How to connect a mouse from a third party on Mac

While the Mac has a lot of things to excite users, there is one thing that struggles for novices: hardware. Not about the hardware of the machine, but the accessories that come with the Mac. One of Apple's most hated accessories is the Magic Mouse.

Admittedly, when you are so used to using normal mice with Windows, mouse manipulation seems to be ingrained in everyone's instinct to use computers. Suddenly having to switch to a flat mouse without a button, users certainly take a long time to get used to. Not only that, Magic Mouse is useless if running Windows on a Mac simultaneously.

So, the solution that many people choose is to use a mouse that doesn't come from Apple. Here's how to connect a third-party mouse device to the Mac.

Use a third-party mouse on Mac

Modern Macs support most USB and Bluetooth devices, so finding a mouse that's compatible with it shouldn't be a big deal. Even if the device is designed specifically for Windows, it is still capable of working normally on the Mac, at least with the usual actions like hovering, clicking and scrolling the screen.

If the mouse has special functions, such as buttons to switch windows or change the system DPI settings, they may not work on a Mac. However, most users do not need those functions to complete tasks on their computer.

Modify basic mouse settings

Connecting to third-party mice on the Mac is simple, if they're a regular USB wireless mouse. With Bluetooth connectivity, first go to System Preferences> Bluetooth , then turn on your mouse (enable search if necessary). Wait a moment for the device to appear, then click Pair . It is done.

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Once the mouse is connected, go to System Preferences> Mouse to adjust some settings. However, there is not much that you can change here, only a few basic operations. (You will see the Set Up Bluetooth Mouse… button , here there are different ways to connect to a new mouse).

1. Mouse pointer speed : Determines the cursor distance each time you move the mouse (or, in the case of the trackpad, when you move your finger). The faster the speed is, the faster the pointer will move across the screen.
2. Scroll speed : Decide how far you scroll the screen each time (with trackpad or Magic Mouse, that's when you move your finger). The faster the speed, the longer the mouse scroll.
3. Priority mouse button : Decides whether to the left or to the right is the primary button. This will probably be of great help to lefties.
4. Double click speed : Determines the reaction speed when double clicking. The faster the installation, the more responsive the response speed.
5. Scroll direction : This option determines the scrolling action. If nothing is set, when scrolling down the screen will pull down. Or install the reverse, roll the mouse down, the screen will pull up.

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There is another way to change mouse settings, go to System Preferences> Accessibility> Mouse & Trackpad . Here you can change some of the mouse features on your Mac, allowing you to move the cursor using the number keys on the keyboard.

Tweak your mouse with USB Overdrive

If you still feel limited by the basic settings on your Mac, consider installing USB Overdrive, an application that allows for precise manipulation. The app costs $ 20, but you can use it for free indefinitely with a window popping up for about 10 seconds each time you open the app.

If you still do not understand, please see the photo below.

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This section is a list of the actions the USB Overdrive will perform. The list above are the defaults installed by the application on load. You can add new or delete old actions.

Click the '+' plus sign to add a new action. USB Overdrive will wait for you to do something on the mouse, and then create a new action if it doesn't exist before.

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This section is a list of the modifiers that are defined when the action is registered. For example, change the Click Type to Double Click and activate the Command so that the left mouse button is activated only on double click.

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This section is separate from the above. The Wheel Button determines how the mouse wheel button presses. Speed represents the speed of the mouse pointer. Acceleration changes the acceleration rate (the faster the mouse hover, the more distance the cursor can travel.

Finally, you can click Advanced Options… to tweak a few more detailed things, like changing the arrow direction or hovering to wake the Mac.

Which mouse should I use on the Mac?

You do not need to use too much beyond the tools listed above. Between your Mac's System Preferences and USB Overdrive, you should choose which software is best for you.

Of course, since macOS works so well with trackpads, why not equip yourself with a Magic Trackpad instead of a third-party mouse. The Magic Trackpad is also a lot easier to use than the Magic Mouse.

Samuel Daniel

Update 13 August 2020