In the public release of iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, external input support for keyboards and mice is critically degraded. This issue affects both Apple-branded and third-party HID-compliant devices, over both wired USB-C and Bluetooth.
Tested Hardware: • iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) • iPad Pro (USB-C, latest gen), last gen iPad as well
Affected Devices: • Apple Magic Mouse and Keys (wired USB-C/Bluetooth) • Redragon K580RGBPRO (Bluetooth/wired USB-C) • Razer Naga V2 Pro (Bluetooth/USB-C)
Symptoms: • Severe keystroke delay and dropped input • Modifier keys (Shift, Command, Option) fail intermittently • Input degrades further with multiple HID devices connected • Mouse input via Bluetooth exhibits pointer lag and jitter • Occurs in all apps: Notes, Safari, Mail, text fields, password entries, etc. • Identical results using Apple USB-C cables
Reproducibility:
100%. Clean boots, minimal background activity, and isolated environments (including Airplane Mode) do not resolve the issue. Identical behavior across both iPhone and iPad.
Expected Behavior:
All HID-compliant external input devices — particularly Apple-branded ones — should provide low-latency, reliable, and consistent input over both USB-C and Bluetooth, especially in a production iOS/iPadOS release.
Actual Behavior:
External keyboards and mice exhibit: • Lag • Dropped characters • Failed modifiers • Degraded mouse tracking Even with the latest hardware and clean configurations.
Severity:
Critical. This is a platform-level failure affecting I/O at the user interaction layer. Input reliability is non-negotiable — especially on $2000+ flagship devices using Apple’s own peripherals.
Closing Note (for Apple engineering & peer devs):
This is not a beta regression — it’s a public release flaw that undermines iOS and iPadOS usability for power users, professionals, and accessibility communities alike. That Apple Magic Keyboard, Redragon, and Razer gear all fail equally and consistently should be a wake-up call.
Apple: this needs to be escalated. Now. External input — one of the most basic subsystems in any OS — is broken on your highest-end devices.
