A mouse/trackpad makes it easier for us to navigate within the OS. But sometimes, on a Mac, your mouse cursor might abruptly freeze on the screen. When this happens, you won’t be able to move the cursor, and your pointer device will become completely unresponsive.
This particular issue is usually caused by corrupted mouse/trackpad data. However, auto-startup applications and other conflicting apps can also interfere with its workflow. So, along with these, here are all the reasons your cursor is frozen on the screen:
How to Fix Mouse Cursor Frozen on Mac?
Whenever your cursor is frozen, the first thing to do would be to restart your computer. This can automatically discard minor OS glitches and bugs. Then, it’s important to make sure that your keyboard controls are turned on. Once you do so, you can navigate around your OS using only the keyboard.
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type Keyboard and hit enter.
- Here, if Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys option is enabled, press Control + F7 to turn on full keyboard control.
But if the above option is disabled in your system, press fn + Control + F7 to turn on full keyboard control. - Once this is done, you can spam the Tab key to switch between your GUI buttons and icons. Then, when the required button is selected, hit Enter/Return to click on it.
Switch Between Mouse and Trackpad
Apple computers are known to be somewhat incompatible with Non-Apple external devices. So, if you’re using an external mouse, we recommend you unplug it from the system and try using your trackpad for pointer control.
Similarly, if you’re currently using a trackpad, switch it up with a mouse and see if it fixes your issue. You can use both wired and wireless mice on a Mac. To connect a wired one, you’ll need a USB-C hub adapter. But, to pair a wireless Magic mouse to the system, you can follow these steps:
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type and go to Bluetooth.
- Here, Turn Bluetooth On.
- Turn on your external mouse as well.
- Let your system scan for Bluetooth devices nearby.
- When your mouse appears as a discoverable device, click Connect beside it to pair it with the system.
Check Your System Preferences
A slow tracking speed and an unsuitable ‘click’ option can make it seem as if your cursor is frozen. But you can access these settings and configure them according to your need. However, the steps to do so vary depending on if you’re using a mouse or a trackpad.
For Mouse
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type and go to Mouse.
- Set a required Tracking Speed.
A slow tracking speed will move the cursor at a slower pace.
For Trackpad
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type and go to Trackpad.
- First, set a required Tracking Speed.
A slow tracking speed will move the cursor at a slower pace. - Then, either enable or disable Tap to click option.
If you enable it, you can simply tap on your trackpad to register a button click. But if not, you have to press it firmly to do so.
Disable Mouse Keys
Through the macOS accessibility settings, you can enable/disable Mouse Keys. If you enable Mouse Keys, you’ll need a keyboard to control your mouse cursor. Then, when you try to move the cursor using a mouse/trackpad, it’ll seem like it’s frozen on the screen. To fix this, you have to disable the mouse keys.
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type and go to Accessibility.
- From the sidebar, select Pointer Control.
- On the Mouse & Trackpad tab, uncheck the option to Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present.
- Now, go to the Alternate Control Methods tab.
- Make sure Enable Mouse Keys is unchecked.
Delete Your Pointer Properties Files
macOS mouse/trackpad properties files stores your user profile data and configuration settings. So, if your pointer device is not working like it’s supposed to, you can delete these properties files to fix the issue. Your system will then automatically re-create these files after you restart your computer.
- Press Command + Shift + G to open the Go to Folder window.
- Go to
~/Library/Preferences.
- Select the following files and hit Command + Delete on your keyboard to delete them:
com.apple.AppleMultitouchTrackpad.plistcom.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse.plistcom.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plistcom.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse.plistcom.apple.preference.track.plist
- Then, on your desktop screen, press Option + Shift + Command + Delete to empty your recycle bin.
- Restart your computer.
Disable Login Apps
Login apps start up automatically as soon as you turn on your computer. These apps can sometimes get in conflict with your OS’s workflow, as the system must allocate extra processes to these apps right after it boots up. So, you can disable login apps to prevent uncertain errors like the one you’re facing right now.
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type and go to Users & Groups.
- Click on the padlock to allow new changes.
- Then, go to Login Items.
- If there is an unwanted application that’s designated to startup automatically, select it and click the ‘-’ sign to remove it.
- Click on the padlock again to save your changes.
- Restart your computer.
Safe Boot Your Computer
When you safe boot your computer, the system starts up using only the minimum required drivers and software. Third-party applications and other non-mandatory processes are not active when you turn on your system in safe mode.
On Intel Macs
- Turn off the computer.
- Press Power and start it up again.
- Immediately, hold Shift.
- Release Shift after you see the login window.
- Login to your OS.
On Apple Silicon Macs
- Turn off the computer.
- Now, hold Power as your system starts up.
- Release Power only after you reach the Options window.
- Then, select your startup disk.
- Hold Shift and choose to Continue in Safe Mode.
- Login to your OS.
If your cursor is working properly in safe mode, then it’s certain that third-party applications and their extensions are causing conflict within the system. To fix this, you have to delete the related application from your computer.
- Start up your computer normally.
- Press Command + Space and open Spotlight.
- Type and go to Terminal.
- Enter this command:
kextstat
The system will then return lists of extensions operating on your kernel mode. - Here, if an extension doesnt begin with
com.apple.*, it’s a third-party extension. - If possible, note these extensions and track the related apps from your Finder.
- Highlight the related application and press Command + Delete to delete it.
- Now, on your desktop screen, press Option + Shift + Command + Delete to empty your recycle bin.
- Restart your computer.
Clean Your Pointer Device
Dust, dirt, and greases on your pointer device (mouse/trackpad) can prevent it from working efficiently. A dirty mouse might function improperly, but a dirty trackpad can cause your system to fail to register certain gestures and button presses.
So, you can clean your pointer device to make sure that it’s working at full capacity. You can use a piece of microfibre cloth dipped in Isopropyl alcohol (70%) to wipe the dirt from the surface. Then, a can of compressed air can blow away the dust from the corners and hard-to-reach places.
Reset NVRAM/SMC
NVRAM and SMC are two of the most important parts of your Mac computer. NVRAM ensures that your software, drivers, and interfaces are up to par. Whereas SMC manages your physical hardware components.
Whenever your mouse/trackpad is not working properly, you can reset the NVRAM and SMC to refresh the data they store. This process should be carried out as soon as your system starts up.
