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Mac
How to Connect a Wireless or Wired Mouse to Your Mac Download Article Connect any mouse to your Mac or MacBook in seconds Co-authored by Mitch Harris and Hannah Dillon
Last Updated: September 5, 2025 Fact Checked
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Magic Mouse 2
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Original Magic Mouse
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Bluetooth Mouse
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Wired Mouse
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This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 132,067 times.
Do you need to connect a mouse to your Mac? If you're using a Magic Mouse 2 or a different peripheral with a Lightning port, you can just plug it in and let your Mac take care of the connection automatically. For older wireless mice and trackpads, you'll need to enable Bluetooth and pair the mouse with the computer manually. Either way, we've got you covered! The steps below will walk you through exactly what you need to do.
Connecting a Mouse to Your Mac
The Magic Mouse 2 pairs instantly with your Mac when connected with a Lightning cable.
To connect an original Magic Mouse via Bluetooth, open your Mac's Bluetooth settings and pair the mouse.
You can pair any Bluetooth mouse to your Mac using the Bluetooth menu in "System Settings."
You can also connect a wired mouse using a free USB port on your Mac.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 4:
Using Magic Mouse 2
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1 Connect the mouse to your Mac using the Lightning-to-USB cable. The lightning cable port is underneath your Magic Mouse on the bottom. Flip your mouse over and connect a lightning cable to the charging port on your mouse. Then connect the other end of the charging cable to a free USB port on your Mac.
The Magic Mouse that comes with your MacBook or iMac will already be paired with your computer when it comes out of the box.[1]XResearch source
This method also works if you have a different peripheral with a Lightning port, such as a Magic Keyboard or Magic Trackpad.[2]XResearch source
2 Flip the switch on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. It's to the right of the optical laser on the bottom of the mouse. Push the button up to turn the mouse on. The inside of the switch will turn green when the mouse is on. Advertisement
3 Wait for the device to pair. After a few moments, your Mac will recognize the Magic Mouse.
4 Allow the mouse to charge. The mouse will charge while it's plugged in. Disconnect it once the charge is full.
The Magic Mouse 2 will not function while plugged in.[3]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 4:
Using the Original Magic Mouse
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1 Make sure the Magic Mouse has batteries. Remove the panel on the bottom of the Magic Mouse and insert 2 fresh AA batteries to make sure the mouse has working batteries.
2 Turn the wireless device on. Use the switch on the bottom to turn it on. You should see an LED light start to flash, indicating the Magic Mouse is in Bluetooth pairing mode.
If the LED light turns on and then turns back off, this could mean that the Magic Mouse is paired with a different Mac computer. You will need to unpair the Magic Mouse from the original computer. To do so, click the Bluetooth icon on the desktop of the original computer. Click Forget This Device in the list of connected devices in the Bluetooth menu.
3 Click the Apple menu and select System Settings. On Macs that run an older version of macOS, this will say System Preferences instead.
If you don't have a functioning mouse, you can use the trackpad on your MacBook, or you can use another wired or wireless Bluetooth mouse temporarily.
4 Click Bluetooth. It's in the menu to the left. It's next to an icon that resembles a jagged "B." You may need to scroll down to find it.
On older Macs, click the icon that resembles a jagged capital "B" in the System Preferences menu.
5 Click Turn Bluetooth On (if needed). If Bluetooth is not already turned on, click the button that says "Turn Bluetooth On to make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
6 Click Connect next to the Magic Mouse. Once the Magic Mouse appears in the list of Bluetooth devices, click Connect next to it. This connects your Magic Mouse to your Mac using Bluetooth.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 4:
Using a Bluetooth Mouse
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1 Make sure the mouse has fresh batteries or batteries that are fully charged. If you do not have a Magic Mouse, you can pair any Bluetooth mouse with your Mac. To do so, first, make sure the mouse has fresh batteries, or if the batteries are rechargeable, make sure they are fully charged.
2 Put the mouse in pairing mode. Most Bluetooth devices have a way to put the device in Bluetooth pairing mode and make it discoverable. The way you do this is different from one device to another. There is typically a button you press and hold. Consult the user's manual that came with your mouse to find out how to put it in pairing mode.
3 Click the Apple menu and select System Settings. It's in the drop-down menu that appears when you click the Apple icon.
On Macs that run an older version of macOS, this will say System Preferences instead.
4 Click Bluetooth . It's in the menu to the left. It's next to an icon that resembles a jagged "B." You may need to scroll down to find it.
On older Macs, click the icon that resembles a jagged capital "B" in the System Preferences menu.
5 Click Turn Bluetooth On (if needed). If Bluetooth is not already turned on, click the button that says "Turn Bluetooth On to make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
6 Click Connect next to your mouse. When your mouse is in pairing mode, it should show up in the list of available devices in your Mac's Bluetooth menu. Locate your mouse in the menu and click Connect next to it. This will connect the Bluetooth mouse to your Mac.
Advertisement Method 4 Method 4 of 4:
Using a USB Mouse
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1 Connect a wired mouse. Most wired mice use a USB cable to connect to a computer. Simply connect the USB cable attached to the mouse to any free USB port on your Mac. This will connect the mouse instantly.
2 Use a wireless dongle. Some wireless mice use a wireless dongle rather than connecting via Bluetooth. If this is the case, connect the USB dongle to any free USB port on your Mac. Make sure your mouse has a full battery, and turn it on. It should connect to the USB dongle instantly.
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References
↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201178
↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/119917
↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201178
About This Article
Co-authored by: Mitch Harris Consumer Technology Expert This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. This article has been viewed 132,067 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 5Updated: September 5, 2025 Views: 132,067 Categories: Mac In other languages Spanish Italian Japanese
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Download Article Connect any mouse to your Mac or MacBook in seconds Co-authored by Mitch Harris and Hannah Dillon 
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Co-authored by: Mitch Harris Consumer Technology Expert This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. This article has been viewed 132,067 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 5 Updated: September 5, 2025 Views: 132,067 Categories: Mac In other languages Spanish Italian Japanese 
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1 Connect the mouse to your Mac using the Lightning-to-USB cable. The lightning cable port is underneath your Magic Mouse on the bottom. Flip your mouse over and connect a lightning cable to the charging port on your mouse. Then connect the other end of the charging cable to a free USB port on your Mac. 
2 Flip the switch on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. It's to the right of the optical laser on the bottom of the mouse. Push the button up to turn the mouse on. The inside of the switch will turn green when the mouse is on. Advertisement 
3 Wait for the device to pair. After a few moments, your Mac will recognize the Magic Mouse. 
4 Allow the mouse to charge. The mouse will charge while it's plugged in. Disconnect it once the charge is full. 
1 Make sure the Magic Mouse has batteries. Remove the panel on the bottom of the Magic Mouse and insert 2 fresh AA batteries to make sure the mouse has working batteries. 
2 Turn the wireless device on. Use the switch on the bottom to turn it on. You should see an LED light start to flash, indicating the Magic Mouse is in Bluetooth pairing mode. 
3 Click the Apple menu and select System Settings. On Macs that run an older version of macOS, this will say System Preferences instead. 
4 Click Bluetooth. It's in the menu to the left. It's next to an icon that resembles a jagged "B." You may need to scroll down to find it. 
5 Click Turn Bluetooth On (if needed). If Bluetooth is not already turned on, click the button that says "Turn Bluetooth On to make sure Bluetooth is turned on. 
6 Click Connect next to the Magic Mouse. Once the Magic Mouse appears in the list of Bluetooth devices, click Connect next to it. This connects your Magic Mouse to your Mac using Bluetooth. Advertisement 
1 Make sure the mouse has fresh batteries or batteries that are fully charged. If you do not have a Magic Mouse, you can pair any Bluetooth mouse with your Mac. To do so, first, make sure the mouse has fresh batteries, or if the batteries are rechargeable, make sure they are fully charged. 
2 Put the mouse in pairing mode. Most Bluetooth devices have a way to put the device in Bluetooth pairing mode and make it discoverable. The way you do this is different from one device to another. There is typically a button you press and hold. Consult the user's manual that came with your mouse to find out how to put it in pairing mode. 
4 Click Bluetooth . It's in the menu to the left. It's next to an icon that resembles a jagged "B." You may need to scroll down to find it. 
5 Click Turn Bluetooth On (if needed). If Bluetooth is not already turned on, click the button that says "Turn Bluetooth On to make sure Bluetooth is turned on. 
6 Click Connect next to your mouse. When your mouse is in pairing mode, it should show up in the list of available devices in your Mac's Bluetooth menu. Locate your mouse in the menu and click Connect next to it. This will connect the Bluetooth mouse to your Mac. Advertisement 
1 Connect a wired mouse. Most wired mice use a USB cable to connect to a computer. Simply connect the USB cable attached to the mouse to any free USB port on your Mac. This will connect the mouse instantly. 
2 Use a wireless dongle. Some wireless mice use a wireless dongle rather than connecting via Bluetooth. If this is the case, connect the USB dongle to any free USB port on your Mac. Make sure your mouse has a full battery, and turn it on. It should connect to the USB dongle instantly. Advertisement 
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