Apple Mouse behaving strangely

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Level 2

175 points

Apple Mouse behaving strangely

I have two Apple mouses. One I purchased less than two years ago and it is the plug-in charge type. The other is much older and it takes two AA rechargable batteries.

The newer one is behaving very strangely. Sometimes, it stops moving normally and will only move diagonally towards the top left and bottom right of the screen and nowhere else. Other times, the tracking speed is variable. This has been the case with it on two different computers, my previous Mac Mini and my current Mac Studio and on multiple different mousepads.

The other, much older mouse, behaves perfectly with both computers.

My question: Is the newer mouse defective or is there something I'm doing wrong? I'm not sure what details may be relevant, so feel free to ask for more info.

Mac Studio, macOS 14.2

Posted on Jan 25, 2024 9:02 PM

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Answer 1

Ian Fox Author

Level 2

175 points

Jan 29, 2024 11:04 PM in response to Tesserax

Turns out it did, in fact, have something jammed up really good in the lens. Bunny hair, and since my bunny is white, I just couldn't see it unless I shined a light on it at just the right angle.

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Answer 2

Tesserax

Level 10

158,976 points

Jan 25, 2024 9:35 PM in response to Ian Fox

Check the lens on the bottom of the mouse to see if there is any type of debris or smudging present. If so, using a soft cloth (e.g. a type of cloth used to clean glasses), to gently clean it.

Should that not help, try resetting it: https://www.technewstoday.com/how-to-reset-magic-mouse/

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

158,976 points

Jan 25, 2024 9:54 PM in response to Ian Fox

Ok, thanks. Well since it "acts up" regardless of which Mac you connect it to, can indicate that it is defective.

You can still try resetting it to see if that helps ... but, if the issue returns, you will have to consider getting a replacement. Whether or not, that replacement will be another Apple Magic Mouse is completely up to you.

FWIW, I have had great experience with using logitech mice with my Macs. The current one I have is their MX Master 3. Never had any issues with them. It has been replaced with the MX Master 3S. They even have this model specifically for Macs.

Ref: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice.html?filters=master-series

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Answer 4

Ian Fox Author

Level 2

175 points

Jan 25, 2024 9:40 PM in response to Tesserax

They tried it out with one of their laptops and it worked fine. This was about 6 months ago and I gave up on it after that and switched back to the old one. When I got my Mac Studio a few weeks ago, I tried it again. Worked fine for about a week and then started the shenanigans again. The problem is that this issue is very intermittent. It often takes it quite awhile to get started, but it is relentless when it gets going.

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Answer 5

Ian Fox Author

Level 2

175 points

Jan 25, 2024 9:34 PM in response to Tesserax

Ah, forgot to mention that not only did I try that, but I took it to the Apple Store and they tried it too.

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Answer 6

Tesserax

Level 10

158,976 points

Jan 25, 2024 9:36 PM in response to Ian Fox

... and what did they find? That it works or not?

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Answer 7

Ian Fox Author

Level 2

175 points

Jan 25, 2024 10:00 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks! I will look into that. I do like the Mac mouses, but I'm certainly open to looking into others. I've had good luck with Logitech products in the past.

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Apple Mouse behaving strangely

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