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Ways to Fix Disappearing Cursor on Mac – Troubleshooting Tips
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Ways to Fix Disappearing Cursor on Mac – Troubleshooting Tips

December 11, 2023

If you have a Mac computer, there’s no doubt you would have the mouse along with it. Of course, a MacBook includes the pre-installed trackpad, so an external mouse isn’t an essential accessory. But the point is that the pointer is necessary to navigate through the feature. Given how important the pointer is, you will surely get frustrated when the Mac’s cursor/pointer disappears.

Unfortunately, this is a common issue for most Mac users. Several times, your cursor may not work or randomly disappear on your Mac running the latest macOS, leaving you useless. Fuss not, as there are troubleshooting tips that you can perform on your Mac to bring the Mac cursor and resume your work. So here are the best ways to fix the pointer not showing on Mac.

Steps to Fix Disappearing Cursor on Mac

There are twenty ways to fix Mac’s cursor/pointer disappear. But before that, let’s look at the possible reasons why Mac cursor disappears.

Why does Mouse Pointer Keep disappearing on Mac?

There are various reasons for missing pointer issues on your Mac computer. It could be due to the outdated macOS, the corrupted battery case, or the malfunctioning of a third-party screen saver. Besides this, the pointer disappeared, which can also be due to the software glitch. As solutions, there are multiple essential solutions you need to take care of. However, if you aren’t familiar with a workaround, keep reading the article.

Solution #1. Shake Mouse Pointer to locate

Probably one of the easiest to make the cursor visible is to shake the mouse. Yes, you heard right! At times, all you need to do is shake the mouse to bring back the disappeared cursor. Alternatively, you can also quickly move the finger on the trackpad.

Solution #2. Force Quit Hack

Often, you can instantly bring the disappeared point back by force quitting all apps. To do so, follow the steps below.

  1. Click on the Apple Menu from the top left corner. Choose Force Quit…
  2. Press Command + A to select all apps. At least select Force Quit Button.

That’s It!

Solution #3. Switch to another app or Finder to relocate your Mouse Pointer

If the mouse cursor is hidden inside the app, try switching to a different app or Finder to relocate the hidden cursor.

Solution #4. Try Out Right Click Trick

When it comes to resolving the mouse cursor on Mac, then right-clicking is also a good solution. So, to give it a chance, you can either use the Cmd + Left Click or Control + Click or click two fingers.

Solution #5. Take the help of Mission Control to force the disappear cursor to appear

It is fair to say that right-click method may not fix your problem. But fuss not; there is another reliable way to fix it via mission control. There are multiple ways to access mission control on your Mac, which we have mentioned below.

Method 1: Click on the mission control button F3 located at the top row or touch bar.

Method 2: Swipe up using the three/ four fingers on your MacBook Trackpad.

Method 3: Press the Control + Arrow Up button.

Solution #6. Drag the Mac cursor to Dock

The dock is one of the practical solutions to resolve the Mac disappeared cursor. To perform this solution, all you need to do is drag the invisible cursor right into the Dock. Once you do so, the pointer will appear.

Solution #7. Disconnect and reconnect your Mouse

If the pointer isn’t visible even after performing the above solution, and if you are using the battery, then disconnecting and reconnecting your Magic/Bluetooth mouse may work wonders. To do so, follow the steps below.

Note: For the wired mouse, unplug and plug the mouse once again.

  1. Click on the Apple Menu from the top left corner. Select System Settings…
  2. Choose Bluetooth from the left pane. Then, click on the I Button next to your device.
  3. From the next pop-up window, click on Disconnect.
  4. After this, restart your Mac computer record, connect the device, and check for issues. If it continues, move forward to the next solution.

Solution #8. Reset Wireless Mouse

If it seems like a persistent problem and you’re unable to relocate the hidden mouse cursor on a Mac computer, then you must try resetting your Mouse. However, most mouse, like the Apple Magic Mouse, include a built-in switch to reset easily. If you don’t know the procedure for this, then you can take the help of user manual.

Solution #9. Make sure the Bluetooth is enabled

Accidentally or intentionally, you might have turned off the Bluetooth toggle, and further, you might have forgotten to turn it back on. So, we suggest the Bluetooth toggle is enabled on your wireless mouse. And if you find it enabled, then move to the following solution.

To check it, go to the Apple Menu > System Settings… > Bluetooth > Enable the toggle next to the Bluetooth.

Solution #10. Force Restart Mac

Another handy solution to resolve the issue is hard resetting your Mac. And the best part is it’s convenient to perform. Press the Command + Control + Power Button until your Mac computer completely shuts down.

Solution #11. Does Mouse Cursor disappear when using a specific app?

In case the mouse keeps on disappearing when using particular, then force quitting and reopening the application will work for you. For this, follow the steps below.

  1. Click on the Apple Menu from the top left corner.
  2. Select Force Quit…
  3. Choose the problematic app from the list, and lastly, Force Quit.

Now, access the app to verify if the cursor returns. If the issue continues, update the problematic app.

  1. Press Command + Space to access Spotlight Search.
  2. Enter the App Store and click on it to open.
  3. Click on Updates from the left pane.
  4. Hit Update or Update All.

Solution #12. Modify Cursor

Nothing goes on your side? Don’t worry. Adjusting the cursor slider helps resolve the disappeared mouse cursor on Mac running the latest macOS will work for you.

  1. Choose the Apple Logo located in the top left corner. Click on System Settings… from the prompted menu.
  2. Select Accessibility from the left pane. Then, choose Display from the right side.
  3. In the pointer menu, drag the Pointer Size slider to increase the size.

The next thing you need to check is shake mouse pointer to locate is turned on.

  1. Choose the Apple Logo located in the top left corner.
  2. Click on System Settings… from the prompted menu.
  3. Select Accessibility from left pane.
  4. Then, choose Display from the right side.
  5. In the pointer menu, click the toggle next to Shake Mouse Pointer to Locate to turn it on.

After making these small changes, restart your Mac computer; click on the Apple Menu > Restart… > Restart.

Solution #13. Turn off Keyboard Shortcut to Zoom

If you prefer using the keyboard shortcut to perform specific tasks, such as Zoom, try turning it off, as it could be why the mouse cursor disappears on a Mac computer. For this, follow the steps below.

  1. Click on the Apple Menu located at the top left corner. Select System Settings…
  2. Choose Accessibility from the left pane.  Click on Zoom from the right side.
  3. On the next screen, make sure the toggle next to the Use Keyboard Shortcut To Zoom is turned off.

Solution #14. Disable Third-party Screensaver

While it’s fair to say that third-party screen savers are pretty handy to use. However, due to some unknown reason, they can sometimes create an issue and might interfere with working on a mouse. So, if you’re using any third-party screensaver, we suggest uninstalling entirely from your device.

Solution #15. Run Maintenence Script

Another best tip to optimize the Mac is running the maintenance script. Yes, it has the ability to resolve various problems, such as removing and rotating system logs, complex scripts, and temporary files. It’s a manual procedure; let’s perform it on your device.

  1. Press Command + Space to access Spotlight Search.
  2. Enter Terminal and click on it to open.
  3. Within the terminal, enter the command,
sudo periodic daily weekly monthly
  1. Press the Return Button and jot down your Mac login Password. When the terminal returns, the script is finished.

Solution #16. Disable or enable Hot Corners

If the Hot Corner is turned on, this is a great place to start. All you need to do is move the cursor towards the screen corner – if there is no response, it means there is an issue. In this scenario, turning off and then enabling the Hot Corners works wonders.

  1. Go to the Apple Menu located at the top left corner. Choose System Settings…
  2. Click Desktop & Dock from the left pane. (Scroll down to end of the section) Select Hot Corners… from the right side and disable Hot Corners.
  3. Wait for a while, and re-enable the Hot Corners once again > Done.

Solution #17. Update Mouse

To enhance performance and resolve various issues, manufacturers often release firmware updates. So check the Firewire updates in case you use a third-party trackpad/mouse. If you don’t know, then you can contact the manufacturer.

Solution #18. Update iOS Version

If the cursor is still not working on your Mac, I can consider there could be a minor bug behind the issue. In this case, the Software Update is always the best solution. Most of the time, macOS updates are released to resolve bugs and to enhance performance. To check for updates, follow the steps below.

  1. Click on the Apple Menu from the top left corner. Choose System Settings… from the prompted menu.
  2. Select General from the left pane. Click on Software Update from the right side.
  3. Now, let your Mac check for updates. If available, click on Install Now.

Hopefully, updating the macOS will definitely fix your issue. But if it continues, move forward to the next solution.

Solution #19. Reset NVRAM/PRAM/SMC

If it’s a persistent issue on your Mac, we recommend resetting PRAM (Parameter random access memory), NVRAM (Non volatile random access memory), SMC (system management controller).

For those who don’t know what it is, the PRAM and NVRAM is a small amount of storage is designed to store data, such as sound volume, screen resolution, time zone, startup disk selection, and more. SMC is the reason for several processes, such as LED lights, keyboards, and cooling fans. Besides this, it also manages supply on your Mac. However, the process for this varies from Mac with Intel and Apple silicon. So learn how to reset NVRAM/PRAM/SMC on Mac.

Solution #20. Contact Apple Support

If none of the solutions goes by your side, then it’s time to contact Apple Support. That’s because they are a dedicated team of experts that will help you to diagnose the problem and accordingly offer you a solution. So, without any delay, contact them.