Magic Mouse 2 intermittently fails to connect to iMac

Question

Magic Mouse 2 intermittently fails to connect to iMac

I have been experiencing serious issues with my apple mouse over the months and they have been seriously frustrating for me, so some help would be appreciated. It's been acting up and escalating to the point where I have been resorting to using other mouses and touchpads, and trying all the methods online through videos and help articles aren't working. It basically happens whenever I turn on my computer, and sometimes it fails to connect and trying to reconnect the mouse doesn't work all the time, and only after numerous failed attempts (plugging the mouse in, turning it on and off again, removing it from bluetooth devices and reconnecting) does it finally manage to work again. It's very confusing as well, because it shows on the computer that the mouse is still working as the bluetooth settings still show that it's plugged in and charging when connected through a cable, but whenever I disconnect the cable nothing happens and while the mouse is playing up, it either shows on bluetooth that it's connected with the battery logo, not connected or is just completely blank. It's also been an issue trying to connect the mouse through the computer and bluetooth settings, as it either keeps saying connection failed or actually connects as shown through the settings but yet never actually works, giving me a false sense of hope. It makes things all the more strange when the mouse suddenly reconnects after trying the methods multiple times, which is totally confusing and shows that the mouse sometimes breaks then comes back to life unexpectedly.

I really don't understand why this is happening and it's really making me lose my patience to the point where I will most likely end up purchasing a brand new mouse. I can understand if the mouse is growing old from wear as I have been using it with my computer for around 7-8 years and it has shown signs of use and wear like my computer, but the fact that I have tried all the reconnection help methods on here and through other sites and videos and there have been limited results is making me frustrated and desperate for answers. I would really appreciate any responses and help into why my mouse is constantly having problems and if there are any ways to permanently fix the issues too, because this has been going on too much and I am reaching my breaking point.

I am using an iMac from 2017 (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch) that is running macOS Mojave and the mouse in question is a Magic Mouse 2, so I do hope that helps out in terms of computer specifics and stuff.

I appreciate any support, so thank you.

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 19, 2026 6:40 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

WheelieNick

Level 9

55,759 points

Aug 20, 2026 1:51 PM in response to theBatman2000

Your Magic Mouse 2 is likely failing due to a degraded internal rechargeable battery, a failing Bluetooth module, or 2.4GHz radio interference. Because the mouse charges over a cable but fails to maintain a data link wirelessly, the internal power delivery or Bluetooth antenna is failing under load.

Try this

Use a pure data Lightning cable: Ensure the cable used for pairing is capable of data transfer, as charge-only cables will power the device but fail to handshake.

Reset the Mac Bluetooth Module: Hold down Shift + Option and click the Bluetooth menu in the menu bar, then select "Debug" > "Reset the Bluetooth module" (on macOS Mojave) or remove all Bluetooth plist preference files

Check for 2.4GHz interference: Move Wi-Fi routers, hubs, or USB 3.0 external drives away from your iMac, as they heavily interfere with older Apple Bluetooth frequencies.

Test on another Mac/Device: Try pairing the mouse to another computer to see if the erratic behavior follows the mouse.

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Answer 2

Aug 20, 2026 6:34 PM in response to WheelieNick

I'm thinking the options you've given me here are very valid reasons as to why my mouse has been playing up, as I can see the degraded internal battery as the most likely option although the failing bluetooth module and radio interference reasons have confused me here. I don't understand how my keyboard has been having no issues while my mouse has been, considering I have been using the mouse and keyboard together for the same length of time so I think neither should be playing up for me whatsoever.

I'll need some help with figuring out what a pure data lightning cable is, since I have been using the apple charger cable that came with my computer to charge my mouse and I don't know if that's the same or another charger lives up to that category. I'll try and reset the bluetooth module although I have never done anything like this before, so I don't know if debugging or removing the preference files completely removes all my connected devices. I know that I don't have any wifi routers/hubs or hard drives even near my computer as they are located in other rooms in the house and the only external drives I have are stored in my table drawers, so I should be good in that category. I also don't have any other mac computers aside from my late uncles 2007 iMac running Snow Leopard, so I don't know if testing it on there would work along with a windows computer as well.

I do appreciate the help and support, so I will keep this in mind and thank you.

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