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Magic Mouse keeps losing connection

For the past several days, my magic mouse keeps losing connection to my MacBook Pro, and most of the time it won't even connect at all. I thought the batteries needed changing at first, but that didn't help either. I keep going into my Bluetooth settings to try and manually connect it but, again, it didn't work. Can anyone suggest ways to try to fix this problem?

Magic Mouse-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Sep 2, 2012 1:21 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 9, 2012 10:12 AM

I had this problem too, turns out a slight design flaw with the mouse is that smaller batteries come loose and power is lost, so the bluetooth dies. You'll probably find that it loses connection when you're moving it around quite a lot, in particular, when you lift it up off of the desk and put it back down again. See, different brands of battery tend to be ever so slightly varied in size, and smaller ones tend to be more 'loose' in the mouse and an be shaken loose when moving the mouse around.


The best solution (the one which worked for me) is to grab a set of Apple's own rechargeable batteries from their store as they are just the right size to fit in the mouse without ever being shaken loose.


If you can't do this, some people find that wedging a bunch of paper between the two batteries and between the batteries and the mouse door can help keep them in place.


I hope this solves your problem as it has mine. 🙂

231 replies

May 11, 2014 6:37 PM in response to ryansfreeze

Hi guys i have not read through all the pages to see if this solution is here but this was happening to my moue for the last two weeks driving me CRAZY i search almost every day for a solution now my problem was cause by the battery's,


i was using the gold eveready battery's and i installed new standard black battery's AA now when searching

all the forums i could read on this problem i seen a photo showing the black eveready AA battery's they are smaller

than other Brands and even the Gold evereadys so i checked and changed the battery's,


Problem solved i suggest you check you battery length and see if it helps

May 25, 2014 9:00 AM in response to ryansfreeze

Although I love the magic mouse when it works, the constant lost connections are really annoying. I even bought a new one, same problem. Have tried different types of batteries, same problem.


Have tried putting bits of paper in various places, didn't work.


Now I put thin metal washers under the bottom of the batteries to add some extra length/pressure and this seems to solve the problem.


Apple, this mouse has a serious design problem, you shold stop selling the current model immediately. It can't be that hard to improve the design for better connection with various battery types.

May 28, 2014 8:10 PM in response to Hans Palm

I have two of these horrible mice. I'm seriously considering throwing one of them against the wall, but I'm afraid of hurting the wall. It loses connection (and then reestablishes it) every 5 minutes. But it makes me beg first. I tried the piece of paper trick and it worked for about a day. I'm not going to get metal washers. On my laptop I can at least use the trackpad, but on my iMac, no luck.


Seriously, what kind of piece of $%*& is this that so many people have issues with it? I love Apple products, but this one is awful.

May 29, 2014 8:09 AM in response to Linelle Lane

I've heard that too Linelle and suspect they are. Try the ones you have and see how they work. And let us know. I ordered mine through work so wasn't fronting the expense, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to pay for more than you need to. I will say the Apple batteries and charger and a nice little kit and do what they are supposed to.

May 29, 2014 8:20 AM in response to Linelle Lane

Linelle


Save your money. They make not a jot of difference. It seems to me it matters not what batteries you use, the result is the same - Death of the Mouse!!


If you look at my response on page 8, 8th May, you'll see what I did to get over the problem. It is effectively reducing the amount of wi-fi units biting at the Apple. Since getting the USB keyboard I don't think I have had one occasion when MM has died.


One small correction to that 8th May missive is:- ...I think that Apple and wireless connections just do not get on!...


But, certainly, I would suggest you save your money regarding buying other makes, I have tried so may different ones available in the UK, including Eneloop and it makes no difference.


Cheers


altv

May 29, 2014 8:37 AM in response to altv

altv, I respectfully disagree.


I believe it is primarily a physcial conntection problem and using the proper batteries is a viable fix. Or padding the interior in some way so that the connection remainds constant. In my experience anyway, and I have 3 of these mice. Multiple Wi-Fi connections may play a part, but I'm not having that issue myself.


Try the Eneloops Linelle and see if you notice a difference. I concur that the mouse design could be better, but I've got mine working and and happy with them otherwise.

May 29, 2014 8:49 AM in response to Kort

Kort


I accept what I have done appears to be illogical, but the proof is in the pudding, in that since changing to the USB keyboard and getting rid of the extra number pad and using the eneloop rechargeable's along with other rechargeable's that I use, I am not getting the lost connections. I, too, have tried packing, Bluetac, cleaning, different makes of battery, exchanging the MM at an Apple Store and it has all been to no avail. I will stay with what I have now, at least that works!!


Cheers


altv

May 29, 2014 8:54 AM in response to Kort

In my case it was definitely a physical connection problem. I realized that when I turned the mouse upside down and shaked it, the green light went out and the connection was lost, fully repeatable. With the metal washers installed, all my problems have gone.


Previously I had decent contact with a certain brand of alkaline batteries, other brands didn't work. Also had problems with rechargeable batteries. Now with the metal washers added everthing is fine, which confirms the theory about the physical connection problem. No matter how much I'm shaking it, the connection is not lost.


Before I added the washers, I had lost connection every five minutes or so, with two different mice, no problems at all now!

May 29, 2014 8:53 AM in response to altv

altv - I say go with whatever works for you. It is a shame we have to "jurry-rig" our mice to get them to operate efficiently, but the situation is what it is. I'm glad you found a fix that works for you. I would tend to side with Hans however that the primary issue (there may be more) is the physical connection.

May 29, 2014 9:31 AM in response to Kort

After reading all the posts in this thread, it is obvious that there are several series of the Magic Mouse, with different (or even no) issues. We have 8 Magic Mice active in our family. Only two of them sometimes disconnected. After cleaning the contacts inside the mouse just with alcohol from the pharmacy, as well as the poles of the batteries, no disconnections didn't appear anymore. And I cleaned them only once, nearly a year ago. We use Eneloops exclusively, in all our mice.

May 29, 2014 7:29 PM in response to Kort

Kort, I put a pair of Eneloops in a couple of hours ago and no disconnects...yet. I don't want to celebrate prematurely, but I can say that two hours with a steady connection beats two hours with connection losses every 5 minutes.


Tim, I might have done that if I didn't already have 8 Enneloop batteries and just read that Apple rechargeable batteries are rebranded Sanyo Enneloops. I already have them and the charger. BTW they are wonderful batteries in my little point and shoot.


I have a related question for you guys. You're all referring to wifi. I have my wifi network (Airport Express) for computers, iPads, iPhone, AppleTV, Roku, etc. But I thought these mice were Bluetooth devices. How would multiple devices on my wifi network affect this mouse?

Magic Mouse keeps losing connection

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