This app turned my old Pixel 4a into a Bluetooth keyboard for my desktop PC
Android Police 2026-10-04 21:00:10
Context: Akshay Bhalla, a technology editor, repurposed his old Google Pixel 4a smartphone as a Bluetooth keyboard for his desktop PC, leveraging an open-source app called Bluke. This solution allowed him to type on his phone's screen and use it as a wireless keyboard for his PC, especially when gaming or watching content on his TV. The app uses Android's native Bluetooth HID device profile to enable this functionality.
Key Facts
- The Bluke app, available on the Play Store, uses Android's native Bluetooth HID device profile to turn a phone into a wireless keyboard, compatible with Windows PCs, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, and Android TV.
- Bluke works completely offline, doesn't track users, and doesn't use telemetry to serve ads, requiring only Bluetooth permissions on the phone and no companion app on the PC.
- The app offers customizable keyboard layouts, including 60%, 65%, and 75% styles, as well as themes such as OLED black mode, and simulates up to eight types of mechanical switches with haptic feedback.
- Bluke is suitable for short typing sessions, such as searching YouTube or taking notes, but may not be ideal for long typing sessions due to rapid battery drain on the phone.