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Connect your instrument to your iPhone
Connect your instrument to your iPhone

Connecting your iPhone to your instrument greatly improves note recognition. You can do this via Bluetooth or a cable. Here's how.

Julian avatar
Written by Julian
Updated over a week ago

Does your iPhone have trouble properly hearing you play piano? In some instances, your iPhone microphone won't reliably detect the notes you’re playing. Connecting your instrument directly to your iPhone will help it detect your playing more reliably.

There are 2 ways to connect your instrument to your iPhone:


A) MIDI via cable

Here’s what you’ll need:

Your setup will look something like this:

iPhone connected to digital piano via Lightning to USB Camera adapter and USB to USB-B cable
  1. Connect the Lightning to USB adapter to your iPhone's Lightning port.

    Lightning to USB Camera adapter connecting to iPhone Lightning port

  2. Plug the USB-A end of the USB or MIDI/USB cable into the Lightning to USB adapter.

    USB cable connecting to iPhone with Lightning port via Lightning to USB Camera adapter

  3. If your piano has a USB-B port (often labeled To Host), plug the USB-B end of the USB to USB-B cable into it. You need a USB 2.0 cable for this. If your piano has a 5-pin MIDI output, plug the In and Out ends of the cable into it.

That's it! Open flowkey and enjoy playing with flawless note recognition!


B) MIDI via Bluetooth

Note: Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth audio are becoming more common in digital pianos and keyboards. If your instrument has Bluetooth MIDI, you can connect it directly to your device and the flowkey app—no adapter needed. Just open the MIDI/Bluetooth Setup in your app settings. This option is currently only available on our mobile app for iOS, not on Android or the browser app.

If your instrument doesn’t have Bluetooth MIDI built in, please follow the steps below.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Your setup will look something like this:

iPhone connected to digital piano via MIDI Bluetooth adapter
  1. Connect your MIDI Bluetooth adapter to your keyboard. Depending on the outputs of your keyboard, you may need a 5-pin MIDI adapter.

  2. Ensure your iPhone’s Bluetooth is on. To check, swipe down from the top right corner of your iPhone's screen to open the Control Center. If the Bluetooth icon is white, tap it to turn on your Bluetooth. You can also turn on/off your Bluetooth via Settings > Bluetooth.

  3. Open the flowkey app.

  4. Open a song so that you’re in the player section of the app.

  5. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings.

  6. Select MIDI/Bluetooth Setup.

  7. Tap Configure Bluetooth MIDI to find your MIDI device. You also have the option to enable MIDI sounds here if your instrument doesn't produce sound.

Your device will connect and start communicating with your instrument via MIDI. You’ll now enjoy smoother note recognition. Happy playing!

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