Reading instructions and song names in a concert

By Iconic, 8 June, 2026

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

Hello everyone,

I'm a keyboard player, and I'm looking for a good way to keep track of song names and any notes or instructions I need during live performances.

At the moment, I'm using Braille paper, but am writing too much, and need to find an alternative.. I also tried using my iPhone with my hearing aids, but I'm running into a few issues. I'd appreciate any advice on the following:

* I need the screen to stay on all the time without locking, because the maximum of 5 minutes is not enough during a concert. Is there a way to disable auto-lock completely?
* I know how to navigate line by line with VoiceOver, but sometimes I accidentally touch another part of the screen and lose my place. Is there a way to keep VoiceOver focused on a specific position, so I can simply flick my finger and continue reading from where I left off?
* Are there any apps or solutions that work better than the Notes app for this kind of use?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments

By Khomus on Monday, June 8, 2026 - 23:23

Yes, you can disable it. Settings/Display and Brightness/autolock. Set it to never. As for reading, have you considered either a small Bluetooth keyboard, or a Bluetooth remote? I know of one remote with a dual mode, one controls media, e.g. playback, but the other let's you use the square to move Voiceover around. I'd also think actual buttons of some sort to hit would be faster than using a screen, also more accurate. I bought mine for music lessons, so I could rewind quicker, for instance, rather than fumbling around with the touch screen. Just seems faster to me. In case you're interested, here's the one I ordered, although it doesn't seem to be available anymore. There are probably other devices that work similarly though.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VF1VJRB

I'd think a Bluetooth keyboard, with arrow quicknav on, would pretty much solve the problem though. Plus it's likely cheaper than a remote.

By Iconic on Monday, June 8, 2026 - 23:56

I tried the logittech one, and i love it more than anything, but it is too big to fit in my keyboard,
so, am searching to find something smaller, but can do the trick.

By Iconic on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - 00:16

SO, if you can recommend a small bluetooth keyboard to purchase? i love the logitech brand, but i need something as small as you can to be able to put it in my bocket and to be stable in my music keyboard.
Thanks

By Khomus on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - 05:04

Both kind of expensive though, more than the remote that's no longer available. There are folding keyboards. The one I have will fit in your pocket folded, but lengthwise, it's not much shorter than a Logitech K380, if you've seen one of those.

https://www.protoarc.com/products/xk04-foldable-keyboard

I bought mine on Amazon, in case you use that.

By Jean Vieira on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - 10:42

There is a wonderful app called “Speaker’s Assistant”. It was created to help us remember what we need to talk about during presentations. It can certainly be very useful in your case. Each song you want to remember can become a note. Download it and explore it. For those who give lectures or speak in public, this app offers a number of fantastic features!

Here is its App Store link:

https://apps.apple.com/br/app/speakers-assistant/id6476025339

By Iconic on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - 11:18

Thanks so much,
yes i use amazon,a and will have a look,
THanks again