Do you keep running into instances where your mouse cursor tends to disappear on your Mac? Many reasons—such as incorrectly configured mouse settings or glitches within the system software—often cause that.
Work your way through the list of fixes below and you should be able to get your mouse functioning correctly on the Mac.
1. Shake Your Mouse
At times, you might find it difficult to spot the mouse pointer among the sea of user interface elements on the Mac's screen. Apple knows that, which is why you can enlarge the size of the cursor temporarily by moving the mouse (or your finger across the trackpad) back and forth rapidly. Try that the next time your mouse goes missing.
2. Change Cursor Size
If you repeatedly fail to keep track of your mouse, consider increasing the cursor's size. Here's how:
- Open the Apple menu and select the option labeled System Preferences.
- Select the Accessibility icon.
- Select Display.
- Switch to the Cursor tab.
- Use the slider next to Cursor size to increase the size of the cursor.
3. Re-Align Your Monitors
If you have a multi-monitor Mac setup, make sure that they're aligned the correct way. If not, you'll have a tough time locating the cursor.
Here's what you need to do:
- Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
- Select Displays and switch to the Arrangement tab.
- Drag the display tiles in the order you want.
4. Lower the Cursor Speed
An extremely fast cursor speed is another reason that can make you lose track of the mouse on the Mac's screen. Try lowering it using these steps:
- Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
- Click on Mouse or Trackpad.
- Drag the slider next to Tracking speed to the left to decrease the speed of the cursor.
5. Charge Your Mouse or Trackpad
A mouse or trackpad with little charge remaining can cause the cursor to behave erratically. It's best to swap out the batteries or recharge it.
If you use a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, you can always check its battery life by opening the Mac's Control Center and expanding Bluetooth. Or, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth.
6. Restart Your Mac
If none of the fixes above helped, you should try restarting your Mac. That helps resolve minor issues preventing the operating system from working correctly. Just make sure to uncheck the box next to Reopen windows when logging back in before selecting Restart.
7. Delete Mouse-Enhancement Software
Third-party mouse-enhancement software can help improve the functionality of your pointing device. But they can also introduce problems. If you have such an app installed, update it and see if that helps.
If not, exit the program from the Mac's menu bar. Then, go to Finder > Applications and drag it to the Trash.
8. Reconnect Your Pointing Device
Reconnecting a mouse or trackpad with your Mac can also help fix a cursor that disappears randomly. If you use a wired or a wireless mouse, just pull out the USB cable or receiver and plug it back in after restarting your Mac.
However, if you use a Bluetooth device such as a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, here's what you need to do:
- Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Click the X icon next to your Bluetooth mouse or trackpad.
- Select Remove.
- Turn the Bluetooth device off, and then back on.
- Select Connect to reconnect the mouse or trackpad.
Note: If you don't have another input device to interact with your Mac after disconnecting your mouse or trackpad, press Cmd + Option + F5 to activate Mouse Keys. You can then move your cursor using the U, J, K, L, O, 7, 8, and 9 keys, and select onscreen elements by pressing Enter.
9. Update Your Apps
Buggy apps can cause cursor-related issues on the Mac. If your mouse starts disappearing while interacting with a specific app, open the App Store and check the Updates tab for pending updates. Or you can look for update options within the app itself. If that doesn't help, contact the app developer for help.
10. Update Your System Software
Faulty system software can also stop your mouse from functioning correctly. If you haven't updated it in a while, try doing that now. Here's how:
- Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
- Select Software Update.
- Select Update Now to apply pending macOS updates.
11. Delete the PLIST Files
Your mouse may also disappear due to a corrupt mouse or trackpad configuration on the Mac. Try deleting the PLIST (Property List) files associated with your pointing device and check if that helps. Here's where to find them:
- Open the Finder app and select Go > Go to Folder on the menu bar.
- Type ~/Library/Preferences into the Go to Folder box and select Go.
- Drag the following files to the Trash:
- com.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse.plist
- com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plist
- com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse.plist
- com.apple.AppleMultitouchTrackpad.plist
- com.apple.preference.trackpad.plist
You must follow that by restarting your Mac. That should prompt the system software to recreate the PLIST files you just deleted.
12. Reset the NVRAM
Resetting the NVRAM (or non-volatile random-access memory) can help fix mouse-related issues that stem from obsolete memory at the hardware level. Just note that the procedure only applies to Macs running on Intel-based chipsets.
Here's how to reset the NVRAM on Intel Macs:
- Turn off your Mac.
- Press the Power button.
- Immediately press and hold Cmd + Option + P + R. Keep holding all the keys until you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Note: If you use a Mac with a T2 security chip, hold all four keys until the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time.
If resetting the NVRAM doesn't help, you might want to follow by resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) on your Mac.
Success: You've Fixed the Mouse Disappearing Issue on Mac
Hopefully, the fixes above helped and you aren't having issues with the cursor randomly vanishing from your Mac's screen anymore. But if you continue to have other mouse-related problems, take some time to fix them by working your way through additional troubleshooting tips.
