It’s the digital equivalent of a heart attack. You’re mid-flow, maybe deep into an Excel spreadsheet or a Final Cut timeline, and suddenly, the cursor just... dies. You wiggle the mouse. Nothing. You click frantically, hoping the "click-click-click" sound somehow jumpstarts the connection. Still nothing. A Mac mouse not responding is more than a minor glitch; it’s a productivity wall that stops everything in its tracks.
Most people immediately assume the hardware is fried. They start looking at prices for a new Magic Mouse or a Logitech MX Master 3S. Honestly? It's usually something much stupider than a broken sensor.
Apple’s ecosystem is generally seamless, but when the handshake between macOS and your input device fails, it fails hard. Whether you're rocking the rechargeable Magic Mouse with that infamous charging port on the bottom or a third-party USB peripheral, the fix is usually buried in a setting you haven't touched in years.
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The First Rule of Troubleshooting: Is it Actually On?
Seriously. Check the switch. I know it sounds insulting, but you’d be surprised how many "broken" mice are just turned off. On a Magic Mouse, there’s that tiny sliding switch on the bottom. If you see green, it’s on. If you don't, it's not.
Batteries die. It happens. If you have the older Magic Mouse that takes AA batteries, those contacts can get corroded or just loose over time. A tiny sliver of tin foil or just cleaning the terminals with a Q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol can fix a "dead" mouse in thirty seconds. For the newer ones, plug it into your Mac using a Lightning or USB-C cable. If the cursor starts moving the moment it's tethered, you have a battery or Bluetooth issue, not a dead mouse.
When Bluetooth Goes Brain-Dead
Bluetooth is a miracle when it works and a nightmare when it doesn't.
Sometimes the macOS Bluetooth stack just hangs. It gets confused by too many signals or a corrupted cache file. If your Mac mouse not responding is a frequent occurrence, you need to force a reset. You used to be able to do this by Shift+Option clicking the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, but Apple changed things in recent macOS versions like Sonoma and Sequoia.
Now, the "Terminal" is your best friend. Open Terminal (Command + Space, type "Terminal") and paste this: sudo pkill bluetoothd. You’ll have to type your password. It won’t show characters as you type, which is a bit weird if you aren't used to it. Hit Enter. This kills the Bluetooth process and forces macOS to restart it instantly. Usually, the mouse snaps back to life within five seconds.
Interference is real. 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, unshielded USB cables, and even microwave ovens can mess with your mouse. If you have a bunch of cheap USB hubs plugged into your Mac, try unplugging them. Those things leak "noise" like crazy.
The "Ignore Built-in Trackpad" Trap
This is a niche setting that ruins lives.
There is a setting under Accessibility > Pointer Control called "Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present." If this is toggled on and your mouse is technically "connected" but malfunctioning or hidden under a pile of papers, your trackpad won't work either. It creates a feedback loop of frustration where you think the entire computer is frozen.
Go check that setting. While you're there, look at the Double-Click Speed. If it’s set too fast, it might seem like the mouse isn't responding to clicks because the OS is waiting for a second click that never comes at the speed it expects.
Resetting the NVRAM and SMC (The Nuclear Option)
If you're using an older Intel-based Mac, the NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) and SMC (System Management Controller) handle a lot of the hardware "handshakes." If these get wonky, your USB ports or Bluetooth radio might just stop talking to the mouse.
To reset NVRAM on an Intel Mac: Shut down, then hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds.
If you have a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, or M4 chips), you don't do this. Apple Silicon Macs handle these resets automatically during a normal restart. Just shut the lid, wait thirty seconds, and turn it back on. It’s boring, but it works.
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Sensor Dirt: The Invisible Barrier
Flip the mouse over. See that tiny rectangular or circular hole? That’s the laser or optical sensor. A single human hair or a tiny speck of dust trapped in there will make the mouse feel like it’s stuttering or not responding at all.
Don't use a toothpick. You'll scratch the lens. Use a can of compressed air or just blow into it like an old Nintendo cartridge.
Also, consider your surface. Glass desks are the natural enemy of the Magic Mouse. Apple uses a laser that struggles with transparency. If you're working on a glass table and the mouse is jumping around, put down a piece of paper. If it works on the paper, your mouse isn't broken—your desk is just too fancy.
Software Conflicts and Third-Party Drivers
Are you using Logi Options+, SteerMouse, or BetterMouse? These apps are great for adding functionality, but they sit between your hardware and the OS. Sometimes they crash.
If your Mac mouse not responding coincided with a macOS update, the driver is likely the culprit. Uninstall the third-party software, restart, and see if the basic Apple driver takes over. If the mouse works fine without the extra software, you just need to wait for a developer update.
Actionable Steps to Fix Your Mouse Right Now
- Check the Basics: Toggle the power switch on the mouse off and on. Check the battery percentage in the Control Center.
- Tether It: Plug the mouse directly into the Mac with a cable. If it works, the issue is Bluetooth or the battery.
- The Bluetooth Nuke: Use the Terminal command
sudo pkill bluetoothdto refresh the connection stack. - Clean the Sensor: Use compressed air to clear any debris from the optical eye on the bottom.
- Check Accessibility Settings: Ensure "Ignore built-in trackpad" isn't causing a conflict and that your click speed is set to a middle-of-the-road value.
- Kill Interference: Move unshielded USB hubs away from your Mac’s chassis and turn off other nearby Bluetooth devices to see if the connection stabilizes.
- Safe Mode Test: Restart your Mac and hold Shift (on Intel) or hold the Power button for startup options (on Apple Silicon) to boot into Safe Mode. If the mouse works here, you have a software conflict with a login item or a driver.
These steps cover 99% of mouse failures. If none of this works and the mouse doesn't even show a light when you toggle the power, it’s time to accept that the hardware has likely reached its end of life.