Apple Magic Mouse not working: How to Fix

Sadique Hassan•Updated Oct 23, 2023

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of the Apple Magic Mouse not working along the expected lines. The peripherals from the Cupertino giant have always been worthy of praise. Among them, it’s the mouse that has managed to grab the attention of the masses. And the reason for the same is hardly a secret either.

With the support for numerous gestures, including the likes of switching between pages or tabs, scrolling up or down, and zooming in and out, the first and second iterations of these mouse have really streamlined our workflow. However, in spite of all the goodies attached, they aren’t free from their fair share of issues either.

Numerous users have voiced their concern that their Apple Magic Mouse 1 or 2 is either not working or is performing with lags. If you are also in the same boat, then this guide will make you aware of numerous workarounds to rectify this issue. Follow along.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Apple Magic Mouse not working

Before you start off with the below fixes, we would recommend you enable the Mouse keys accessibility shortcut. This will allow you to control the mouse cursor and perform left/right clicks directly from your keyboard which in turn will come in handy while executing the below workarounds. So press the Option (⌥), Command (⌘), and F5 shortcut keys, checkmark Mouse Keys, and hit OK to enable it.

FIX 1: Toggle Mac Bluetooth

First and foremost, you should consider disabling and re-enabling the Bluetooth on your Mac. This will disable the existing connection and would create a new one, which in turn might rectify the underlying issue as well. So let’s give it a try and check out the results.

Click on the Control Center icon and select Bluetooth.
Then turn off the toggle next to Bluetooth.
Now wait for a few seconds and then re-enable Bluetooth.
Your mouse will now automatically connect to your Mac.
If that doesn’t happen, then select it from the Devices section.
Check if it fixes the issue of the Apple Magic Mouse not working.

FIX 2: Turn Off/On Mouse

As the sarcastic saying goes in the troubleshooting domain- “have you tried turning off and on the device”? Well, let’s now put this fix to the test on a serious note and check out the results.

Flip over your mouse and toggle off the switch.
Then wait for a few seconds and toggle it back on.
After that, let it connect to your Mac via Bluetooth.
You may also do so manually as instructed in Fix 1.
Now check if it fixes Apple Magic Mouse not working.

FIX 3: Recharge/Replace Battery

While both the iteration of the mouse are wireless but they have a major differentiating factor when it comes to their recharging. Whereas the first one requires the changing of the battery once it is depleted, the second generation could directly be recharged just by plugging it onto your Mac. So if you own Mouse 1, then replace its battery whereas Mouse 2 users should connect their mouse to their Mac via the lighting port for at least half an hour and then check out the results.

FIX 4: Pair your Mouse Again

Next up, you should consider removing your mouse from the paired devices section of your Mac and then pairing it back again. Here’s how it could be done:

Click on the Control Center icon and select Bluetooth.
Then click on Bluetooth Preferences.
After that, right-click on your Mouse and select Remove.
Now turn off your mouse and then turn it back on.
It will now appear in the list of devices. So right-click on it and select Connect.
Now check if it fixes the Apple Magic Mouse not working issue.

FIX 5: Tweak Mouse Preferences

If your mouse is not performing along the expected lines, its cursor movement is quite slow or laggy, or its gestures are not working, then its underlying settings might be conflicting with the proper functioning of the mouse. Therefore, you might need to tweak them a little bit, as instructed below.

Click on the Apple logo and select System Preferences
Then select your Mouse from the menu. It will bring up the gesture list.
Try disabling/enabling certain gestures under the Point and Click and More Gestures tab.
Likewise, change the tracking speed to make it in sync with your requirements.
Once done, check if it fixes the Apple Magic Mouse not working issue.

FIX 6: Reset Bluetooth Module

In some instances, your mouse might not be able to establish a successful connection with your Mac due to the latter’s Bluetooth module being corrupted. In such cases, you will have to reset the Bluetooth module on your Mac, using the instructions given below.

Open Launchpad and go to Other > Terminal.
Now execute the below command in the Terminal window
```
sudo pkill bluetoothd
```
Once done, re-pair your mouse with your Mac [see Fix 4].
Check if it fixes the Apple Magic Mouse not working issue.

FIX 7: Reset NVRAM

Both M1/M2 and Intel-based Macs come with NVRAM [Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) which holds information about the configuration of your Mac. They store information related to your desktop settings, mouse, keyboard, time zone, and display resolution, among others. So if this stored data gets corrupted, then its associated hardware or software component might not be able to perform as expected. Therefore, you will have to reset the NVRAM, using the instructions given below:

If you have an M1 or M2 Mac, then just a normal restart will reset the NVRAM.
For an Intel-based Mac, you should first turn off your PC.
Then before the gray screen appears, press the CMD, Option, P, and R keys together.
Keep on pressing these keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound.
Once that happens, you may release the keys and the NVRAM reset is now complete.
Now reconnect your Apple Magic Mouse and check if it is working or not.

FIX 8: Delete Mouse Configuration Files

If none of the aforementioned methods managed to work out in your favor, then it might be the case of your mouse’s preferences and configuration settings getting corrupted. To rectify it you will have to delete its config file [Property List-PLIST] and let the OS recreate it from scratch. Here’s how it could be done:

Launch Finder and press Shift+Command+. keys to show hidden files.
Then go to Library > Preferences folder and delete the following files:
```
com.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse.plist
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plist
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse.plist
```
Once done, restart your Mac and the files will be re-created.
Now reconnect your Mouse and the issue would have been rectified.

That’s it. These were the numerous methods that shall help you fix the issue of the Apple Magic Mouse not working. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

UPDATE: Mouse not working in macOS Sonoma

Numerous users have voiced their concern that mouse clicks are not working on the fourteenth iteration of the OS. Fortunately, the aforementioned workarounds should be enough to rectify this issue.

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