Using a Bluetooth Camera Remote
In addition to standard presentation remotes (see Using a Presentation Remote), BlackboardView also supports small Bluetooth “camera shutter” remotes — the inexpensive button remotes originally sold for taking selfies or controlling camera shutters and music playback. These are a handy, low-cost option if you don’t already own a dedicated presentation clicker.
What Kind of Remote Works
Look for a small Bluetooth remote advertised as a “camera shutter remote” or “selfie remote” — these are widely available and inexpensive. They work with BlackboardView because they send the same signal as your iPad’s physical volume buttons.
Setting Up Your Remote
- Put your remote in pairing mode (usually done by holding its button down until it blinks).
- On your iPad, open Settings > Bluetooth.
- Find the remote in the device list and tap to connect.
- Open BlackboardView and start a teaching session.
How to Use It While Teaching
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume Up | Moves to the next card |
| Volume Down | Moves to the previous card |
Press the button on your remote, and BlackboardView advances or goes back a card, the same as tapping the on-screen controls.
What You’ll Notice While This Is Active
To make this work smoothly, BlackboardView makes a few small, intentional adjustments while you’re teaching:
- Your iPad’s on-screen volume indicator won’t pop up when you press the remote’s buttons — this is by design, so the volume display doesn’t clutter your screen (or, worse, appear on the projected display) every time you advance a card.
- Your iPad’s actual volume is kept low and steady in the background while this feature is active. This doesn’t affect anything you’re showing on the projector screen through the app itself, but keep it in mind if you’re separately relying on your iPad’s own speaker for audio during class.
- There’s a brief pause (a fraction of a second) required between button presses before the next one registers. This is intentional, to prevent a single press from accidentally being counted twice — but it does mean pressing the button very rapidly, multiple times in a row, may not advance multiple cards at once.
What’s Next
- Using a Presentation Remote — the alternative arrow-key style remote option
- Remote Not Responding — troubleshooting a remote that isn’t advancing cards