2. Keyboard & Mouse
The Keyboard & Mouse mode is the most frequently used mode. It provides a virtual keyboard and touchpad for controlling the target computer from your phone.
Two Tiers: Basic and Pro
KeyMod offers two keyboard experiences:
| Tier | Mode name | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Keyboard & Mouse | Quick typing with a full-screen keyboard, no header distraction |
| Pro | Keyboard & Mouse Pro | Full composite layout with Shortcut Hub strips, split keyboard, and rich IME |
Keyboard & Mouse (Basic)
The Basic tier gives you a dedicated full-screen keyboard without the app's top header. All controls live on the keyboard's own top row:
- Menu, mode switching (Touchpad / Compose & Send / Num pad)
- Target OS selector
- Connection status
Features unique to Basic:
- Long-press repeat: hold any character or function key for auto-repeat (~400ms delay, ~50ms repeat)
- Key preview: a floating bubble shows the effective label above the key when pressed
- Haptic feedback and theme-aware key surfaces
- Portrait and landscape numpad: 5x8 grid (portrait) or 8x5 grid (landscape)
- IME compose mode: type long text, send as clean ASCII-only HID keystrokes
Basic does not include Shortcut Hub strip rows. For strip profiles, switch to Keyboard & Mouse Pro.
Keyboard & Mouse Pro
Pro is the full composite experience: Shortcut Hub strip rows, split keyboard layouts, and the complete IME workflow. This is what power users expect.
The Layout
Portrait mode:
Portrait — touchpad gestures + keyboard layout. Swipe up/down on the touchpad to scroll, drag to move the cursor.
Landscape — split keyboard + touchpad:
Landscape — split keyboard halves with touchpad on the left side for comfortable two-thumb typing.
Landscape — macro row + profiles:
Landscape — macro strip above the keyboard and profile selector (e.g. Default, KiCAD).
Display Modes (Android)
Tap the toggle handle (pill-shaped divider between keyboard and touchpad) to cycle through display modes:
| Mode | What you see |
|---|---|
| Both (default) | Keyboard + touchpad together |
| Keyboard only | Full-width keyboard, touchpad hidden |
| Touchpad only (portrait) | Touchpad takes the full screen |
| Split (landscape) | Two half-keyboards with touchpad on the left |
How to Use the Keyboard
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Type a letter | Tap it |
| Uppercase letter | Tap Shift first, then the letter |
| Type a number or symbol | Tap ?123 to switch to the number/symbol layout |
| Type Ctrl+C (copy) | Tap Ctrl (it highlights), then tap C |
| Type Win+R (Run dialog) | Tap Win, then tap R |
| Access F1-F12 | Tap Fn, then the letter row becomes function keys |
| Multi-modifier (Ctrl+Shift+C) | Tap Ctrl, then Shift (both held), then C |
Modifier Behavior
Hold-and-tap: Tap a modifier to hold it (it highlights), then tap any key. The modifier releases automatically after one key press. For multi-modifier combos, tap each modifier in sequence before tapping the final key.
Long-Press Alternates
Many letter keys have hidden symbols you can access by pressing and holding:
Long-press "d" → shows: $ € ¥ £
Long-press "k" → shows: ( { [ <
Long-press "/" → shows: \ |
Long-press "m" → shows: + _
Press and hold until a popup appears, then slide your finger toward the symbol you want and release.
Fn Key Layer
Tap the Fn key in the modifier row. The letter keys temporarily become F1 through F12:
- Q = F1, W = F2, E = F3, R = F4, T = F5, Y = F6
- U = F7, I = F8, O = F9, P = F10
- A = F11, S = F12
Quick-Action Buttons
Common shortcut buttons are available for quick access. The app uses the Target OS setting to determine the correct modifier:
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Cmd+C | Ctrl+C |
| Paste | Cmd+V | Ctrl+V |
| Cut | Cmd+X | Ctrl+X |
| Undo | Cmd+Z | Ctrl+Z |
| Select All | Cmd+A | Ctrl+A |
| Redo | Cmd+Y | Ctrl+Y |
| Find | Cmd+F | Ctrl+F |
| Save | Cmd+S | Ctrl+S |
| New Tab | Cmd+T | Ctrl+T |
| Close Tab | Cmd+W | Ctrl+W |
| Next Tab | Cmd+Tab | Ctrl+Tab |
| Lock Screen | Cmd+L | Win+L |
| Show Desktop | Cmd+D | Win+D |
| Alt+F4 | — | Alt+F4 |
| Ctrl+Alt+Del | — | Ctrl+Alt+Del |
TouchPad
Gestures
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Tap | Left click |
| Two-finger tap | Right click |
| Drag | Move cursor |
| Two-finger swipe up/down | Scroll (natural scrolling) |
| Long-press | Drag mode (locks the cursor for dragging) |
| Double-tap | Double click |
TouchPad Extras
- Pop-out touchpad — Tap the touchpad info icon (?) to open a floating touchpad that stays on top of other modes
- TouchPad Help overlay (Android) — Tap the ? icon to see a full-screen gesture reference guide
- Haptic feedback — You'll feel a vibration on clicks and drag toggles
Portrait — touchpad with keypad grid on the right for quick number/symbol entry.
Text Input (IME Compose Mode — Android)
In portrait Keyboard & Mouse mode, you can switch to IME capture mode — a text editor below the keyboard where you compose longer text before sending it as HID keystrokes to the target computer.
- Tap the keyboard/IME toggle icon in the modifier row to switch between direct key sending and text compose mode
- In compose mode, you get a text editor with a toolbar for copy, paste, clear, undo, and send
- Collapse/expand the compose area with the arrow icon
IME compose mode — type or paste long text, then tap Send to deliver it as HID keystrokes to the target.
Target OS
Set the target OS to match the target computer's key conventions. This affects shortcut labels, Unicode input methods, and modifier key mapping. Change it by tapping the OS icon in the header bar.
Shortcut Strip (Android, Landscape)
In landscape split mode, a scrollable shortcut strip appears above the two keyboard halves, providing quick access to common shortcuts (Copy, Paste, Cut, Save, Undo, Select All).
Next Steps
- Target-Specific Keyboard → — Keyboard layouts and target OS mapping
- Troubleshooting → — Common problems and solutions