FIX: Mouse Cursor Disappears On Mac Issue

In this article, we’ll explain how you can fix if your mouse cursor (or pointer) disappears or gets missing frequently on your Mac.

The shrinking cursor can ruin your user experience and cause a lot of stress. In case your entire work depends on a mouse or trackpad, the issue can certainly be quite annoying. Often. the missing cursor error can be resolved by moving or clicking all over your Mac screen. But it is undoubtedly not a sophisticated way to resolve the problem. For starters, you need to find out what’s causing your mouse pointer to disappear on Mac. Further, you can try multiple ways to fix the issue.

Why Mouse Cursor Disappears On Mac?

You might think that the problem may arise at random times. But in reality, there can be several reasons why your Mac pointer gets missing.

Whenever mouse pointer gets missing, check for the following scenarios:

You have several browser tabs open.
Your Mac is running on low memory.
You are working with multiple desktops.
Third-party apps are causing software conflicts.

In case the mouse pointer gets missing while working with a particular application and works fine when you switch to any other place. It’s an indication that there’s some issue with the specific app & you need to contact the concerned app’s support team for a quick solution.

Save Your Important Work: Use The Important Keyboard Shortcuts

If you are simply stuck with the annoying ‘Mouse Cursor Disappearing’ issue, start with the following keyboard shortcuts to finish or save your important task.

CUT 
CMD + X

COPY
CMD + C

PASTE 
CMD + V

UNDO 
CMD + Z

OPEN 
CMD + O

REDO 
CMD + SHIFT + Z

FIND
CMD + F

SELECT EVERYTHING 
CMD + A

OPEN NEW WINDOW OR DOC
CMD + N

CLOSE NEW WINDOW OR DOC
CMD + W

SAVE YOUR CURRENT TASK 
CMD + S

PRINT 
CMD + P

SWITCH APPS 
CMD + TAB

SWITCH TABS 
CTRL + TAB

MINIMIZE 
CMD + M

FORCE QUIT 
OPTION + CMD + M

FORCE RESTART 
CTRL + CMD + POWER BUTTON

LAUNCH SPOTLIGHT 
CMD + SPACEBAR

LAUNCH APP PREFERENCES 
CMD + , (Comma)

QUIT ALL APPS & SHUTDOWN 
CTRL + OPTION + CMD + POWER BUTTON

Hopefully, these basic but useful keyboard shortcuts help you to save or finish your work efficiently. Once done, you can implement the following steps to fix the annoying ‘Missing Mac Mouse Cursor Issue’.

Tips To Fix ‘Mouse Pointer Mysteriously Disappearing’ Problem

Before trying some advanced tactics to resolve the missing mouse cursor issue, you can try out these basic steps to bring your mouse pointer back.

Features:

Resize the cursor to a larger size.
Check the battery levels of your mice & trackpad.
Make use of finger gestures on your trackpad.
Create a new hotkey using Mission Control.
Call Siri for help.
If using third-party mice or trackpads, check the manufacturer for a firmware update.
Force restart your Mac.

How Do I Fix Mouse Cursor Disappears On Mac Issue?

Try the following tricks to bring back your missing mouse pointer on macOS:

Workaround 1= Visit The Dock

Instead of moving your mouse cursor rapidly all over the screen, try scrolling down to the Dock and then scroll up again. The cursor should probably appear. Alternatively, you can move up to the Menu bar, try clicking anywhere on the same to bring your missing mouse pointer back.

Workaround 2= Make Sure There Are No Connection Issues

Using the wireless mouse? Check the battery level and make sure it is turned on. In case you are working with a mousepad, make sure you use a solid color, instead of a patterned or multicolored pointer. This improves visibility.

Workaround 3= Make Use Of Right-Click

When your mouse pointer disappears, clicking it in some particular ways can certainly help to get back the cursor. Try right-clicking on your mouse or touchpad. Alternatively, you can go to your desktop and click and drag (like the way you select multiple files in one go). As soon as you release the mouse, the cursor should reappear properly.

Workaround 4= Work With Mission Control

Sometimes launching and using Mission Control can help to resolve the ‘Mouse Cursor Disappears on Mac’ issue.

To do so: Hit the F3 key on your keyboard or you can press the shortcut CTRL + Up (arrow) to launch Mission Control. In case you’ve set up Hot Corners on your screen, you need to move the pointer in one of them to restore the missing cursor on Mac.

Also Read: Useful Tips Of MacBook Pro Touch Bar

Workaround 5= Reset SMC (System Management Controller)

SMC is a dedicated chip that controls several of Mac’s physical components. So, try resetting the functionality to restore the missing Mac cursor and resolve potential hardware issues.

To reset SMC on Mac, follow the steps below:

Make sure your Mac is completely switched off.
Connect the power adapter.
Press the shortcut keys: CTRL + SHIFT + OPTION + POWER BUTTON for at least 10 seconds and release them all at once.
Restart your Mac now.

Hopefully, this resolves the Mouse Cursor Disappears On Mac Issue. If nothing happens, you can try the next method.

Also Read: Complete Guide: Reset The PRAM & SMC On Your Mac

Workaround 6= Boot Mac In Safe Mode

This is another effective way to restore the invisible Mouse cursor on Mac. Booting your device into Safe Mode automatically fixes the underlying glitches & bugs that might be responsible for common Mac errors, including ‘Mac Cursor Getting Disappeared’.

Follow the step-by-step instructions to Boot Mac in Safe Mode:

Turn off your Mac properly.
Press the Shift key, followed by the Power button.
Continue holding the Shift key, until your Mac boots up completely.

You should now be able to use the Mouse cursor normally. If yes, then follow the next workaround to fix the problem permanently on your Mac.

Workaround 7= Alter System Preferences

While your system is in Safe Mode, make sure you tweak some of the Mac settings to fix the potential issues that might have caused the missing cursor issue on Mac.

First, change the cursor size:

Hit the Apple logo and navigate to System Preferences.
Head towards the Accessibility menu.
Locate Display option.
From the Cursor Size slider, simply adjust the size according to your preferences.

Secondly, enable Temporary Zoom Functionality

Launch System Preferences and navigate to Accessibility.
Head towards the Zoom section.
Now, locate More Options and make sure to check the option ‘Enable Temporary Zoom’.
Simply press the CTRL + OPTION shortcut to make the mouse cursor appear.

Thirdly, you need to Enable Shake Mouse Pointer to Locate functionality.

Launch System Preferences section and navigate to Accessibility.
Locate Display option.
Ensure you check the option ‘Shake Mouse Pointer to Locate’.

Now that you have applied the aforementioned settings on Mac, restart your machine normally and observe the ‘missing mouse cursor’ problem should be resolved by now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How Do You Make Your Mouse Cursor Bigger On Mac?

On your Mac, click on the Apple menu, navigate to the System Preferences > Accessibility > Display > Cursor. Now, drag the cursor size slider to make it larger.

Q2. How Do I Reset NVRAM On Mac?

Follow our step by step guide to learn What, When, Why & How To Reset NVRAM to fix common Mac issues.

Q3. How To Factory Reset MacBook?

If you are considering wiping your Mac and perform a factory reset, follow our guide with step-by-step instructions.

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Before You Go:

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Disk Clean Pro is a top-notch cleaning utility designed for popular Mac versions. The software can quickly diagnose the entire machine, locate potential issues and resolve them as soon possible. You can rely on the tool to optimize your Mac and boost overall performance in one-click.

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January 24, 2023

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