Switch magic mouse between Macs

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Level 2

237 points

Switch magic mouse between Macs

Is there some trick to getting a Magic Mouse to switch between two different Macs? I currently like to grab the Magic Mouse from my iMac and use it with my MacBook Air but trying to get the mouse to recognize the machine and vice-versa is painful.

For comparison, I have a pair of JBL bluetooth headphones that effortlessly jump between Macs, and will automatically connect to which ever is closest when I power them on. Meanwhile, the magic mouse can't seem to figure this out, and I sit here (as I am this very moment and have been for the last 10 minutes) staring at the spinning wheel in the bluetooth menu. I've powered the mouse on and off multiple times, and nothing changes. Even going into the control panel and selecting "connect" doesn't seem to change anything or occasionally results in "connection rejected" (???) But after some indeterminate amount of time, the mouse seems to figure it out randomly and connects.

I would think two Apple products would function together a lot more seamlessly than this.

Posted on Jan 15, 2022 10:59 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

GreeniusGenius

Level 4

3,769 points

Jan 15, 2022 11:02 AM in response to Rick Anderson

Universal Control is not a thing yet (delayed) , and it will require recent Mac hardware. (Third party website explaining it: https://www.pocket-lint.com/apps/news/apple/157300-what-is-apple-universal-control-and-how-does-it-work-across-your-devices)

If you have a 2nd generation Magic Mouse, you can switch it between devices by plugging it in via lightning to the device you want to connect to for a few seconds, and then obviously unplugging since you can’t use it while charging.

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Answer 2

Jan 16, 2022 3:28 PM in response to Rick Anderson

Holding down the mouse button is supposed to put it into pairing mode, and in the past, it has let me switch devices with somewhat ease, albeit inconsistently.

I do wish Apple made it easier to switch it’s peripherals however. You should leave Apple some feedback: Feedback - Magic Mouse - Apple.

(Also, yes, it is a first generation Magic Mouse you’ve got there.)

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Answer 3

Rick Anderson Author

Level 2

237 points

Jan 15, 2022 2:14 PM in response to GreeniusGenius

I appreciate the response but that's not what I was asking. I didn't mention using two devices at a time.

The scenario is that my iMac in my office is sleeping so I grab the Magic Mouse and go to another room to use it with my Macbook Air. Getting the mouse to pair with the Macbook takes 10-15 minutes. And when I return the mouse to the iMac, I'm again sitting there waiting for it to connect for 10 minutes or more. Meanwhile, non-Apple devices (like the aforementioned JBL bluetooth headphones) will quickly jump from the iMac to the Macbook Air without any hesitation. It just seems the mouse should work that way too.

It's almost like the Magic Mouse refuses to pair with a second Mac if it's already paired with another. My question is how do you force the mouse to connect?

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Answer 4

Jan 15, 2022 2:35 PM in response to Rick Anderson

If you don’t have a 2nd gen Magic Mouse or don’t want to use a lightning cable, try clicking and holding on your Magic Mouse.. See if it pairs.

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Answer 5

Rick Anderson Author

Level 2

237 points

Jan 16, 2022 3:16 PM in response to GreeniusGenius

Not sure what generation Magic Mouse this is (doesn't have a lightning port so I assume first) but your suggestion of holding the button didn't make any difference. I'm puzzled as to why an Apple product has so much trouble switching between Apple products. Seems this should "just work."

This is frustrating. I'm just going to go write an Applescript or shell script to make the "magic" mouse do what it should be able to do already.

Thank you just the same. I appreciate your effort.

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Switch magic mouse between Macs

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