I love my first generation Magic Mouse. I've been using it since Apple first released the little desktop critter in 2009. But it does have a few issues, including dropping the Bluetooth connection and short battery life. The good outweighs the bad, though, by a large percentage, so I put up with these shortcomings. I've also devised methods to fix common disconnect issues.
Fix Magic Mouse Disconnects
There can be numerous reasons for a Magic Mouse to drop the Bluetooth connection, but in my experience, the most common reason is a loose battery terminal contact inside the Magic Mouse.
For me, the major cause of the Magic Mouse dropping the Bluetooth connection can be traced to the Magic Mouse's battery compartment, and what appears to be a weak design for the battery contacts. Essentially, it's possible for a small jolt, such as lifting the mouse to reposition it, to momentarily cause the battery terminal in the Magic Mouse to move, thus breaking the electrical connection.
continue reading below our video
9 Tips to Extend Your Phone's Battery
No power, no Bluetooth connectivity.
This may be the result of a weak spring in the contacts, as well as a poor contact design. Either way, the fix is simple.
- Remove the batteries from the Magic Mouse.
- Cut a small piece of aluminum foil about ½-inch square in size.
- Wrap the aluminum square around the negative terminal of the battery.
- Re-insert the batteries into the Magic Mouse.
The extra thickness of the aluminum foil produces a bit of additional force wedged between the battery and the spring-loaded contact. This makes the battery less likely to be jarred away from the contact when you move the Magic Mouse around.
This may be enough to fix most Bluetooth disconnect problems, but if your Magic Mouse still experiences an occasional disconnect, there's one more modification you can try.
- Remove the Magic Mouse battery cover.
- Cut a piece of paper into a rectangle about 1 inch by 1-½ inches.
- Place the paper on top of the batteries, roughly centered. Tuck any excess paper around the edge of the batteries.
- Re-install the Magic Mouse battery cover.
The extra paper acts as a wedge between the batteries and the battery cover, to help hold the batteries in place.
These tricks worked for me. I haven't had any Bluetooth disconnect issues since putting these fixes in place.
Published: 12/14/2010
Updated: 12/22/2015
