How to connect a Magic Mouse to Windows
Pairing an Apple Magic Mouse with a Windows 10 or 11 PC takes under a minute over Bluetooth, but once connected Windows treats it as a basic two-button mouse. Here's how to pair it, and what to do about scrolling and gestures afterward.
Pair the Magic Mouse over Bluetooth
- Turn the mouse on — slide the switch on the underside so the green marker shows. (The original Magic Mouse needs charged batteries instead.)
- On your PC, open Settings → Bluetooth & devices on Windows 11, or Settings → Devices → Bluetooth & other devices on Windows 10, and make sure Bluetooth is on.
- Click Add device → Bluetooth, then select Magic Mouse from the list once it appears.
- Click the Magic Mouse to pair. The pointer should start moving within a few seconds.
Why it only works as a basic mouse
Pairing gives you pointer movement and left and right click. Windows has no built-in driver for the Magic Mouse's touch surface, so smooth scrolling and gestures don't work until you install one. The mouse itself is fine.
Adding scrolling and gestures
There are three options, listed from most manual to least:
- Apple's Boot Camp drivers — free, but you have to extract them from Apple's Boot Camp package (with a tool like Brigadier) and install the wireless-mouse driver by hand. This gets you basic scrolling.
- A third-party utility — adds smooth scrolling and gestures, usually as a paid, per-device license.
- Tenon (coming soon) — one code-signed driver that adds smooth, inertial scrolling and the Magic Mouse gestures, with no Boot Camp extraction and no Secure Boot workarounds.
Frequently asked
Does the Magic Mouse work on Windows without extra software?
Partly. After Bluetooth pairing you get pointer movement and left and right click, but not smooth scrolling or gestures — those need a driver. Apple Boot Camp drivers add basic scrolling for free; Tenon (coming soon) adds smooth scrolling and gestures.
Can I use a Magic Mouse over USB on Windows?
No. The Magic Mouse charges over its Lightning or USB-C port but cannot be used while plugged in, and Windows always communicates with it over Bluetooth. Pair it over Bluetooth instead.