Apple’s Magic Mouse is an ergonomic wireless mouse with a sleek profile. While it is a useful device that makes scrolling and browsing websites comfortable, some notable bugs can affect its smooth functioning.
If your mouse is not working properly, look no further. Some of the problems discussed below can occur accidentally, but the causes are not too difficult to determine. We’ll also cover mouse repair on Windows and Mac.
Magic Mouse does not work on Windows
The Magic Mouse is a battery-powered wireless Bluetooth mouse. The older model runs on AA batteries, while the Magic Mouse 2 has a built-in battery that recharges via the Lightning port.
While some problems may be caused by low charging, that is not the only possible problem.
Check the batteries
Most electronic devices underperform when the battery is running low, and the Magic Mouse is not immune to similar problems. Low load tends to cause a poor connection or even mouse lag. This type of lag manifests itself in the form of slow cursor movement or even a sudden freezing of the cursor.
You can first try removing the AA batteries from the previous version of Magic Mouse and inserting some new ones. Doing so should help restore optimal mouse performance. Connection problems may disappear.
While you can’t easily remove the batteries from the Magic Mouse 2, you do need to connect a Lightning cable to the mouse and wait about five minutes. If this doesn’t work again, you should investigate other areas to try to fix the problem.
Reset Bluetooth connection
The Bluetooth connection can sometimes show errors, but a quick update should be enough. This is what you should do.
- Look for the Bluetooth icon in the action center on the right side of the screen.
- Click on it and show the Bluetooth connection.
- Turn off Bluetooth and wait about a minute.
- Enable Bluetooth again and connect the Magic Mouse.
- Check if there are still problems.
If that doesn’t work, consider removing and adding the mouse again.
- Use another mouse and look for the Bluetooth icon on the taskbar.
- Right click and select “Show Bluetooth Devices.”
- Find the Magic Mouse and remove it.
- Re-pair the mouse with your computer.
Sometimes deleting old data is what you need to get your Magic Mouse working again.
Download drivers
The Magic Mouse cannot scroll up or down in Windows until you install the Boot Camp support software. This set of drivers will allow Apple devices to work on your Windows PC. Since the Magic Mouse is designed for Mac, this additional software is necessary.
- Discharge Training Camp Support Software here.
- Extract the ZIP file.
- Open the file and search for “Drivers.”
- Go to “Apple.”
- Open “AppleWirelessMouse64” and follow the instructions to install the driver.
- Restart Windows and see if you can now scroll with the Magic Mouse.
If that doesn’t work, you need to download Brigadier.
- Download and install Brigadier.
- Type “Command Prompt” in the search bar and run it.
- Type “cd Desktop” in the console and run it.
- Type or paste “brigadier.exe -m MacBookPro16,3” into the command prompt.
- Press Enter and wait for the files to download.
- Open the Boot Camp folder and search for $WinPEDriver$.
- Right click on “AppleWirelesMouse64” and select “Install.”
- Continue with the installation process.
- Restart your PC.
- Test if the Magic Mouse is now working.
The drivers required for the Magic Mouse do not naturally exist on a Windows PC. Once you install any of the drivers, your Magic Mouse should scroll correctly.
Turn the mouse off and on
The Magic Mouse’s on/off switch is located on the bottom. In some cases, turning it off and on again will fix the problem. After the mouse is reconnected to your computer, it should work as expected.
Magic Mouse does not work on Mac
There are many problems that can occur with Mac Magic Mouse. Some fixes to help get your mouse working again are only available on Mac.
Fix Bluetooth connection problems
You need to follow different steps on Mac to turn Bluetooth on and off again. The same goes for pairing the Magic Mouse after removing it.
Here’s how to reset Bluetooth on a Mac.
- Open the Bluetooth menu at the top of the screen.
- Turn off the Bluetooth switch.
- Wait a moment before activating it again.
- Let the Magic Mouse connect to the Mac again.
If the mouse doesn’t connect, you’ll need to click on it from the “Devices” section of the Bluetooth menu.
You may want to unpair the Magic Mouse if it is not working properly. These are the steps on Mac.
- Open the Apple menu and click “System Preferences.”
- Choose “Bluetooth.”
- Remove your Magic Mouse.
- Turn off the Magic Mouse and then turn it back on after a while.
- Connect the magic mouse to your Mac.
- Try it to see if the problems persist.
Sometimes re-pairing the mouse works, but there are times when this doesn’t help.
Recharge or replace batteries
The same battery issues can affect the functionality of the Magic Mouse on Mac. Make sure you have a sufficient charge before using it.
Turn on the switch
The Magic Mouse’s on/off switch is on the bottom. Switching it back and forth won’t always work, but you’ll be surprised how often it works.
Misconfigured buttons
Sometimes the Magic Mouse cannot right click. This is often due to an error when configuring it. You’ll want to change it back.
- Open System Preferences and go to the “Mouse” section.
- Go to “Point and Click.”
- Make sure “Secondary Click” is enabled.
- Click the drop-down menu and select “Click on the right side.”
Be sure to switch to the right click if the selection somehow went to the left. Some users find that the secondary click may be reversed.
Reset the Bluetooth module
You may need to reset the Bluetooth module manually if there are still problems. You can easily do this on versions of macOS prior to Monterey, but newer Macs will require a different approach.
The oldest method is the following:
- Hold down Shift + Alt.
- Click the Bluetooth icon on your screen.
- Click “Reset Bluetooth Module.”
This is how you would do it on newer Macs.
- Open the Spotlight search bar.
- Find the Terminal.
- Start Terminal.
- Enter and run “sudo pkill bluetoothd” without any additional symbols or letters.
- Enter your password if prompted.
- Check if the Magic Mouse reconnects after the module is reset.
- Try the magic mouse.
As with all devices, the Magic Mouse will eventually break. If other Bluetooth mice work with your device, it’s probably time to get a replacement for your Magic Mouse.
It works like magic
The Magic Mouse isn’t known for being the most durable mouse available, but it’s still a fantastic piece of hardware for the price. There are many ways to fix connection issues or not being able to get around. Try them before giving up your Magic Mouse for dead
