MicsPad: use your phone as a keyboard, mouse or gamepad guide

MicsPad turns your phone into a wireless keyboard, touchpad, mouse and keyboard-based game pad for a computer, tablet or TV. The free Android app from Google Play pairs as a real Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, so nothing is installed on the device you control. The Web Remote at micspad.micstec.com works in any phone browser, including on an iPhone. It sends your input over the internet to a small free helper on a Windows, macOS or Linux computer. The Android app can also act as a Web Remote. This guide covers both modes, every control, voice input, quick words, the full-screen pads, the game pad, helper setup and troubleshooting.

Watch the overview

This 47-second Google Play promo video shows the touchpad, landscape keyboard, Bluetooth pairing, voice input, the full-screen pads and the game pad. You can also watch it on YouTube. The first 21 seconds are an animated demonstration. The later feature scenes use real Android screenshots, and the voice scene uses sample text.

Which mode should I use?

The touchpad, keys, shortcuts, text box, voice input, quick words, full keyboard, full-screen pads and game pad work the same way in both modes.

Requirements

Get MicsPad

• Android app: MicsPad on Google Play (package com.micstec.micspad). It is free, with no ads, accounts or in-app purchases.
• Web Remote: open micspad.micstec.com in your phone's browser. You can install it to your home screen.
• Computer helper (micspad_agent, Web Remote only): use the one-command Linux launcher or the installers for Windows, macOS and Linux. Every file is on the agent download page.
• Privacy policy: micspad.micstec.com/privacy.html.

The Android main screen

From top to bottom, the Android screen has these parts. The screen scrolls if it does not fit.

The ⋮ menu has Full keyboard, Fullscreen modes, Help (the built-in user manual), Language and About. About shows the version, build number, build time and build ID.

Bluetooth mode

In this mode the phone itself becomes a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, called MicsPad Keyboard/Mouse. Nothing is installed on the computer, and no internet connection is used.

Pair for the first time

1. Install MicsPad from Google Play and open it. Tap Bluetooth at the top if it is not already selected.
2. Tap Register. On Android 12 or later, allow the Nearby devices (Bluetooth) permission when asked. If you refuse it, the app shows Bluetooth permission denied — the app cannot work without it.
3. Wait for the status Registered — pair from the host, or pick a device.
4. Tap Discoverable and accept Android's prompt. The phone becomes visible for 120 seconds.
5. On the computer, tablet or TV, open the Bluetooth settings, add a device and choose MicsPad Keyboard/Mouse.
6. When the status says Connected to name, the touchpad and keys control that device. The device also appears as a chip under the Bluetooth buttons.

You can also pair from the phone's own Bluetooth settings first. Then tap Register, tap Connect, and pick the computer from Connect to paired device.

Reconnect, switch and forget computers

• Tap a chip to connect to that computer. If another computer is connected, MicsPad disconnects it first and the status shows Switching to …. Only one computer can be connected at a time. This is a Bluetooth keyboard limitation.
• Tap the active (●) chip to disconnect.
• Long-press a chip to forget it in MicsPad. The pairing is still kept on the computer and the phone.
• Automatic reconnect: when you return to MicsPad, it registers again and reconnects to the last computer, unless you tapped Stop.
• Stop ends the keyboard role and disconnects.
• While you are connected, the phone's screen stays on so that a screen timeout does not drop the link. The Google Play version has no background service, so keep MicsPad open while you use it.

Bluetooth status messages

Bluetooth limits

• Text: Bluetooth sends US-keyboard key presses, so only standard keyboard characters can be typed: letters, digits, common punctuation and space. If you send Chinese, emoji or other characters, MicsPad shows Bluetooth can only type standard keyboard characters. For Chinese or emoji, use Web Remote mode. and skips them. Full emoji is disabled in this mode.
• Keyboard layout: if the computer uses a non-US layout, some symbols, and on some layouts some letters, may come out differently.
• Media keys: Mute, Vol- and Vol+ on the full keyboard use a separate media report. If you paired before MicsPad 1.9.0, remove the pairing and pair again for these keys to work.

Web Remote mode

In Web Remote mode the phone sends input to the MicsPad relay at micspad.micstec.com. The relay forwards it to a helper (micspad_agent) running on the computer, and the helper types and moves the pointer there. The phone and the helper find each other with a shared room key of at least 6 characters. No account is needed.

1. Start the helper on the computer with a room key.
2. Enter the same key on the phone and connect.
3. Pick the computer, then use the controls.

Linux: one-command room

On the Linux desktop you want to control, open a terminal in your graphical X11 session and run:

curl -fsSL https://tnas_d.micsapp.com/s/micspad_agent/micspad-host.sh | bash

The launcher does the following:

1. Checks for a graphical session. It warns and asks before continuing over plain SSH or with no display. It warns that a Wayland-only session restricts input.
2. Creates a room key, such as abcd-efgh-jkmn (12 characters with no easily confused letters), and saves it to ~/.config/micspad/roomkey. On later runs it reuses the saved key, so your phone's saved key keeps working.
3. Finds the helper in this order: an installed micspad_agent, a local build, a fresh download of the Linux binary, then the Python source in a checkout.
4. Prints MicsPad host ready — room created, the room key, and the phone steps: open micspad.micstec.com or choose Web Remote in the Android app, enter the key, tap Connect, and pick the computer by name. If qrencode is installed, it also shows a QR code for the web app.
5. Starts the helper. Keep the terminal open, and press Ctrl+C to stop controlling this computer.

To pass options when piping from curl, add -s -- after bash. For example, this creates a new key:

curl -fsSL https://tnas_d.micsapp.com/s/micspad_agent/micspad-host.sh | bash -s -- --new

If the launcher reports that no clipboard tool was found, install xclip, for example sudo apt install xclip. Without it, Chinese and emoji may not type correctly.

Windows, macOS and Linux: install the helper

Install once, then start the helper with a room key you choose each time.

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://tnas_d.micsapp.com/s/micspad_agent/install.ps1 | iex
micspad_agent --key YOURKEY

The installer puts micspad_agent.exe in %LOCALAPPDATA%\micspad\bin and adds it to your user PATH, so open a new terminal before running it. You can instead download micspad_agent-win-x64.exe and run it from a terminal with --key YOURKEY. The helper does not start without a key.

macOS or Linux (Terminal):

curl -fsSL https://tnas_d.micsapp.com/s/micspad_agent/install.sh | bash
micspad_agent --key YOURKEY

The script downloads the ready-made binary where one exists (Linux x64). On macOS and Linux arm64 it creates a private Python 3 environment instead, so Python 3 must be installed. It installs to /usr/local/bin (or /opt/homebrew/bin on Apple Silicon Macs, using sudo if needed), otherwise to ~/.local/bin.

macOS permission: open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and allow micspad_agent (or the Terminal you run it from). Without this permission, the pointer and keys do nothing.

To use an option with the bash installer, run curl -fsSL https://tnas_d.micsapp.com/s/micspad_agent/install.sh | bash -s -- --user. For the PowerShell options, download install.ps1 first, then run .\install.ps1 -Uninstall.

Helper command-line options

While it runs, the helper prints lines such as [info] connected to wss://micspad.micstec.com/ws as agent 'Office-PC' and [info] registered (id …). If the connection drops, it prints [info] reconnecting in 2s…, retrying with waits that grow to 30 seconds. Press Ctrl+C to stop it. The helper releases any keys the game pad is holding when it disconnects.

Connect your phone

In a browser (any phone, including iPhone):

1. Open micspad.micstec.com.
2. In Enter the room key shown by your computer's MicsPad agent, type the key and tap Connect. The header status changes from connecting… to connected.
3. The key is saved in this browser only. Next time, the page reconnects automatically.

In the Android app:

1. Tap Web Remote at the top.
2. Type the key in Room key (from the computer agent) and tap Connect. The status shows Connected — pick an agent.
3. The app remembers the key and reconnects when you return to it, unless you tapped Disconnect.

Choose a computer

Each helper that uses your room key appears as a chip above the touchpad. The first one is selected automatically, and a ● marks the selected one. Tap another chip to send your input there instead. If you see No agent online — start the MicsPad agent on your computer, the helper is not running with that exact key.

You can run helpers on several computers with the same key and switch between them, and several phones can join the same room. Tap Disconnect to leave. In the browser, the room-key box stays visible above the controls.

How text reaches the computer

The helper types plain ASCII text directly. For other text, such as Chinese, accented letters or emoji, it places the text on the clipboard, presses Ctrl+V (⌘V on a Mac), then restores your previous clipboard. This works whatever keyboard layout or input method the computer uses. Each message is limited to 16 KB, so send very long text in parts.

Touchpad and mouse

The hold takes about 0.4 seconds on Android and 0.45 seconds on the web. The pointer speed is fixed. For a bigger pad, open Full touchpad. See Full-screen modes.

Keys, modifiers and shortcuts

• Single keys: Esc, Tab, Enter, ⌫ (Backspace), Del and the arrow keys ← ↑ ↓ →.
• Modifiers: Ctrl, Shift, Alt and Win latch. Tap one or more so they light up, then tap a key. For example, Ctrl, Shift then ← selects the previous word. The modifiers release after that key. Tap a lit modifier again to cancel it. Win is the Windows key: Command (⌘) on a Mac and Super on Linux.
• Shortcut strip: one tap sends the whole combination. Swipe the strip sideways to see all of them.

On a Mac, the Win combinations arrive as ⌘ combinations, and the Ctrl shortcuts are sent as Ctrl, not ⌘. For Mac copy and paste, latch Win and use the full keyboard.

Type text

1. Tap the text box (Text to type on the host in the app, Text to type on the computer on the web) and type with the phone's keyboard.
2. Tap Send, or press Enter or Send on the phone's keyboard. The text is typed at the computer's cursor, and the box clears.

Nothing is sent while you type, so you can correct the text first. To press Enter on the computer after the text, tap Enter in the key row.

Voice input

1. Tap 🎙 Voice next to the text box. The first time, the Android app asks for the microphone permission.
2. Speak. You can say several phrases. The words appear in the text box as you talk, at the cursor or replacing any selected text.
3. Tap ■ Stop. The button shows … Processing (app) or ■ Stop · Processing… (web) for a moment.
4. Check and edit the text, then tap Send. Dictated text is never sent until you tap Send.

Quick words and emoji

The row above the shortcut keys holds 😀, up to six of your most-used snippets, and ⋯. When you have more than six, the last button is More…. Tap a snippet to type it on the computer at once. Each use counts towards its place in the row. Long snippets are shortened on their buttons, and snippets made only of spaces show as ␣.

Manage quick keys: tap ⋯ or More… to open Quick keys.

1. Add: type text or emoji in Text or emoji to send and tap Save. Any text works, including a single character, a space or an email signature.
2. Insert emoji: tap 😀 in the manager to add an emoji at the cursor.
3. Send: tap a snippet in the list.
4. Edit: tap ✎, change the text, and tap Update. The web title changes to Edit quick key.
5. Delete: tap 🗑.
6. Export saves all snippets as micspad-quick-keys.json, a JSON list of text strings. Android lets you choose where to save it, and the browser downloads it.
7. Import adds the snippets from such a file and skips any you already have. The app confirms with Imported N quick key(s). A file that is not a JSON list is rejected with Import failed. Use Export and Import to copy snippets between the app and the web, or between phones.

Snippets are stored on the phone. The app and each browser keep separate lists. In Bluetooth mode, only standard keyboard characters can be sent. See Bluetooth limits.

Emoji: tap 😀 in the quick words row to open Pick an emoji, which has 60 common emoji. Tap one to type it on the computer. For repeated emoji, use Full emoji. Emoji need Web Remote.

Full keyboard

Tap ⌨ Full keyboard, or choose ⋮ → Full keyboard in the app. The screen turns to landscape and shows a full keyboard with a touchpad beside it.

• Shift applies to the next key only. While it is on, the labels change to show what you will type: capitals and ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + { } : " < > ?.
• Caps stays on until you tap it again. With Caps on, Shift types lowercase letters.
• Ctrl, Alt and Win apply to the next key, so Ctrl then s sends Ctrl+S. You can combine them.
• The touchpad on the right works like the main one, including hold then drag, and has Left and Right click buttons.
• Use the selector at the top to switch to another full-screen mode, and ✕ (✕ Close on the web) to return.

Full-screen modes

Open a mode with Full touchpad, Full number pad, Full special characters, Full emoji or 🎮 Game pad below the main controls. In the app you can also use ⋮ → Fullscreen modes. In a full-screen mode, the selector at the top switches between Full keyboard, Full touchpad, Full number pad, Full special characters, Full emoji and Game pad without reconnecting. ✕ returns to the main screen.

Every tap is sent immediately, and the pad stays open for repeated input. The full keyboard and game pad use landscape. The other pads work in portrait or landscape, and the special-character and emoji pads use eight columns in landscape. In the app, a line under the selector shows Connected or Not connected — connect on the main screen. The web version opens these modes full screen where the browser allows it.

Game pad

Tap 🎮 Game pad. The screen turns to landscape and shows a D-pad, A, B, X and Y buttons, L and R shoulder buttons, and Select and Start. Each control holds a keyboard key for as long as you touch it. It works with any game or emulator that has keyboard controls. It does not appear to the computer as a game controller.

The Arrows preset follows RetroArch's default keyboard controls for A, B, X, Y, L, R and Start.

• Change preset: tap Keys: Arrows or Keys: WASD at the top. MicsPad releases any held keys first and remembers your choice.
• Several fingers: hold a direction and press buttons at the same time.
• Diagonals: touch between two arms of the D-pad to hold both directions, and roll your thumb to change direction. A finger that starts on the D-pad stays on it until you lift it, even if it slides past the edge.
• Slide between buttons without lifting your finger.
• Feedback: pressed controls turn blue, and the phone gives a short vibration where supported.
• Safety: leaving the game pad, switching apps or turning off the screen releases every key. Over Web Remote, the phone repeats each held key about once a second. The helper releases any key it has not heard about for 3 seconds, so a dropped phone cannot leave a key stuck.
• Web Remote needs helper 1.2.0 or newer. Older helpers ignore game pad presses. Check with micspad_agent --version.

Install the Web Remote as an app

• Android (Chrome): tap Install in the header when it appears, or ⋮ → Install as app. If the browser has not offered installation, MicsPad tells you to use the browser menu's Install app or Add to Home Screen.
• iPhone or iPad (Safari): tap Share (□↑), then Add to Home Screen. ⋮ → Install as app shows the same steps.

The installed app opens as MicsPad Web in its own portrait window, without the browser bar. It opens even when you are offline, but controlling a computer needs a connection. The page follows the phone's dark or light setting.

Settings, languages and help

MicsPad has no separate settings screen. It remembers these choices on the phone:

Help: the app's ⋮ → Help opens the User manual. In the Web Remote, use ⋮ → Help / user manual, or the Install it on your computer → link under the room key. ⋮ → About shows the version (app) or the licence (web). MicsPad is © 2026 micstec.com and released under the MIT License.

Privacy and security

• The Android app collects nothing. It has no analytics, ads, accounts or third-party SDKs. Your remembered computers, quick words and settings stay on the phone.
• Bluetooth mode sends input only to the paired, connected device and does not use the internet. Pair only with devices you own, and remove old pairings.
• Web Remote sends your input over an encrypted connection (HTTPS/WSS) through the relay at micspad.micstec.com. The relay forwards it in real time without storing, logging or inspecting it. It keeps the room key only in memory while you are connected. The web page also loads the micstec.com site statistics script (sp.micstec.com, aggregate mode). The Android app does not.
• The room key is the only lock. Anyone who knows it can control that computer while the helper runs. Use a long, unguessable key, keep it private, stop the helper when you finish, and run the launcher with --new to replace a key you have shared.
• Voice: recognition is done by your phone's or browser's speech service, under that provider's terms. MicsPad does not receive or store audio, and it sends a transcript only when you tap Send.
• Read the full privacy policy.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Can an iPhone work as a Bluetooth keyboard? No. iOS does not let apps act as a Bluetooth keyboard. iPhone users should use the Web Remote in Safari.

Does the computer need software in Bluetooth mode? No. It sees a standard Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Can I use MicsPad on a smart TV? In Bluetooth mode, yes, if the TV accepts Bluetooth keyboards and mice. The helper does not run on TVs.

Is it a real game controller? No. The game pad presses keyboard keys, so games must support keyboard controls.

Does MicsPad cost anything? No. The app, the Web Remote and the helper are free, with no ads or accounts.

Can I run my own relay? The helper and the launcher accept --server, and the web page always connects to the server that delivered it. The Android app always uses micspad.micstec.com.