What to Know
- Unlike a Magic Mouse that connects to your Mac automatically when plugged in, most third-party mouses need to be connected manually.
- Click the Apple logo on the left of your Mac's menu bar, open System Settings, click on Bluetooth, make sure it is on, and then select the mouse you wish to connect to.
Learning how to connect a wireless mouse to a Mac is easy! You can usually do it by turning on your Mac's Bluetooth and finding your wireless mouse under Bluetooth devices. Some third-party mouses require you to plug in a USB or USB-C mouse dongle in order to connect a Mac mouse.
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How to Connect Mouse to MacBook
Connecting almost any third-party Bluetooth mouse for MacBooks (or any Macs) is really simple. But first, you must determine that your mouse is Mac compatible and charged, then plug in your mouse's USB or USB-C dongle if it comes with one. If you have a 2.4 GHz wireless mouse mouse, your Mac should recognize the mouse automatically. If it doesn't or if you have a Bluetooth or a dual mode mouse:
- Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your Mac's menu bar.
![Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your Mac's menu bar.]()
- Select System Settings.
![Select System Settings.]()
- Click on Bluetooth.
![Click on Bluetooth.]()
- Make sure Bluetooth is toggled on.
![Make sure Bluetooth is toggled on.]()
- Under My Devices, find your mouse and click on Connect.
![Under My Devices, find your mouse and click on Connect.]()
Your mouse should start working as soon as it finishes connecting. If you have an Apple Magic Mouse you can just plug your mouse into your Mac. We have a different article for you if you want to learn more about how to connect an Apple Mouse to your Mac. For more Mac tips, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
Wireless Mouse Not Working on Your Mac?
If you've followed the steps above and your mouse is still not connected, or if you successfully connected your mouse to your Mac but it stopped working, we have some troubleshooting steps for you to try.
- Make sure your mouse is charged.
- Restart your Mac.
- Turn your Bluetooth off and back on again, then reconnect your mouse following the steps above.
- If you have a USB/USB-C dongle, unplug it, then plug it back in.
- If your mouse is not working because your device froze, force restart your Mac to fix it.
If you have Universal Control activated and can't find your cursor, make sure it isn't on a different device's screen.
Now you know how to connect a mouse to a MacBook (or any Mac)! If you are looking for a good mouse for MacBooks, check out our Mac accessories article next. Or, learn every Magic Mouse gesture to get the most out of your Mac's mouse.
FAQ
- How to right-click on a Mac mouse? To right-click on your Mac's Magic Mouse, press the Control key while clicking with your mouse.
- How to connect Magic Mouse to Mac? To connect your Magic Mouse to your Mac, you just need to plug in your Magic Mouse to your Mac.
- How to connect a mouse to your iPad or iPhone? You can connect a mouse to your iPad (or iPhone) by finding the mouse in your Settings and connecting to it.
Top image credit: bodnar.photo / Shutterstock.com
