This guide will cover how to use iOS Switch Control Recipes with the Blue2 FT switch and an iPad. It will use examples of turning pages in an eBook, controlling music or a video, and using a cause and effect app such as Garage Band. 

What is a Switch Control Recipe?🔗

A Switch Control Recipe allows a user to customize how their switches interact with the iPad. Recipes are pre-configured sets of actions that can be assigned to switches to perform specific tasks or actions more efficiently. 

Why Use a Switch Control Recipe?🔗

A recipe can can:

• Simplify Tasks: A recipe can automate a sequence of actions, such as navigating an app or performing repetitive tasks, reducing the number of switch inputs needed.
• Customize Control: A recipe allows users to assign specific functions to switches, such as scrolling through content, selecting items, or triggering specific gestures.
• App-Specific Adjustments: Recipes can be tied to particular apps, enabling optimized control for different contexts. For example, a recipe for a video player app might include controls for play, pause, and volume adjustments.
• Gesture Emulation: Recipes can emulate gestures like swiping, pinching, or tapping, making it easier for users to interact with touchscreen elements that would otherwise require complex motor input.

Required Items🔗

• iPad running iOS 13 or later
• Blue2 FT Bluetooth Switch

Instructions🔗

Before getting started, you will need to pair your Blue2 FT with your iPad. Please visit the Blue2 FT Getting Started page or the Blue2 FT iOS Switch Control article for instructions on how pair your Blue2 FT with your iPad. 

The video below will show you how to do the following:

• 00:34 Setting Up Blue2 FT
• 01:39 Using a Recipe to Turn Pages in an eBook
• 03:25 Using a Recipe to Control Music or a Video
• 06:42 Using a Recipe for Cause and Effect

Using a Recipe to Turn Pages in an eBook🔗

These instructions use the iBooks app as an example. This recipe can also be used for navigating other books apps as well as PowerPoints and Google Slides presentations.

Set Up Switches to Turn Pages

1. Go to the Settings App, then Accessibility
2. Select Switch Control.
3. Turn Switch Control OFF.
   • If Switch Control is ON, the Recipe will not work correctly.
4. Select Switches to confirm that your Blue2 FT is paired with the iPad.
5. Return to the Switch Control menu.
6. Select Recipes.
7. Select Turn Pages.
   • You should see that the Blue switch is assigned to “Right to Left Swipe” and the Yellow switch “Left to Right Swipe”.
8. Make sure Timeout is turned OFF.
9. Return to the Recipes menu.
10. Select Launch Recipe, then select Turn Pages.
11. At the top of the screen, select Recipes to go back to the main Recipes menu,
12. Then back again to Switch Control.
13. Turn Switch Control ON.
    • When Switch Control turns on, you will see a message appear in the middle of your screen that says “Your switches are configured to use the ‘Turn Pages’ recipe.” 

Use the Blue2 FT to Turn Pages in iBooks

1. Open the iBooks App.
2. Select a book the user would like to read.
3. Press the Yellow switch to turn the page forward.
4. Press the Blue switch to turn the page backwards.

Turn the Recipe Off

1. Open the Settings app, then select Accessibility.
2. Select Switch Control.
3. Turn Switch Control OFF.
4. Select Recipes.
5. Select Launch Recipe.
6. Select None.

Using a Recipe to Control Music or a Video🔗

These instructions use the Apple Music app as an example. This recipe can be used with any media player app.

1. Rotate the device in the direction the user will be using it – Horizontally or Vertically.
   • This is important because we will be marking a specific location on the screen of the device for the Switch Control Recipe.
2. Open the app you are going to use to play your music or video.
3. Select your media so that the controls appear on the screen.
4. Place a small piece of a sticky note on the screen where the Skip Track Forward button is located.
   • If you want to use the Play/Pause or Skip Track Backwards buttons, you could mark those instead.  
5. Leave your sticky note marker on the screen of your device and exit out of the Music App. 

Record a Custom Gesture

Remember, don’t remove your sticky note marker.

1. Go to the Settings App, then Accessibility
2. Select Switch Control.
3. Turn Switch Control OFF.
   • If Switch Control is ON, the Recipe will not work correctly.
4. Select Recipes.
5. Select Create New Recipe.
6. Name your recipe Skip Track Forward
   • You may need to activate the keyboard button on the side of Blue2 FT to get the on-screen keyboard to appear.
7. Select Assign a Switch.
8. Select Blue.
9. Select Custom Gesture.
10. You will be brought to a screen with instructions.
    • NOTE: If your sticky note is on top of the Play/Stop bar at the bottom of the screen, you will need to tap Hide Controls before creating the custom gesture.
11. Tap on your sticky note marker
12. Select Save in the upper right corner of the screen.
    • If you hid the controls, wait for them to return. Then, hit Save.
13. You can now remove the sticky note. 

Turn on Your Recipe

1. Tap Assign a Switch, then New Recipe to return to the New Recipe screen.
2. You will now see under Switches that Blue has been assigned a Custom Gesture. 
3. Make sure Timeout is turned OFF.
4. Select Recipes to go back to the main Recipes menu.
5. Select Launch Recipe.
6. Select Skip Track Forward.
7. Select Recipes, then select Switch Control to go back to the main Switch Control menu.
8. Turn Switch Control ON.
   • When Switch Control turns on, you will see a message appear in the middle of your screen that says “Your switches are configured to use the ‘Skip Track Forward’ recipe.” 

Use Blue2 FT to Play Your Media

1. Open the media app.
2. Make sure the device is in the same orientation as it was when you placed your sticky note marker on the screen.
3. In our example, we will make sure the music is playing before giving the device to the user, as the recipe we created will allow them to change the song playing.
4. When the user activates the Blue switch top on Blue2 FT, the app will skip forward to the next song.

Turn Off the Recipe

• Open the Settings app, then select Accessibility.
• Select Switch Control.
• Turn Switch Control OFF.
• Select Recipes.
• Select Launch Recipe.
• Select None.

Using a Recipe with a Cause and Effect App🔗

This type of recipe can be used with any cause and effect app, or any app that uses gestures such as swiping, pinching/expanding, double tapping, etc. These instructions use Garage Band as an example. 

1. Rotate the device in the direction the user will be using it – Horizontally or Vertically.
   • This is important because we will be marking a specific location on the screen of the device for the Switch Control Recipe.
2. Open the app you are going to use for cause and effect. For our example, we are using Garage Band.
3. Under “Tracks” select Drums.
4. Once you select the Drums you will be presented with a full drum set.
5. Place small pieces of the sticky note on three different drums.
   • You can select more or less than three based on preference.
6. Leave your sticky note marker on the screen of your device, and exit out of Garage Band.

Record Custom Gestures

Remember: do not remove your sticky notes or change the orientation of the device.

1. Go to the Settings app, then select Accessibility
2. Select Switch Control
3. Turn Switch Control OFF.
   • If Switch Control is ON, the Recipe will not work correctly.
4. Select Recipes.
5. Select Create New Recipe.
6. Name your recipe: Drum Solo
   • You may need to activate the keyboard button on the side of Blue2 FT to get the on-screen keyboard to appear.
7. Select Assign a Switch.
8. Select Blue.
9. Select Custom Gesture.
10. You will be brought to a screen with instructions.
    • NOTE: If your sticky note is on top of the Play/Stop bar at the bottom of the screen, you will need to tap Hide Controls before creating the custom gesture.
11. Quickly tap all of your sticky note markers multiple times, then select Stop in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
    • Tapping your sticky note markers needs to be done quickly because when the user activates their switch it will play your drums back in the same sequence they were recorded in.
    • NOTE: if you hid the controls, you’ll have to wait for the Play/Stop bar to reappear. Then, you can hit Stop.
12. Select Save in the upper right-hand corner.
13. You can now remove the sticky notes.

Turn On Your Recipe

1. Tap Assign a Switch, then New Recipe to return to the New Recipe screen. 
   • You will now see under Switches that Blue has been assigned a Custom Gesture.
2. Make sure Timeout is turned OFF.
3. Select Recipes to go back to the main Recipes menu.
4. Select Launch Recipe.
5. Select Drum Solo.
6. Select Recipes then Switch Control to go back to the main Switch Control menu.
7. Turn Switch Control ON.
   • When Switch Control turns On, you will see a message appear in the middle of your device screen that says “Your switches are configured to use the ‘Drum Solo’ recipe.”

Use the Drum Solo Recipe

1. Open the Garage Band App.
2. Make sure the device is in the same orientation as it was when you placed your sticky note markers on the screen.
3. When the user activates the Blue switch top on Blue2 FT, the drum solo will play.

Turn Off the Drum Solo Recipe

1. Open the Settings app, then select Accessibility.
2. Select Switch Control.
3. Turn Switch Control OFF.
4. Select Recipes.
5. Select Launch Recipe.
6. Select None.

Tips and Troubleshooting🔗

For more information on the Blue2 FT, please visit the Blue2 FT Support Hub.

These instructions were updated using iOS 18. For the most up-to-date information about Switch Control, please visit the Apple Switch Control support article.