How to Fix: Apple Magic Mouse Keeps Disconnecting

Apple’s Magic Mouse is a wonderful device. Going wireless can give you the freedom to move about your desk or wherever you feel comfortable. No cord to tie you down. But many who have used the device have reported issues with it randomly disconnecting from their Mac.

While Apple does produce quality devices, it seems that in both versions (Magic Mouse and Magic Mouse 2) of this one, there’s been a steady flow of issues. The good news is that for the most part, this disconnect problem has some simple solutions that will work for most users.

My name is Eric and I am a software engineer but I have a degree in electrical engineering. Solving problems like this can be a real challenge but it is something I enjoy because I get to troubleshoot a problem that could be a hardware or software issue. 

If you’re seeing this same problem, just follow along, and hopefully, I can help you to figure out and fix your Magic Mouse problem.

Magic Mouse Problems

Problems with Apple’s Magic Mouse can really be broken down into 3 categories. They are battery problems, Bluetooth problems, and hardware failure. The majority of the issues fall into the first two categories. Will take a look at each of them below.

Battery Problems

For the original Magic Mouse, the first thing you will want to do is ensure that your batteries are still good. If you have some spare ones, try using them and see if you still have issues. If that does not solve the problem, it could be a common problem that many other users have seen.

This has been an ongoing problem since it first came out and if you have an original one, not the Magic Mouse 2, there’s a pretty good chance that it has to do with the AA batteries not fitting snugly into the battery holder.

The symptoms that indicate this problem are that the mouse may disconnect intermittently after a sudden movement or jolt to the device. A quick solution to this is to remove the battery cover, take the batteries out and then put them back in, but the problem will often arise again.

There are many articles out there that will advise wrapping aluminum foil around the negative end of the battery to make it fit more snugly against the contacts in the battery compartment. I would advise against this solution because it has the possibility of overheating your mouse.

Aluminum foil has a higher resistance than the nickel-plated contacts of the battery and mouse. This slightly higher resistance can cause them to heat up and even be a possible fire risk. While it is unlikely that it will catch fire, the overheating can cause long-term damage to the device.

A common solution is to wedge a small piece of paper or thin cardboard into the battery compartment to keep them from moving around. 

You could also wrap electrical or duct tape around the body of the battery ( do not cover the end contacts ) to make them fit snugly in the battery compartment. The main idea is to keep them from moving around inside the case.

One more solution is to take the batteries out, and gently stretch the springs inside the case towards the center of the battery compartment. You will need to put a little pressure on them to do this but be very careful to not use so much force that you break them off.

If you are seeing similar intermittent problems with the Magic Mouse 2, it is unlikely to be a loose battery issue since this one has built-in rechargeable lithium batteries that have much less of a chance to be jarred loose, but you will want to ensure that they are properly charged.

Bluetooth Problems

The next most common problem with either version of the mouse is that there is an issue with your Bluetooth connection. There are primarily two types of Bluetooth problems you could be facing. One can be caused by a glitch in the software and another could be due to interference.

Interference

If the problem is intermittent, like the battery problems described above, it is most likely an interference problem. There are a number of things that can interfere with Bluetooth. Look for things such as other devices or appliances that could be interfering.

If you can’t see anything obvious, move your computer to another location and check to see if you are still having the issue. If not, then you can be pretty sure that there is something in the original location that is interfering with the signal.

Although most interfering devices come from things unrelated to your Mac, there is a possibility that your wifi connection or some other wireless device such as a keyboard could be interfering. Try turning these off and see if you still have issues with the mouse.

If this resolves the problem, you might want to disconnect the mouse, and then connect it again before you turn on the other wireless devices and your wifi. This may reduce the possibility of the devices interfering with each other.

One last thing to look out for, and this may sound crazy, but be sure that your mouse is not connecting to another computer. Do you have a second Mac close by that it may be connecting to? If so, remove the Bluetooth connection to the other computer and you may solve the issue.

Software Glitch or Stale Connection

It could be that your Bluetooth has been mistakenly disconnected or disconnected by a software glitch. Try the things below to see if one of them resolves your problem. 

Step 1: Make sure that your Mac has the latest macOS updates. If you are behind in the updates, install the latest before you go any further.

Step 2: Go into your Bluetooth connections and ensure that the mouse is still on the list. If it is and it is not connected, try connecting it and see what happens.

Step 3: Try turning the mouse’s power off and letting it disconnect. Wait a few seconds and then reconnect. This will often solve the problem if there is a stale connection.

Step 4: Turn your Mac’s Bluetooth off and then on again. To do this, go to System Preferences and select Bluetooth. Click where it says Turn Bluetooth Off to turn it off. Wait for a few seconds then click Turn Bluetooth On to turn it back on.

Step 5: Unpair the mouse by clicking on x next to it in the Devices list. Once it is has been unpaired, pair it again using the same method you originally used to connect it.

Note: Most of the items above are steps suggested by Apple Support.

Hardware Failure

If none of the solutions above have helped, it could be that you have a hardware failure. Check to see if your warranty is still in effect. If it is, you may be able to get the device fixed or even replaced. 

If your warranty has expired you may need to purchase a new mouse, but before you do that you will want to verify that the issue is definitely with your mouse. If possible borrow one from a friend or family member and try connecting it to your Mac to see if you still have problems.

If you have no problems with the borrowed mouse, then you most likely have a bad one and will need to replace it.

Another method would be to try connecting your mouse to a different Mac. If you still see the same issue on another computer, this will also tell you that the Mouse is defective or has been damaged and needs to be replaced.

Final Words

There are multiple things that can cause your Magic Mouse to disconnect. The most common issues are battery or Bluetooth problems. I hope the information provided above can help you to determine and fix your mouse problem.

Please let me know if you have any other causes or solutions for this particular problem. I would love to hear from you!