This app turned my old Pixel 4a into a Bluetooth keyboard for my desktop PC

I have an old Google Pixel 4a in my drawer in perfect working condition, and I’m finding new uses for it instead of letting it go.

I also have a gaming PC that I connect to my TV while gaming or watching anime, but I occasionally need a keyboard for minor typing.

Instead of buying a portable mechanical keyboard, I turned my Pixel into one.

My old Pixel 4a has more use as a portable keyboard for my PC

I refuse to let go of old phones

I recently used the Pixel 4a to replace my iPod touch and made it a dedicated music player, but I discovered another use for it. When I’m gaming or watching video content on my couch, my desktop PC isn’t accessible.

Every time I had to search for something on YouTube or the web, I had to go to the PC to type what I wanted.

While the PC is close to my TV for connectivity reasons, I didn’t think about my own access to it when I set it up. It didn’t take me long to realize I needed a portable wireless keyboard to use my PC with my TV more effectively.

I didn’t want to spend extra money on a keyboard for one purpose, even though they are affordable.

I’ve realized that when I don’t want to buy something new and can use what I already have, I can find a way.

That’s when I found a keyboard app that turned my Pixel 4a into a wireless keyboard for my PC.

Since I only need the keyboard for short bursts, investing in a new one didn’t make sense, especially since I’m a keyboard snob.

But after downloading Bluke on my spare phone, I was reassured of my decision.

Bluke is an open source app on the Play Store that uses Android’s native Bluetooth HID device profile to turn your phone into a wireless keyboard.

It works with almost anything, including Windows PCs, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, and Android TV. I hear it even works with gaming consoles, but for now I’ve only tested it with my PlayStation 5, and it works flawlessly.

What’s neat is that I didn’t need to download any companion app on my PC or give Bluke access to my network for it to work, which I really appreciated.

Bluke works completely offline and doesn’t track or use telemetry to serve ads.

How Bluke works and why it’s awesome for everyday use

Emulating the mechanical keyboard experience

Bluke exposes your device’s HID profile, and in my testing, it works incredibly well with the Pixel 4a.

It’s the same sort of Bluetooth device advertising you would turn on when pairing a physical device using the physical pairing button.

In this case, I only had to install Bluke on my phone and grant it all the Bluetooth permissions it needed.

After the app is set up, I need to put my Pixel 4a into pairing mode, find the device that appears as a keyboard on the PC, and pair them.

That’s it, that’s the entire process.

In the app, I can use Blue as a traditional keyboard for typing, but I can also switch modes to use my phone as a keyboard, trackpad, or gamepad.

I’m not a big fan of the Gamepad mode since I have actual controllers at home, but it works for most games. I wouldn’t recommend it, though.

But the app’s real star is keyboard mode. You can tweak the keyboard layout to match the number of keys you want. If you’re a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, you will feel right at home as you can choose from 60%, 65%, or 75% layout styles.

The keyboard also offers themes such as Olivia, Cafe, Mizu, and Material You dynamic theming, among others.

But my favorite is the OLED black mode.

Not only does it look great on the Pixel 4a’s display, but it also conserves battery since the phone doesn’t have much capacity to begin with.

But Bluke doesn’t just want to emulate the mechanical keyboard experience; it wants you to feel it when you type.

The open source app cleverly uses haptic feedback to give a tactile feel similar to a physical mechanical keyboard.

Since I’m using my phone’s screen, it’s impressive and usable. But if you’re a mechanical keyboard snob like me and want to customize the switch emulation, you can do that too.

Bluke can simulate up to eight types of mechanical switches, and these include:

• Holy Panda
• Cherry MX Brown
• Alpaca
• Buckling Spring
• Kailh Box Navy
• Gateron Black Ink
• Topre
• Blue Alps

I have to warn you, though: it’s not perfect, and you shouldn’t expect Bluke to simulate switches perfectly; but it gets the job done. Bluke will never replace your physical keyboard for long typing sessions.

Touchscreen typing has never fully replaced physical keyboards, but Bluke is a great option for media PCS, taking notes, and short typing sessions.

I even use Bluke with my Android TV when I need to search YouTube or other streaming apps.

Since Bluke supports multiple hosts, I switch devices by reconnecting the Bluetooth connection like I normally would with any other device.

While using Bluke as a portable keyboard for my media PC is a great hack, I have one major caveat.

Using the phone’s screen for typing can drain the Pixel 4a’s battery quite rapidly. That’s because the app uses the screen, haptic feedback, Bluetooth, and audio to deliver the experience I described earlier.

That is why I only recommend using Bluke in short bursts, not as your primary typing device for PCs and smart TVs.

If you anticipate a lot of typing from your couch, it’s more prudent to get a wireless keyboard that will last longer than the Pixel 4a, or use a phone with a larger battery capacity.

Old Pixel devices have more uses than you think

You can repurpose an old phone like a Pixel 4a in many ways for everyday use at home.

You can turn an old phone into a Wi-Fi extender, or, like me, make it your dedicated music streaming device.

I found a way to use an old phone as a portable keyboard, but you can do countless other nifty things instead of discarding it.