Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse with Nexus 5?

[ptonantryloc]

Has anyone paired a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with their Nexus 5 phone? I assume the pairing will work, but will the keyboard and mouse function as expected throughout the phone? If that works, would it be possible to cast the phone display out to a big screen of some sort with something like Google's Chromecast? Or, would the latency of the Chromecast make typing/mousing impractical?

 

[flick0416]

I would assume the bluetooth portion of that setup would work fine. I haven't tried it myself, so can't speak from experience, but I'd expect that the keyboard/mouse would work just fine.

Regarding casting it to your TV, it wouldn't work with Chromecast. Chromecast only works with specific apps (they're listed in the Play Store) or the Chrome browser. Miracast would be the way to go for that. You'd have to get a Miracast-compatible dongle (I believe NetGear has one, and I think Belkin just came out with one too) or TV (I believe most new LG TV's and others have Miracast built-in). At that point, you should be able to mirror your phone on the TV.

It's an intriguing idea, and one I hadn't thought of before, so keep us posted on what you end up doing.

 

[ptonantryloc]

It's actually just an off-the-wall idea I was kicking around for my daughter-in-law. She's using a 6 year old desktop computer that's starting to die. I was wondering if it might be possible for her to do word-processing by "docking" the Nexus 5 in this way. She could probably keep her documents out on Google Drive and use Google Docs to write. Or do the equivalent on Microsoft's side with SkyDrive and its Office Web Apps or Office 2013/365.

EDIT: I've done a bit more research on the Chromecast and Miracast. As you said, it looks like the Chromecast definitely won't work for this. Unfortunately, from what I've read, it looks like the Miracast latency would be big enough to make keyboard/mouse work a bit awkward.

I see that USB to HDMI cables exist. Has anyone used such a thing to mirror a phone's screen to a television or monitor? Is there even any way to tell the phone to "cast" the screen out that port?

 

[flick0416]

It's actually just an off-the-wall idea I was kicking around for my daughter-in-law. She's using a 6 year old desktop computer that's starting to die. I was wondering if it might be possible for her to do word-processing by "docking" the Nexus 5 in this way. She could probably keep her documents out on Google Drive and use Google Docs to write. Or do the equivalent on Microsoft's side with SkyDrive and its Office Web Apps or Office 2013/365.

In that case, if she's willing/able to use Google Docs/Drive, you'd probably be better off spending a few hundred bucks on a Chromebook. Now, that might actually work with the Chromecast, since technically that would be through the Chrome browser. I'm not sure exactly how that integrates with the Chromebook though.

 

[p g p]

I paired both my Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse to my N5: they work like a charm!
After setting the correct language layout for the keyboard, and lowering the pointer speed for the mouse (yes, android has even these settings) you're done: the capacitive area of the Magic Mouse can be used to scroll webpages, and the function keys of the keyboard can control brightness, volume and even media player without needing any further drivers or applications!
These Bluetooth peripherals come in very handy when displaying your phone's screen on a HDTV via the Slimport adaptor, too here in Italy the Chromecast isn't available, so that's all I could do to use my N5 as a PC.

I can confirm there's no latency, and everything works properly: you can also use "ESC" as a back button, and the multitasking screen can be displayed by pressing Ctrl+tab.

Inviato dal mio Nexus 5 utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[p g p]

Sorry, double post

 

[ptonantryloc]

In that case, if she's willing/able to use Google Docs/Drive, you'd probably be better off spending a few hundred bucks on a Chromebook.

I had thought of a Chromebook. But, since she already has the phone (and these things have a boat load of processing power going to waste), I thought it might be easier to try "docking" that. Plus, it would be one fewer item to carry around for remote work (of course, with the docking option, she'd have to carry around a keyboard, mouse, and some kind of tv interface).

 

[ptonantryloc]

I paired both my Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse to my N5: they work like a charm! ... These Bluetooth peripherals come in very handy when displaying your phone's screen on a HDTV via the Slimport adaptor, too here in Italy the Chromecast isn't available, so that's all I could do to use my N5 as a PC.

I can confirm there's no latency, and everything works properly: you can also use "ESC" as a back button, and the multitasking screen can be displayed by pressing Ctrl+tab.

Thanks for the confirmation on the keyboard/mouse/phone pairing. I'll do some research on that Slimport adaptor.

 

[p3ntyne]

Also, just so you know, a few mouses are still unsupported (I would get a Logitech one), the right mouse button doesn't do anything and you cannot drag to select text. The last one especially can make it pretty annoying to do proper word processing unless you can use your finger for some functions...

Posted via Android Central App

 

[ptonantryloc]

Here's a YouTube video showing someone doing this:

Part 2: Using an Android Device as a Desktop - YouTube

That's the 2nd video on his series. His first is similar, but this has a bit more information.

 

[nelhop]

I have the iWerkz Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, Black/White purchased from Amazon which works very well with the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7. Folded and in its case it is quite small. I don't have a mouse.

 

[scott_ev]

I have a BT KB that works better than I thought it would - it even folds and fits in my back pocket. It just needs a reackballl or a Lenovo=style red eraser. Plus it has a very strange treensie tiny plug in and I lost it - hopefully I can find another. Of course there are no manufacturer's name or mark on it and it was made, go figure, china. The price was good though

 

[zworld]

I bought a MS BT keyboard and it paired and works great.

I bought a Gear Head BT mouse, it paired, worked for a moment, now it doesn't work. It appears in the available device list, but won't pair. You can't even tap the device to "unpair" it. It appears stuck in the list. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[siin]

Has anyone paired a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with their Nexus 5 phone? I assume the pairing will work, but will the keyboard and mouse function as expected throughout the phone? If that works, would it be possible to cast the phone display out to a big screen of some sort with something like Google's Chromecast? Or, would the latency of the Chromecast make typing/mousing impractical?

Use nexus 5 built in cast with a Roku streaming box, it works great as that is what I currently have set up. Almost no lag at all. Look into which Roku boxes support "screencast" because "screencast" with androids default "cast" app in drop down menu work like a charm! Just one Idea 4 you! I havnt paired a mouse/keyboard though as I just hold the phone and work it that way. Easier than getting a separate keyboard and mouse for your setup, and less hardware means less bugs, and loopholes.

 

[ptkelly]

I bought a relatively cheap Targus Bluetooth keyboard to use for email when I'm out and about. The Targus pairs fine with the Nexus 5. My short stubby fingers don't pair with the Nexus 5 worth a darn. I haven't bothered with a mouse but I'm guessing it would work, too.