Anyway am glad with the update that is coming.... This will make me pick it up and work longer on it.

Even if mouse support comes, I will not likely use it to replace my high end laptop. The form factor of iPad while a wonderful contraption, still isn't a full size 17" laptop screen. And until MS releases a full fledged version of Word for iPad, my laptop will still be my main driver for work and documents.

agreed, I use both of them as well, 15 inches under steroids windows computer (lets call it a mobile desktop instead of a laptop), and an Ipad pro when I travel

When I bought it, i thought (wrongly) it would be able to fullfill all my needs in term of report editing, article writings and report writing, then powerpoint building. I have to admit that the Ipad was definitely not be the best tool because of the lack of a mouse (among other things with the lack of serious professional editing applications).

Now if this is proven right, the integration of mouse support will be a game changer for me, with the flexible keyboard, the stylus (that I use a lot), my external SSD and a mouse support , I will probably leave my PC at home when i am flying and will save something like 5kg in my backpack...I will definitely use my laptop at home or at the office, the computing power i need for modeling is out of reach for an Ipad at this stage (I am convinced that at some point , what i do now will be doable on a lighter computer, but we are not there yet).

but for me, in a plane on long distance flights almost twice a month, this will change my way of working, definitely. Not going to be drastic changes, i already use my ipad on flights and at the hotel, but had to carry my super heavy laptop.

And for people that need a computer, for basic work, not willing to jump into the Ipad word, it is a no brainer, why buy a Macbook air when you can have a more powerfull, lighter, smarter computer in the form of a tablet that you can set as a desktop when you need...not even mentioning people that have no clue about maintaining a computer properly and wont have to think about it at all with iOS...(my daughter!)