Phone keyboard not working in MyWhoosh or Biketerra
By mattapps · Published 12 October 2026 · Last checked 12 October 2026
Start with the window: the computer sends keys to whichever app is in front, so if MyWhoosh or Biketerra sits behind something else, your taps land there. Click the game window, then check that the phone app shows your computer's name. If it still fails, remove the phone from the computer's Bluetooth list and pair again.
Which cause is it? Start with the symptom
Work down this table from the top: the first rows take seconds to check. The examples assume GearPad on an Android phone, since the status pill and pairing tips come from that app.
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Taps do nothing, but the app says it is connected | The game window is not in front | Click the game window |
| Taps do nothing and the app shows no computer name | Phone and computer are not connected | Reconnect from the computer's Bluetooth settings |
| The computer lists the phone but will not connect | Old pairing entry | Remove the phone, then pair again |
| The computer cannot find the phone | Visibility timed out | Tap Make phone visible again |
| Still stuck after all of that | Bluetooth stuck on one side | Turn Bluetooth off and on on both devices |
| A window on the Mac asks to identify the keyboard | Harmless prompt | Close it |
| Letters work, some symbols are wrong | Non-US keyboard layout | Use letters, numbers or arrows for your keys |
| The app warned about the phone on first launch | Phone maker disabled the keyboard feature | No fix in the app |
Is the game window in front?
Keys always go to the active window on your computer. If MyWhoosh or Biketerra is behind another app, or you clicked somewhere else, your taps land there instead and the game seems to ignore them.
Click anywhere on the game window so it is in front, then tap a button on the phone again. Check this first, and check it again whenever you click into a browser, a chat app or any other program on the same screen.
Does the app show your computer's name?
In GearPad, the status pill should show the name of your computer. If it does not, the phone is not connected to the computer at that moment, and no tap can reach the game.
Open the Bluetooth settings on the computer and choose the phone. On a Mac that is System Settings > Bluetooth. On Windows it is Settings > Bluetooth & devices. Confirm the code if the computer asks. After the first pairing the phone normally reconnects by itself, so a missing name usually means something changed on one side, such as Bluetooth being switched off.
If you have never paired this phone, the full pairing walkthrough covers it from the start.
Should you remove the phone and pair it again?
Yes, if the computer still lists the phone from an earlier attempt but the connection never works. A stale entry can get in the way of a fresh pairing.
- On the computer, open the Bluetooth list and remove the phone.
- Keep GearPad open on its main screen on the phone.
- Tap Make phone visible.
- Choose the phone in the computer's Bluetooth settings and confirm the code.
- Click the game window and test a tap.
Why can't the computer find the phone?
The phone may have stopped being visible. The Make phone visible button in GearPad makes the phone discoverable for 5 minutes only, so a slow pairing can run past that.
Tap the button again and keep GearPad open on its main screen while the computer searches. You can repeat it as often as you need.
What if it still does not connect?
Turn Bluetooth off and on again, on both the phone and the computer. It is a plain reset, but the app's own pairing tips list it as the next step when removing and re-pairing is not enough.
Then repeat the remove and re-pair steps above, with GearPad open on the phone, so you start from a clean state on both ends.
A Mac window asks to identify the keyboard. Do you need it?
No. When a Mac asks you to identify the keyboard, close that window. GearPad does not need it, and you can go straight back to the game.
Why do some symbols come out wrong?
GearPad sends keys by their position on a US keyboard. Letters, numbers and arrows always match. Symbol keys on other layouts type whatever character sits in the same physical position on your keyboard.
So if a button sends a symbol and something else appears, that is the layout at work, not a broken connection. GearPad's built-in MyWhoosh and Biketerra layouts use letters and numbers, which are not affected. If you wire up your own buttons with the Pro unlock, prefer letters, numbers or arrows. The exact keys GearPad sends in MyWhoosh are listed in the guide on shifting gears in MyWhoosh from an Android phone.
Could the phone itself be the problem?
Possibly. GearPad needs Android 9 or newer. Some phone makers also disable the Bluetooth feature that lets an app act as a keyboard, and GearPad tells you on first launch if your phone is one of them.
If you saw that message, nothing on the computer will fix it, and the app cannot work around it. We do not list brands here, because the app checks your actual phone.
What if the connection works but one action does nothing?
Then the link is fine and the key is the suspect: the game may expect a different key for that action. GearPad's Biketerra layout sends C for the camera and B to look behind, so compare those with Biketerra's controls settings. For steering buttons and MyWhoosh's reported keys, see controlling the camera and steering from your phone.
Quick answers
Why does it work for a while and then stop mid-ride?
The likely cause is another window taking focus, for example a browser or chat app you clicked. Click back on the game. If the status pill has also lost your computer's name, the Bluetooth link dropped, so reconnect from the computer's Bluetooth settings.
Are MyWhoosh or Biketerra to blame?
Usually not. The computer treats the phone as a normal keyboard, so window focus and the Bluetooth link are the first suspects. If keys arrive but one action does not happen, check that key in the game's controls.
Does switching Bluetooth off and on delete the pairing?
No. Turning Bluetooth off and on resets the connection but keeps the pairing. Only removing the phone from the computer's Bluetooth list deletes it, and then you pair again.
