Mouse Keeps Disappearing On Mac? 10 Things To Try.
Almost every Mac user sooner or later encounters this problem – your Mac is constantly missing the mouse. This seems to happen by accident and for no apparent reason. However, a disappearing cursor can be the source of many problems.
Since this is a large part of your computer interaction, cursor problems can ruin your user experience and cause a lot of stress. If your work relies on a mouse or trackpad, this can be especially annoying.
In most cases, you can fix the disappearing mouse by moving and clicking all over the computer screen, but this is not the most difficult method and will not solve the problem. The best way to deal with this is to first figure out what is causing your cursor to disappear. Then you can try a few different things to fix this.
Why is your mouse disappearing
It may seem like your cursor is disappearing at a random time. In fact, this can happen for several reasons.
If you notice that your mouse keeps disappearing on your Mac, check if any of the following is happening:
- You have many tabs or browsers open, and your Mac is running out of available memory.
- You are using multiple monitors.
- The cursor disappears on purpose when watching a YouTube video.
- You are using third party applications on your Mac and this is causing software conflicts.
When your cursor only disappears while using a specific app on Mac and works fine when you switch to any other location on your computer, it’s time to contact the app developer. If none of the apps seem to be a problem, try one of the following solutions and see if that brings your mouse back.
–
Visit the Dock or the menu to turn the cursor back
When your mouse goes missing, your first impulse will probably wiggle all over your computer screen. Instead of doing it aimlessly, scroll down to the Dock (bottom of the screen) and then scroll up again. The cursor should reappear.
If it’s still missing, move it to the menu bar. Clicking anywhere on the menu should return the mouse cursor.
Use Touchpad or Trackpad
Using the trackpad or touchpad, try swiping right with three fingers. You will be taken to the widget screen. Wait about 10 seconds and then swipe left to return to the home screen.
You can also try swiping up and down with four fingers on the trackpad or touchpad. See if your mouse brings you back one of these tricks.
Change Cursor Size
When the pointer disappears, try resizing it. You can do this through System Preferences. Go to the Apple menu, then choose System Preferences Accessibility Display. Find the Cursor tab and resize the cursor by dragging the slider.
You can also ask Siri to help you with this. If Siri is enabled on your Mac, use the shortcut to access it and ask her to increase the cursor size for you. The default shortcuts for Siri are: function (fn) + space, (hold) command (Cmd) + space, or (hold) Option (alt) + space.
Use right-click or click-and-drag
When your mouse disappears by clicking on it in a certain way, you can bring it back. Try right-clicking your mouse or touchpad first. If that doesn’t work, go to your desktop, then click and drag like you would select a group of files. The cursor should reappear after you release.
Switch between applications
Use the keyboard shortcut Command (Cmd) + Tab to bring up the Application Switcher. When you do, first hold Cmd, then press Tab. Switch between applications back and forth a couple of times and see if that brings the pointer back.
Using Mission Control
Sometimes, simply launching Mission Control can restore your cursor. To open Mission Control, press the Mission Control (F3) key on your keyboard, or use the keyboard shortcut Control + Up arrow.
If you have configured hot flight angles on the screen, move your cursor to one of them when it disappears. This simple move often brings your mouse back.
Use the Force Quit Command
When the cursor is gone, open the Force Quit menu and see if that solves the problem. To do this, press Command (Cmd) + Option (Alt) + Escape (Esc). If the mouse pointer does not appear again, try to force close the application that you think might be causing the problem.
Reset your Mac’s NVRAM
Resetting NVRAM is a common thing to try when troubleshooting your Mac. NVRAM is responsible for storing data and computer settings when power is off. It can also help you solve the disappearing cursor problem.
To reset NVRAM, first turn off and then turn on your computer. When you hear the startup sound, press Command (Cmd) + Option (Alt) + P + R. Hold the keys until you hear your Mac restart again.
Restart Your Mac
Sometimes, simply restarting your Mac can help you fix the problem and get your mouse back.
However, if your mouse still keeps disappearing on your Mac, you can go ahead and restart your computer in Safe Mode. This way you will be able to find out if there are any third party applications causing this.
To restart your Mac, turn it off and back on. When you hear the startup sound, press, and hold the Shift key. Hold it until you see the login screen. Once in safe mode, see if your cursor works. Then restart your Mac again to return to normal mode.
Learn how to use your Mac without a mouse
The ultimate solution to the cursor disappearing problem is to learn how to use a Mac without a mouse. You can start by learning the basic keyboard shortcuts for your Mac and then move on to specific ones, such as keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots, or keyboard shortcuts that can help you unfreeze your computer
Have you tried any of our solutions to fix the disappearing mouse issue? Which one worked best for you? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
–