I've had my iMac and magic mouse setup for a few years and the battery life on the mouse has always been decent (I replace the rechargeables every few weeks). Suddenly in the last few days though, the mouse has started eating a set of batteries every 2 days. Any ideas why this might be happening? I haven't changed anything re: my setup, OS, etc.
Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Stating the obvious, nothing lasts forever. If you have had the mouse for some time, it might be time to replace it.
Barry
Thanks. Though I wonder what "some time" might be? The mouse is likely less than 3 years old.
Incidentally, there is no setting that would affect mouse battery life.
Barry
Rather than the mouse, it's more likely the batteries are exhausted. Rechargeable batteries are not exactly consistent in themselves or compared with other, similar batteries. Here are some notes I made about batteries which may help.
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Whether you use regular or rechargeable batteries you should buy the best. Discounted or unbranded batteries are more likely to give a depleted performance and may be of irregular size, often leading to connection problems. Apple’s own brand, Eneloop and Energiser appear to be the best.
Rechargeable batteries for the standard Magic mouse are unlikely to exceed eighteen days before needing a recharge although the mouse itself can be a limiting factor. I have seen reports that some Logitech mice vastly exceed this. Apple may suggest more in their sales blurb but this is a realistic expectation. The benefit (if you are organised) is that you can always have charged batteries available. Regular batteries will give you between 25 and 35 days before they need to be replaced.
Note. Never mix old and new batteries or rechargeable and regular.
The notes above are based on my personal experience, not shutting down my machine and using it for around four hours per day. Note. Monitors do not always faithfully report battery strength, particularly the rechargeable ones.
When checking your mouse or keyboard batteries ...
Turn off the device.
Remove the batteries,
Clean the terminals both inside the battery compartment and the batteries themselves.
Replace or renew both batteries.
Turn on the device. You should get a blinking green light if the device is paired.
Click the mouse to activate it. The green light becomes steady.
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Thanks. I use Energizer and Duracell rechargeables (but not mixed). I'd be pleased to get 18 days out of them at this point. Two just seems preposterous!
Well, that kills the Battery suggestion. Which means you should give your mouse one last run with a brand new pair of normal Energiser batteries, if you haven't done this already, then buy a new mouse as Barry suggests.
Depending on the way you use the mouse, work or gaming or simple home use, I read that some Logitech batteries are very economical on the batteries.
My MM is only about 6 months old and has started EATING batteries. I put in new Duracell Coppertops yesterday, and am now down to 12%, maybe 28 hours later. I have looked at a lot of forums but see no real solution other than keeping a charger handy on your desk. This has been a recognized problem for years and it is now February 2015. Has Apple offered any solutions?
Magic mouse suddenly eating batteries
