{"id":199695,"date":"2026-02-19T12:40:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/?p=199695"},"modified":"2026-02-19T12:40:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:40:03","slug":"fix-apple-magic-mouse-not-scrolling-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/fix-apple-magic-mouse-not-scrolling-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix Apple Magic Mouse not scrolling on Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

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Fix Magic Mouse not scrolling on Mac:<\/b> hide<\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n
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1)<\/span> Activate vertical mouse scrolling<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
2)<\/span> Turn on horizontal scrolling<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
3)<\/span> Force quit and reopen the app in question<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
4)<\/span> Power your mouse off and back on<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
5)<\/span> Charge your mouse for a few minutes<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
6)<\/span> Turn Bluetooth off and back on, or restart your Mac<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
7)<\/span> Clean the mouse touch surface<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
8)<\/span> Forget your mouse and connect it again<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
9)<\/span> Delete mouse plist files from the system folder<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
10)<\/span> Update to the latest version of macOS<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
11)<\/span> Try using the mouse in Safe Mode<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
12)<\/span> Reset Mac’s SMC<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
13)<\/span> Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
14)<\/span> Get your Magic Mouse checked<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Activate vertical mouse scrolling<\/span><\/h2>\n

The first step is to check if scrolling is enabled.<\/p>\n

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  1. Open System Settings<\/strong> and select Accessibility<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. Scroll down to the Motor<\/em> section and click Pointer Control<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  3. Click Mouse Options<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  4. Make sure ‘Use mouse for scrolling<\/strong>‘ is enabled.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Turn on horizontal scrolling<\/span><\/h2>\n

    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.<\/p>\n

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

      Force quit and reopen the app in question<\/span><\/h2>\n

      If your Magic Mouse scrolls in all apps but not just one, save your work in that app, then force close and reopen it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Power your mouse off and back on<\/span><\/h2>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

      Charge your mouse for a few minutes<\/span><\/h2>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

      Turn Bluetooth off and back on, or restart your Mac<\/span><\/h2>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

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

      Clean the mouse touch surface<\/span><\/h2>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

      Forget your mouse and connect it again<\/span><\/h2>\n

      If the above steps did not help, re-pair your Magic Mouse with your Mac.<\/p>\n

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      1. Open macOS System Settings<\/strong> and select Bluetooth<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      2. Click the information button \u24d8 next to the Magic Mouse name.<\/li>\n
      3. Click Forget This Device<\/strong> and confirm.<\/li>\n
      4. Restart your Mac and Magic Mouse.<\/li>\n
      5. Return to Mac’s Bluetooth settings and pair it to your mouse by clicking the Connect<\/strong> button next to Magic Mouse under the Nearby Devices<\/em> heading.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Delete mouse plist files from the system folder<\/span><\/h2>\n

        This is an important solution that should certainly help.<\/p>\n

        1)<\/strong> Open Finder<\/strong> and click Go<\/strong> > Go to Folder<\/strong> from the top menu bar. Then, go to ~\/Library\/Preferences<\/code>.<\/p>\n

        2)<\/strong> Delete these three mouse-related property list files from here. You can also just move them to another folder, like Desktop.<\/p>\n