Plus a third-party app to try
The Apple Magic Mouse isn’t the most ergonomic mouse on the planet, but you just can’t deny how well it works on the Mac. It connects flawlessly and is super convenient to configure. But what if you want to use it on a PC or Mac running Windows 10 via Boot Camp?
This tutorial covers everything you need to set up and use the Magic Mouse on a Windows PC or Mac computer.
Table of Contents
Can Magic Mouse Be Used with Windows?
The Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth, so you can connect it to Windows and use it for basic navigation without issues. The mouse will also connect and work on any Bluetooth-enabled device that supports mouse input.
Although Magic Mouse works on Windows devices, not all features function as they do on Mac computers. For instance, you can’t scroll through pages using gestures unless you install the additional drivers. Also, you can only view your Magic Mouse battery status or customize scroll directions in Windows with third-party apps.
The steps in the next section will help set up Magic Mouse in Windows for a Mac-like experience.
How to Add and Set Up Magic Mouse in Windows
You can connect a Magic Mouse over Bluetooth to a Windows or Mac computer like any Bluetooth device. If your computer doesn’t support Bluetooth, pair it with a Bluetooth adapter instead.
- Open the Start menu and select Settings. You can also open Windows Settings using the Windows key + I shortcut.
- Select Bluetooth & devices in the sidebar, turn on Bluetooth, and select the Add device button.
In Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, turn on Bluetooth (if disabled), and select Add Bluetooth or other device.
- Select Bluetooth on the “Add a device” pop-up window.
- Select your Magic Mouse from the list of available Bluetooth devices.
7. Select Done to finish the pairing process.
Note: Turn off your Magic Mouse and turn it back on if it doesn’t appear on the list of available Bluetooth devices. Charge or plug your Magic Mouse into a power source if Windows doesn’t detect it over Bluetooth.
You can now start using the Magic Mouse to navigate Windows. Click the left button to perform a regular click and the right button to execute a right click.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse to reconfigure your Magic Mouse buttons, adjust the cursor/scrolling speed, pointer size/color, etc.
Select Additional mouse options in the “Related settings” section to configure the double-click speed, pointer precision, etc.
In Windows, head to Start > Settings > Devices > Mouse to configure your Magic Mouse buttons and pointer speed.
Note: You can’t scroll in Windows using your Magic Mouse until you install the Apple Wireless Mouse driver.
How to Install Magic Mouse Driver in Windows
As earlier mentioned, you need the Apple Wireless Mouse driver to scroll with the Magic Mouse in Windows. There are two methods to get the driver on your computer.
You can download it directly from Apple’s website or via third-party tools like Brigadier.
Download Driver Directly From Apple
Apple provides a Boot Camp Support Software package that contains the Magic Mouse driver needed to enable scrolling on the PC. However, it’s pretty dated and may not allow scrolling in some Windows 10 and 11 versions.
1. Go to Apple’s Downloads page and search for boot camp support software. Then, download the most recent Boot Camp Support Software version to your PC.
2. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
3. Open the extracted folder and go to BootCamp > Drivers > Apple.
4. Double-click the file labeled AppleWirelessMouse64 and follow all on-screen instructions to install the Apple Wireless Mouse Drivers.
5. Restart your PC and check if you can scroll vertically or horizontally in Windows using the Magic Mouse. If not, try out the following method.
Download Driver From Apple Using Brigadier
Brigadier is a Python script that can fetch the latest Boot Camp Support Software from Apple by identifying your PC as a Mac. The Apple Wireless Mouse driver in the package is compatible with almost all computers running Windows 10.
Connect your computer to the internet and follow the steps below.
- Download Brigadier from GitHub and copy the Brigadier.exe file to the desktop.
- Right-click the brigadier.exe setup file and select Properties in the context menu.
- Copy the file’s location or path to your computer’s clipboard.
- Open the Start menu, type cmd in the search box, and select Run as administrator.
- Type the command below into the Command Prompt console and press Enter:
cd [brigadier_location]Replace [brigadier_location] with the location of the brigadier.exe file on your computer—see step #3. The command should look like this:
cd C:UsersolanrOneDriveDesktop
- Next, type the command below and press Enter:
brigadier.exe -m MacBookPro16,3
The command above includes a Mac model identifier—MacBookPro16,3—that identifies your PC as a 13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro. You can swap it with another identifier, but using a recent Mac model that supports Windows over Boot Camp is a good idea.
Wait until Brigadier downloads and saves the latest drivers from Apple to the desktop. You’ll find the files in a “BootCamp” folder in the same location as the brigadier.exe setup file.
- Open the BootCamp folder on the desktop and go to $WinPEDriver$ > AppleWirelessMouse.
- Right-click the AppleWirelessMouse (or AppleWirelessMouse.inf) setup file, select Install, and wait a few seconds.
You should now be able to scroll horizontally and vertically with your Magic Mouse.
How to Install Magic Mouse Driver for Windows on Mac
Your Mac automatically installs the Boot Camp Support Software package when you set up Windows 10 using Boot Camp. The package contains drivers that allow Apple devices and accessories to function correctly in Windows. However, in most cases, the Magic Mouse won’t scroll until you install pending driver updates via Apple Software Update.
- Open the Start menu, type Apple Software Update, and select Open.
Note: Apple Software Update is pre-installed on Windows running via Boot Camp, so you don’t have to install it separately.
- Wait until Apple Software Update scans for available updates.
- Check the boxes next to Apple Input Device Update and Boot Camp Update. It’s also a good idea to select any other listed updates.
- Select Install N items to download and apply the updates.
5. Restart your Mac computer. The Magic Mouse should work correctly when you run Windows on your Mac.
Configure Magic Mouse in Windows Using Third-Party Software
Even after correctly setting up your Magic Mouse in Windows, it doesn’t feel like using the device alongside macOS. That’s where third-party tools like Magic Mouse Utilities come into the picture.
Magic Mouse Utilities is a third-party program that optimizes the usage of Apple accessories on Windows devices. It introduces multiple gestures that allow you to move between pages, switch among desktops, invoke Task View, etc. It also allows you to customize scrolling, middle-click actions, swap buttons, etc.
You can even see your Magic Mouse battery status in real time. The program is easy to install and use in Windows. Connect your Magic Mouse to Windows via Bluetooth, install and launch Magic Mouse Utilities, and it’ll automatically detect the mouse.
Magic Mouse Utilities isn’t free, but it’s pretty affordable. The app costs $14.90 for a one-year subscription, but you can get a 28-day free trial to test things out thoroughly. It’s as close as you can get to emulating a Mac-like Magic Mouse experience on Windows.
