Cursor Rage Mac OS

Mac allows easy changing the mouse cursor size and color. Though, you can only change the contrast, grayscale, transparency, and inverting screen color so that the cursor becomes more noticeable rather than changing the cursor's color. But you can change cursor size. Mac allows you select a cursor size that suits you the best. This chapter introduces Mac OS X and key features such as the desktop, Finder, Dock, and Spotlight. You’ll learn how to use menus, buttons, and accessibility features that make it easier to use your computer, as well as how to work with applications and windows.

  1. Cursor Rage Mac Os Catalina
  2. Cursor Rage Mac Os X

A few times, during regular use, I found that the mouse cursor disappears on my Mac. It is a random thing and not limited to any specific app, or a particular version of macOS. One thing that I have observed is that the mouse cursor most likely disappears when I use heavy software like Photoshop, and have connected multiple displays. The mouse pointer also keeps disappearing if I have opened too many tabs in Safari or Chrome. It may even happen after you update to the latest macOS version. Let’s check out the ways to fix it…

My Cursor Keep Disappearing on Macbook – How to Fix It

Shake your Mouse or Move Finger Quickly on Trackpad

This is the easiest way to find the disappeared mouse cursor. All you have to do is to shake the mouse or move the finger on your trackpad rapidly. The lost mouse cursor will appear on the screen and may also increase in size so that you can easily see it.

Right Click on Mac

One of the easiest ways to locate your vanished mouse cursor is to right-click. When you right-click, the mouse cursor is immediately visible.

Try to Bring Mouse Cursor to Dock

I agree that you are not able to see the mouse pointer, but on the trackpad or using the mouse, act as if you are moving down to the Dock. Once the vanished mouse pointer on the Dock, it will be visible.

Mission Control Fixes Disappearing Cursor on Mac

When you are playing a full-screen video on YouTube or working in a full-screen app, the right-click method may not bring success. This is where accessing Mission Control on Mac can help you locate the mouse cursor.

To enter Mission Control:

  • Click the Mission Control key (F3) from top row or Touch Bar, or
  • Press Control + Arrow up (△) key, or
  • Swipe up from four (or three) fingers on Trackpad

Switch to Different App or Finder to Relocate Hidden Mouse Cursor

Press Command (⌘) + tab to quickly switch to a different app or Finder. You will see the mouse cursor. Now go back to the app you were working on.

Bring the Force Quit Menu

On your keyboard press Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + esc. Force Quit Applications pop-up comes up. You do not have to quit any app. Just doing this brings up the hidden mouse cursor.

Adjust the Size of the Mouse Cursor on Mac

macOS lets you set the mouse pointer size according to your liking. To increase the cursor size launch System PreferencesAccessibilityDisplay from the left sidebar → Cursor → drag the Cursor size slider.

Also, enable Shake mouse pointer to locate.

You may also launch Siri from top right in the menu bar or press and hold Command (⌘) + Space Bar. Now ask Siri Increase mouse pointer size.

Disable Third-Party Screensavers on Mac

If you repeatedly face the issue of mouse cursor disappearance, then try disabling or uninstalling any third party screensaver apps you use.

Turn Off Keyboard Shortcuts to Zoom

Accessibility features are beneficial, but they may cause little interferences here and there. Disabling keyboard shortcuts to zoom is a good hack to address mouse cursor automatically hiding.

Launch System PreferencesAccessibilityZoom → make sure everything is unchecked here.

Check Firmware Update for Third-Party Mouse and Trackpad

If you are using a non-Apple peripheral, visit their website or ask the company if there are any pending drivers update to improve compatibility and fix glitches.

Check Battery of the Connected Mouse and External Trackpad

Replace the removable battery or charge your Mouse and Trackpad if it has a rechargeable internal battery.

Mac

Cursor Rage Mac Os Catalina

Restart the Mac to Bring Back Mouse Cursor

If none of the solutions worked for you, try restarting your macOS device. A restart usually fixes these temporary issues. Click on the Apple logo () from top left and select Restart.

Reset the NVRAM or PRAM and SMC

  • NVRAM: Non-volatile Random-access Memory
  • PRAM: Parameter Random-access Memory
  • SMC: System Management Controller

NVRAM and PRAM store some specific settings in a location that macOS can access quickly, like designated startup disk, display resolution, or speaker volume.

SMC is a vital chip on Intel based Macs that control small hardware components and processes like keyboards, fans, thermal and power management, battery charging, hibernation, etc.

If your mouse cursor keeps disappearing on Mac, try to reset the SMC and NVRAM/PRAM.

Try a Third-Party Mouse Locator App

If this issue persists, you may install a third party application that helps you find your cursor. One app you may try is Simple Mouse Locator. It is a paid app but not updated since 2015. Try it. If it doesn’t work for you, request a refund!

Summing Up…

These were some of the ways to get the cursor back on your Mac. Finally, I recommend that you learn some keyboard shortcuts for macOS. If you have time, also check out macOS Dock shortcuts. They will surely improve your productivity and make your experience swift and enjoyable.

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You can call it ‘spinning wheel,’ you can call it ‘beach ball,’ you can call it ‘wheel of death’ or any other way you like. The thing is, whatever you name it, the result will be the same – a slower MacBook Pro or Air, iMac or Mac mini. A spinning wait cursor (an official name) can easily drive most of the users mad. Instead of breaking your Apple computer against the wall in rage, try to find out the main cause of the problem without losing your temper and then solve it ASAP.

For starters, we’ll remind that spinning wheel stands for an app trying to cope with more operations than it can at a time. It usually happens to different browsers like Safari, Google Chrome, or Mozilla. It is not necessarily the fault of weak/slow Internet connection.

If you’re lucky, you will observe the beachball for a minute or just several seconds. In other situations, it may show up over and over again. Sometimes, it gets endless so that a Mac owner has nothing else to do except for force quitting the hung app or restarting the device. Of course, the entire data is lost this way. That is why a spinning wheel is also dangerous in addition to being matchlessly irritating. In any case, a beach ball on your screen means that the software is closing the processing tasks to free up space and memory for the new commands. When the application becomes fully unresponsive, it hangs, making the user worried or sleepy. It depends on how urgent the tasks are.

Both Apple native utilities and third-party cleaners provide Mac maintenance. Basically, keeping your Mac clean and healthy is the only sure-fire way to get rid of the Spinning Beach Ball of Death (SBBOD). Many Mac owners treat it as the cause of some larger problem. But it is not actually true. The beach ball is a symptom of the “disease,” and you should know the primary cause(s) to fix it properly and on time.

Purchasing a new machine is the measure of last resort. A user may need it once the processor is dead, but it’s not the case with the beach ball.

There are plenty of reasons why Mac slows down, and its owner starts seeing the annoying spinning wheel of death on its screen – e.g., a huge number of startup items, resource-hungry apps running in the background or filled hard drive. Of course, some users can spend some money on new RAM or SSD, but what about people who do not want to start with extra expenses?

In the next section, take a closer look at the possible ways to fix problems associated with the beach ball.

Cursor Rage Mac Os X

First and Foremost Steps to Get Rid of the Spinning Color Wheel Issue

Are you stuck on Apple logo and spinning wheel? Both Mac OS X and macOS can experience problems associated with the rainbow-colored pinwheel/circle. Below you can find a list of the possible ways to fix problems that could lead to the never-ending turning spinning beach ball on your screen.

Method #1: Uninstall useless apps and extensions

You can do that by simply dragging and dropping them to Trash. Preferably, you also should clear out app-related stuff that may stay on your Mac even after you remove unneeded software. Usually, it lurks in the Library folder and contains the name or the acronym of the app or its developer in the title.

To speed up the process, you can make use of specially designed cleaning apps that will do the job in your place.

Method #2: Free up some disk space

Cursor Rage Mac OS

Many ways to free up the disk space on Mac exist. With the help of Activity Monitor, search for the largest and outdated files on your Apple computer. You may also look for the duplicates with the help of the third-party cleaner of your choice. Other types of junk include temporary files, login items, startup items, cache, cookies, downloads, etc.

Method #3: Re-index Spotlight

Spotlight is something that allows searching for the files you store on your Mac. The utility creates and maintains the index. Sometimes, it appears to be corrupted. Thus, take the recommended steps to fix it:

  • Select Apple menu and go to System Preferences. There you will find Spotlight.
  • Pick the Privacy tab.
  • Drag the target item you wish to index once more to the locations list that Spotlight cannot research. An alternative is to select a plus button and pick the desired folder/disk.
  • From this list, pick the folder/disk you have added recently. After that, push the minus button to replace it.
  • Shut down System Preferences. The spotlight will re-index the contents of the folder/disk.

Setting up a third-party cleaner might be an excellent solution for those who do not possess enough skills and experience to erase useless files or choose extra RAM/SSD/HDD. Working with utilities like Terminal may be risky for the newbies, so it is better to decide on the special cleaning tool.

However, if you decide to buy extra RAM, be ready that only advanced users can install it properly. Otherwise, you’d better contact an Apple Store or an authorized service center to have RAM installed.

As far as Safari is the most popular browser among Mac owners being set by default, it would be useful to dedicate a separate block to solving the problem with its spinning wheel. After the upgrade to macOS Sierra or High Sierra, you may notice that the browser is hanging up too often. There is nothing left except for the Force Quit option.

Force Quit is not the best decision as the browser may finally fail. A smarter way out is to follow this step-by-step instruction for Mac users to test Safari’s work and fix the issue.

  1. Start with erasing caches.
  • Shut down all windows and stop the apps.
  • Push the Option key and pick Go in the Finder application.
  • From the drop-down menu, choose Library. Go to Library → Caches →apple.Safari
  • Right-click the com.apple.Safari and choose Move to Trash.
  • Shut down the windows. Restart Safari.
  1. Eliminate com.apple.Safari.plist.
  • Start with the backup with the help of TimeMachine, iCloud, or other available options.
  • Pick Empty Trash.
  • Stop all apps.
  • Push the Option button and select Go in Finder window.
  • Pick Library form the offered menu.
  • Move this way: Library → Preferences →apple.Safari.plist
  • Right-click and choose Move to Trash.
  • Reboot the computer and restart the target browser. Pick Start Using Safari link.
  1. In case this method proves ineffective, restore com.apple.Safari.plist from Trash. To do so, take the following steps:
  • Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock. Choose Open.
  • Right-click the com.apple.Safari.plist and pick Put Back.
  • Select Replace.
  • In case your preferred browser rejects loading a page/website or its items are not available, read Apple’s troubleshooting guides for Safari here and here.

We hope, this article will help you resolve your issues, and you will be seeing the rainbow-colored ball on a sunny beach but not on the screen of your Mac!