Apple Mouse Not Working, Won’t Connect to Windows 10 [Quick Fix]
Apple’s hardware is expensive. But it works really well in most cases. If you’re looking for a wireless keyboard or a wireless mouse, Apple’s peripherals are worth their price.
Apple doesn’t block its hardware from working on other devices. You can use an Apple keyboard or Magic Mouse on a Windows 10 system as easily as you can a non-Apple mouse or keyboard. You may need to remap some keys on the Apple keyboard but the mouse will work as-is.
Apple Mouse Not Working
The Apple Magic Mouse connects via Bluetooth. To use it with a Windows 10 system, you need to pair it via Bluetooth. Pairing a Bluetooth device on Windows 10 is simple enough but the OS does often fail to detect Bluetooth devices. It may be a problem with Bluetooth services on Windows 10, the hardware on the system, or the device that is being paired.
If you’re unable to connect a Magic Mouse to a Windows 10 system, try the following basic checks and then the fixes listed further below.
What to do if Apple Magic Mouse won’t connect to Windows 10
Basic checks
Try the following before you try to fix the problem with a magic Mouse not connecting.
- Restart the system.
- Turn Bluetooth off, restart the system, and then turn it back on.
- Try pairing a different Bluetooth device to the computer.
- Remove all paired Bluetooth devices and try to connect just the Magic Mouse.
1. Change battery in Magic Mouse
Apple’s Magic Mouse is built to work with its own devices which is why it may enforce random rules when it tries to connect with a non-Apple system.
Change the battery in the Magic Mouse out for brand new ones. Try pairing the device fresh after the battery change.
2. Disconnect from other systems
If you’ve paired the Magic Mouse with a different system in the past, make sure that the device has been disconnected. For good measure, unpair it. It is possible the Magic Mouse is pairing with the first device and therefore unable to pair with a Windows 10 system.
3. Check for Bluetooth driver updates
Try to update Bluetooth drivers.
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Bluetooth.
- Right-click the Bluetooth chip and select Update drivers.
- Search online for available drivers and install any updates that are available.
- Restart the system and try to connect the Magic Mouse.
4. Unpair and paid again
If you’ve been able to pair the Magic Mouse but cannot get it to connect, you should try to unpair and pair it again.
- Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to Devices>Bluetooth.
- Select the Magic Mouse and click Remove Device.
- Restart the system.
- Open the Settings app again.
- Go to Devices>Bluetooth.
- Click Add a device.
- Pair and connect the Apple Magic Mouse.
5. Get drivers from Bootcamp
Intel-based Macs can run Windows 10 with Bootcamp. Bootcamp is distributed by Apple and contains necessary drivers needed to get its peripherals, such as a Magic Mouse, working on Windows 10.
- Visit this link and download Bootcamp. Get the 2015 version which is the latest.
- Extract the folder.
- Go to this folder in the extracted folder:
BootCamp4.1.4586\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple - Run the AppleMultiTouchTrackPadInstaller64.exe file to install drivers for the Magic Mouse.
- Restart the system.
- Pair the Magic mouse and it should start working.
Magic Mouse Windows 10 Conclusion
The Magic Mouse isn’t hard to set up. It is, at the end of the day, a simple peripheral that works via Bluetooth. In most cases, a simple system restart and/or unpairing and pairing the device again will get it working. If your Windows 10 system is old i.e., it predates the release of the Magic Mouse 2, you may need the Bootcamp drivers.
