Mouse Cursor Missing? Here's How to Fix It

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A troubleshooting guide for a disappearing mouse pointer
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Where did your cursor go? The pointer's disappearing act seems more common with Windows 10 computers than others, but most of these steps will also apply to Macs and Chromebooks. Whether your plug-in mouse, Bluetooth mouse, or touchpad cursor disappeared, we're here to help—even if your mouse pointer disappears while trying some of these steps! Use the arrow keys on your keyboard and the Tab button to navigate without your mouse. Press Enter or Spacebar to make selections.

What to Do When Your Mouse Pointer Disappears

Restart your computer to clear any temporary glitches and to get back any external or internal mice. If you have a mouse plugged into a USB port, reconnect it to another port. If you have a Bluetooth mouse, reconnect and re-pair it with your computer.

1

Restart your computer.

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    This approach is especially helpful if you're using an app or a program (like Google Docs) and your cursor disappears.
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2

Reconnect your mouse to a different port.

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    When this happens, it looks like your cursor disappears from your screen, and can happen to all kinds of computers and laptops, including Windows and Mac! To see if this is the issue, unplug your wired mouse or dongle for the wireless mouse and plug it into a different port.
3

Reconnect Bluetooth mice.

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    Disconnect and forget or unpair the current Bluetooth connection with your mouse, turn off your mouse, turn it back on, and pair it again.
    • For Windows 11, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices , click the three-dot menu next to your Bluetooth mouse, and click Remove device > Yes . Reconnect in the same menu after you've turned your mouse off and back on and put it in pairing mode again.
    • For Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices , then click your Bluetooth mouse, and select Remove device > Yes . [2] Reconnect in the same menu after you've turned your mouse off and back on and put it in pairing mode again.
    • For Mac, go to System Settings > Bluetooth , press Ctrl on your keyboard while clicking the name of the mouse, and select Forget . Reconnect in the same menu after you've turned your mouse off and back on and put it in pairing mode again. [3]
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4

Check your wired mouse for damage.

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    Look for exposed wires and frayed ends. If you see any damage, buy a new mouse.
5

Check the batteries of a wireless mouse.

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    Some mice have rechargeable batteries, so check the software that came with those mice to see your battery power. For mice with normal batteries, replace them with new ones and make sure they are inserted properly.
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6

Unhide the mouse pointer in System Settings (Windows).

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    Press Win + R to open the Run Prompt, then type control mouse .
    • Navigate to the Pointer Options tab, then deselect "Hide pointer while typing".
    • If you also easily lose track of your cursor, select "Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key."
    • Click OK to close the window.
7

Check for updates.

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    If your mouse has specific software, open it to see if there is an update. This is usually the issue for devices with additional software.
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8

Enable the touchpad.

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    If you're wondering why your mouse disappears while you're pressing buttons on your keyboard, that might be the cause. The buttons are different depending on the manufacturer, so check your manual or look online for your specific laptop.
9

Uninstall & reinstall the mouse & touchpad driver.

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    If you uninstall the driver, know that you won't be able to use your mouse or touchpad until the driver reinstalls.
    • To uninstall the driver in Windows:
      • Open Device Manager (the Run command is devmgmt.msc .). Expand the "Mice and other pointing devices" menu (navigate using the arrow keys, then expand the menu with the right arrow key), then select the device to uninstall.
      • Right-click and select Uninstall or press Alt , ' a' , and ' u then Spacebar to confirm.
      • Restart your computer and install the update to reinstall the uninstalled drivers. Your computer might automatically reinstall missing drivers that are essential, like a touchpad driver. [4]
    • Mac accessories are less likely to use drivers. However, if you’re using a third-party mouse, there might be a driver installed. Try searching for your device in Finder to see if you can find and uninstall the driver file.
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10

Disable Tablet mode if you have a touchscreen PC.

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    You can easily turn off Tablet mode in the Notification section. The icon will be grey when the feature is disabled. [5]
11

Disable hardware acceleration.

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    In this case, turning off hardware acceleration might help you fix the cursor.
    • In Windows, you can do this in your computer’s display settings .
    • You can also turn off hardware acceleration in your browser. In Chrome, go to â‹® > Settings > System and make sure the toggle is off next to "Use graphics acceleration when available."
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12

Disable Windows Ink for Wacom tablets.

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    To stop the pointer from disappearing, open the Start menu, go to Wacom Tablet > Wacom Tablet Properties > Mapping and disable the option next to "Use Windows Ink."
13

Switch pointer schemes (Windows).

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    However, the cursor will disappear again after a while. Open Mouse Properties again (press Win + R and enter control mouse ) and select the Pointers tab.
    • In the "Scheme" drop-down menu, select "None" and make sure the box next to "Enable pointer shadow" is off.
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14

Use the built-in troubleshooter to find hardware issues.

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    If you've tried the troubleshooting steps here and find that your cursor is still disappearing, there might be a fault in the hardware.
    • The troubleshooter will let you know if there is something wrong with the hardware.
    • Windows 10 has individual troubleshooters for different issues which you can find in the Update & Security menu in Settings .
    • In Windows 11, press Win + I and go to System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters .
    • For detailed instructions on how to use Mac’s built-in diagnostic tools, see this article from Apple Support .
      • Be aware that this tool won’t analyze external or third-party accessories, just your Mac’s built-in hardware.

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      Tips

      • If you have more than one monitor, check to see if your cursor is showing up on any other displays.
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      • If you have trouble spotting your cursor on your Mac’s screen, you can enable a setting that briefly makes the cursor look bigger when you shake it. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Display and toggle on Shake mouse pointer to locate under the Pointer header.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-bluetooth-problems-in-windows-723e092f-03fa-858b-5c80-131ec3fba75c#WindowsVersion=Windows_10
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-is/guide/mac-help/blth1004/mac
      4. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/using-device-manager-to-uninstall-devices-and-driver-packages
      5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/turn-tablet-mode-on-or-off-add3fbce-5cb5-bf76-0f9c-8d7b30041f30

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