I found workarounds to my Top 3 issues with iPad replacing my MacBook.
In my last article, I laid out 3 issues that keep me from going all in on an iPad only work flow:
1) MS Teams on iPad OS does not support external cameras.
2) The native iPad OS version of Excel is different enough (touch first) that I just can’t get comfortable .
3) Even in 2024, Apple does not support effortless multi-device connectivity of their keyboards. This unleashes a nightmare loop of “Forget this Device” and turning Bluetooth off on / off to get my Magic Keyboards at home / office to connect and reconnect to my Mac or iPad.
After some digging around on the web, I found workarounds for all 3 issues.
Workaround #1 — The company I work for uses Office 365 for all of our corporate communications including MS Teams for calls, meetings and “chat”. It’s very convenient and the native Mac apps are rock solid-ish. (I rarely have issues.) However, MS Teams on iPad OS does not support external cameras and the camera placement on my 11” M2 iPad Pro is at an awkward angle. I found that the web version of MS Teams DOES support external cameras, including the one in my Apple Studio Display. The only caveat is that it does not currently support background images or blurring. Hopefully that will be added soon.
Workaround #2 — The soliution to #2 actually led me to the workarounds for this issue: The web app for Excel is close enough to the Mac OS version that I have no problems adjusting. Why is this? It became obvious to me that the iPad OS versions must support a “touch first” work flow which requires major adjustments to the menus and commands. The Web versions of the MS 365 apps do not have those issues. The only caveat is the requirement for a solid internet connection. This is not a problem at either of my offices and my iPad has cellular service.
Workaround #3 — At both my home and work offices I have nearly identical desk setups including Apple Studio Displays. A deep delve into the Reddit-verse unearthed a solution that while not elegant, IS fool proof. Simply connect a physical cable from the MacBook or iPad directly to the lightning port on the Magic Keyboard and the device is instantly recognized without Bluetooth pairing. I accomplish this by having a cable permanently connected to an open port on the Studio Display so that when I connect the Mac or iPad to the display the keyboard is ready to go.
Hopefully, you will find these solutions helpful. I am still not ready to abandon my MacBook but I am closer to being comfortable on the iPad as a sole device for travel or lighter work days where I find the iPad provides a more distraction free work environment.
Thanks for reading!
