The basic steps to pair your Magic Mouse

An Apple Magic Mouse is a wireless pointing device that connects to your Mac or iPad through Bluetooth, a short-range wireless technology. To connect it, you turn on the mouse, go to your device's Bluetooth settings, and select the mouse from the list of available devices. The whole process takes about two minutes and only needs to happen once — after that, the mouse reconnects automatically when you turn it on.

The mouse arrives with a battery already inside but in a disconnected state. Before you start pairing, make sure your Mac or iPad is awake and unlocked, and that Bluetooth is turned on. You'll find Bluetooth settings in System Preferences on a Mac or in Settings on an iPad.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn on the Magic Mouse by sliding the power switch on the bottom from Off to On, then wait a few seconds for it to become discoverable.
  • On a Mac, open System Preferences, click Bluetooth, and select the Magic Mouse from the list of available devices.
  • On an iPad, go to Settings, tap Bluetooth, turn it on if it's off, and select the Magic Mouse from the available devices list.
  • Once paired, the mouse reconnects automatically whenever you turn it on, so you only need to pair it once.
  • If the mouse doesn't appear in the Bluetooth list, restart it by sliding the power switch off and back on after waiting five seconds.

Pairing on a Mac with System Preferences

On a Mac running macOS Monterey or earlier, open System Preferences from the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen. Click the Bluetooth icon — it looks like a stylized B made of dots. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on; you'll see a button that says "Turn Bluetooth On" if it's currently off.

Slide the power switch on the bottom of the Magic Mouse from Off to On. The switch is a small slider near the Lightning charging port. Wait about five seconds for the mouse to become discoverable. You should see "Magic Mouse" appear in the list of available devices in the Bluetooth window. Click it, and your Mac will pair with the mouse. A checkmark will appear next to the mouse's name when pairing is complete.

If you're using macOS Ventura or later, the process is nearly identical, but Bluetooth settings moved to System Settings instead of System Preferences. Open System Settings from the Apple menu, click Bluetooth in the sidebar, and follow the same steps.

Pairing on an iPad

On an iPad, open the Settings app from your home screen. Scroll down and tap Bluetooth. If the toggle next to Bluetooth is gray, tap it to turn Bluetooth on. Wait a moment for the screen to refresh and show available devices.

Turn on the Magic Mouse by sliding the power switch on the bottom from Off to On, then wait five seconds. The mouse should appear in the list under "Other Devices." Tap the Magic Mouse name, and your iPad will pair with it. You'll see a checkmark next to the name and a "Connected" label when pairing succeeds.

What to do if the mouse doesn't appear

If you don't see the Magic Mouse in your Bluetooth list after turning it on, the most common reason is that the mouse is still in pairing mode from a previous device. Slide the power switch off, wait five seconds, then slide it back on. This resets the mouse and makes it discoverable again.

If the mouse still doesn't appear, check that Bluetooth is actually turned on — the toggle should be blue or green, not gray. On a Mac, you can also click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen to see a quick status. If Bluetooth is on but the mouse still won't show up, restart your Mac or iPad entirely and try again.

Another possibility is that the battery is dead. The Magic Mouse uses a built-in rechargeable battery that charges through a Lightning cable. If the mouse was sitting unused for months, the battery may have drained completely. Plug it in with the Lightning cable for at least 30 minutes, then try turning it on again.

Charging your Magic Mouse

The Magic Mouse charges through a Lightning cable, the same connector used by iPhones and iPads. A cable comes in the box. Flip the mouse over, locate the Lightning port on the bottom, and plug the cable in. A green light on the bottom of the mouse indicates it's charging.

You can use the mouse while it's charging, though this is awkward because the cable gets in the way. Most people charge it overnight or when they're not using it. A full charge takes about two hours and lasts roughly a month of typical daily use, though this varies depending on how much you use the mouse.

Reconnecting after the first time

After you've paired the Magic Mouse once, you don't need to pair it again. straightforward turn the mouse on by sliding the power switch, and it will reconnect to your Mac or iPad automatically within a few seconds. The connection happens in the background — you'll know it worked when the cursor starts responding to the mouse's movement.

If the mouse doesn't reconnect automatically, make sure Bluetooth is still turned on in your device's settings. If it is, try turning the mouse off and back on. If it still won't connect, unpair the mouse and pair it again from scratch using the steps above.

Troubleshooting a sluggish or unresponsive mouse

If your Magic Mouse is paired but the cursor moves slowly or doesn't respond smoothly, the first step is to check the battery level. On a Mac, click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar and look for the battery percentage next to the Magic Mouse name. On an iPad, go to Settings, tap Bluetooth, and look for the battery percentage next to the mouse. If the battery is below 20 percent, charge the mouse.

If the battery is fine, the Bluetooth connection may be weak. Move your Mac or iPad closer to the mouse — Bluetooth works best within about 30 feet, but obstacles like walls or metal objects can reduce the range. If you're sitting far from your device or there's a lot of interference from other wireless devices, move closer and try again.

As a last resort, unpair the mouse and pair it again. On a Mac, open Bluetooth settings, find the Magic Mouse in the list, click the X next to it, and confirm the removal. On an iPad, swipe left on the Magic Mouse name in the Bluetooth list and tap "Forget." Then pair it again from scratch using the steps above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Magic Mouse with Windows or Android?

No. The Magic Mouse is designed specifically for Apple devices and works only with Mac computers and iPads. It will not pair with Windows PCs or Android tablets. If you need a wireless mouse for a non-Apple device, you'll need a different mouse designed for that platform.

Do I need to unpair the mouse if I want to use it with a different Mac?

Not necessarily. You can pair the same Magic Mouse with multiple Macs. When you turn on the mouse near a different Mac, it will reconnect to whichever device it was most recently paired with. If you want to switch which device it connects to, unpair it from one Mac and pair it with the other.

Why does my Magic Mouse keep disconnecting?

Frequent disconnections usually mean the battery is low or the Bluetooth connection is weak. Charge the mouse first. If disconnections continue, move your Mac or iPad closer to the mouse and away from other wireless devices like routers or microwaves. If the problem persists, unpair and re-pair the mouse.

Can I use the Magic Mouse with an older Mac?

It depends on the Mac's age and operating system. Magic Mouse models from 2015 and later work with Macs running macOS 10.12 or newer. Very old Macs may not support the latest Magic Mouse models. Check Apple's support page for your specific Mac model and the Magic Mouse version you own.

What's the difference between the Magic Mouse and other Apple mice?

The Magic Mouse is Apple's current wireless mouse and includes touch-sensitive gestures on the top surface — you can swipe to scroll or navigate between pages. Older Apple mice like the Magic Mouse 2 or the wired Mighty Mouse had different designs. The current Magic Mouse is the only model Apple sells new.