Fix Apple Magic Mouse not scrolling on Mac

Go through these troubleshooting tips if the Apple Magic Mouse isn’t scrolling the contents of the screen on your iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, MacBook, or other Mac models.

Even though Apple’s Magic Mouse is more technologically advanced than most regular mice, it’s fundamentally simple and works well for the most part.

But if it has suddenly stopped scrolling vertically or horizontally (e.g., when switching between virtual desktops), the solutions below should help fix the problem.

Activate vertical mouse scrolling

The first step is to check if scrolling is enabled.

1. Open System Settings and select Accessibility.
2. Scroll down to the Motor section and click Pointer Control.
3. Click Mouse Options.
4. Make sure ‘Use mouse for scrolling’ is enabled.

Turn on horizontal scrolling

You can swipe left and right with one or two fingers on the Magic Mouse touch surface to swipe between app/browser pages or switch desktop spaces. If this isn’t working, follow these steps to enable the feature.

1. Open System Settings and select Mouse from the bottom left corner. You’ll see this only when a mouse is connected to your Mac.
2. Go to the More Gestures tab.
3. Set ‘Swipe between pages’ to a mouse gesture other than Off. Then, turn on ‘Swipe between full-screen applications.’

Force quit and reopen the app in question

If your Magic Mouse scrolls in all apps but not just one, save your work in that app, then force close and reopen it.

Power your mouse off and back on

Use the small power button on the underside of your Apple Magic Mouse to turn it off. Then, wait for at least 15 seconds before switching it back on. After a few seconds, your Mac should auto-connect to it; if not, connect to it from macOS Bluetooth settings.

Charge your mouse for a few minutes

Even if your Magic Mouse battery is decently charged, plug it into your Mac with a cable and wait a couple of minutes. Then retry scrolling, and it should work.

Turn Bluetooth off and back on, or restart your Mac

If you’re on a MacBook or have a wired keyboard and mouse connected to your Mac desktop, turn off Bluetooth, wait for 30 seconds, and turn it back on.

Additionally, consider saving your ongoing work in all open apps and then rebooting your Mac. After this, retry scrolling using the Magic Mouse.

Clean the mouse touch surface

Don’t overlook this option. Use a soft dry cloth or tissue paper to wipe the top touch surface area properly. Also, make sure your fingers are not wet when using the Magic Mouse.

Forget your mouse and connect it again

If the above steps did not help, re-pair your Magic Mouse with your Mac.

1. Open macOS System Settings and select Bluetooth.
2. Click the information button ⓘ next to the Magic Mouse name.
3. Click Forget This Device and confirm.
4. Restart your Mac and Magic Mouse.
5. Return to Mac’s Bluetooth settings and pair it to your mouse by clicking the Connect button next to Magic Mouse under the Nearby Devices heading.

Delete mouse plist files from the system folder

This is an important solution that should certainly help.

1) Open Finder and click Go > Go to Folder from the top menu bar. Then, go to ~/Library/Preferences.

2) Delete these three mouse-related property list files from here. You can also just move them to another folder, like Desktop.

• com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse.plist
• com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plist
• com.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse.plist

3) Restart your Mac.

4) Your computer will auto-create the files you deleted above. Now, try using your Magic Mouse, and it should work.

Update to the latest version of macOS

Install the latest version of macOS if your computer is running an older build.

Try using the mouse in Safe Mode

Boot your Mac into Safe Mode and check whether you can scroll with your mouse. If it works in Safe Mode, that means some apps or processes are causing the issue. Exit Safe Mode, delete any recently installed applications, and then retry scrolling with your Magic Mouse.

Reset Mac’s SMC

If you have an Intel Mac, reset its SMC, and it should fix the problem.

Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module

If nothing works, reset your Mac’s Bluetooth, then reconnect all your wireless devices, including the Magic Mouse.

Get your Magic Mouse checked

Lastly, if the issue remains unsolved, get your Magic accessory checked at an Apple Store. If there is a hardware issue, they are the ones who will be able to fix it.

Also, check out:

• How to fix a slow, unresponsive, and laggy mouse or trackpad on Mac
• Fix Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, or Mouse not connecting to Mac