Fix Bluetooth Mouse or Keyboard Disconnecting in MacOS Tahoe
Some Mac users have noticed an annoying issue with recent MacOS updates (including both MacOS Tahoe and Sequoia) where Bluetooth accessories like a mouse or keyboard randomly disconnect, briefly stop responding, or disconnect for 10-30 seconds and then reconnect leading to lengthy lags in using the cursor or keyboard. Some users even report that some Bluetooth devices refus to connect after installing a recent MacOS update to Tahoe. The issue seems to most commonly affect Bluetooth input hardware, including Apple’s own peripherals and third-party devices, and some users will say a mouse or keyboard will randomly drop the connection.
If your Bluetooth mouse or keyboard keeps disconnecting at random in MacOS Tahoe or MacOS Sequoia, there are several troubleshooting steps that can often resolve the problem.
Fix Bluetooth Mouse or Keyboard Disconnecting in MacOS Tahoe & Sequoia
If a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard intermittently disconnects, freezes, or disconnects and reconnects spontaneously, try the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue with MacOS:
1: Change or Charge the Batteries
The first thing you should do is change or charge the batteries for the keyboard or mouse. If the batteries are rechargeable, get it to 100% charge. If the batteries are old, change them to new batteries with a full charge.
This might sound obvious, but battery life for a mouse or keyboard is generally so good that it’s often overlooked as a reason why the keyboard or mouse is disconnecting at random, but battery issues alone can be responsible.
2: Turn Bluetooth Off & On
Often the simplest fix is simply to restart the Bluetooth connection:
- Open Control Center on the Mac from the top right corner
- Click on Bluetooth
- Toggle Bluetooth OFF
- Wait a few seconds
- Toggle Bluetooth back ON
Once Bluetooth reconnects, check to see if the mouse or keyboard behaves normally.
3: Remove and Re-Pair the Bluetooth Device
If the problem continues after making sure the battery is charged and the Bluetooth has been toggled off and on, then removing the accessory and pairing it again can often help resolve unusual connection issues with Bluetooth devices:
- From the Apple menu open “System Settings”
- Go to “Bluetooth” and then locate the mouse or keyboard that is experiencing the problem in the list of devices
- Click on the “i” button and then click on “Forget This Device”
- After removing the device, put the mouse or keyboard back into pairing mode, and re-connect them to the Mac
4: Install Any Available MacOS Updates
If there is a known Bluetooth issue, it’s likely that Apple will fix the problem in a software update:
- Go to “System Settings” then to “General”
- Go to “Software Update” and install any available updates to MacOS Tahoe or MacOS Sequoia
It is more rare for Bluetooth issues to be related to system bugs, but it does happen.
5: Restart the Mac
A simple restart can often remedy random Bluetooth glitches, and is the oldest troubleshooting trick in the book because it often works:
- From the Apple menu choose “Restart”
Of course if you installed any system software updates just now, then the Mac already did restart.
If the disconnecting problem continues despite troubleshooting, installing newer macOS software updates may eventually resolve the issue, though that’s not particularly helpful in the moment since new updates can be a ways out.
If you’re experiencing disconnection and connection problems with Bluetooth in macOS Tahoe, you’re not alone, as there are a variety of threads online with Apple discussions posts for Tahoe and Sequoia, and elsewhere on the web.
It’s worth mentioning that sometimes an issue like this could be related to the device driver and associated software, as what happened not long ago with Logitech devices breaking. In these situations, you need to get updated software directly from the manufacturer of the keyboard, mouse, or peripheral.
Have you experienced any unusual behavior with Bluetooth disconnecting with the latest MacOS versions? Are Bluetooth devices disconnecting in MacOS Tahoe or MacOS Sequoia for you? Did one of the troubleshooting steps above resolve the issue, or did you find another solution? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
This is NOT a fix, but only a work-around. Apple should fix this.
Agreed completely, there’s no real fix to this outside of Apple
I have a bluetooth problem of intermittend slow data rate when phone calling on iPhone 16, with the current iOS. The problem exists on two iPhone 16’s, whether using airPods of any generation, or a hearing aid with bluetooth connectivity. Randomly, audio data rate slows to make the call unintelligible for a up to 30 seconds or so, then it recovers. I have found nothing about this problem in the Apple user group, and my local genius bar person could find nothing in their data base either. The usuall generic fixes you describe in this article have had no effect.
The mouse will freeze at around 6%, so I recharge it. I have another mouse that I rotate, so all good. Annoying because I usually only recharge when prompted, which is at 2%. And it’s similar with the keyboard, but only once so far. Fortunately, you plug in the keyboard for recharging and still keep using it. Not so, the mouse. Which is why I have two. The mouse and keyboard are both Apple wireless devices.
My Logitech Bluetooth mouse randomly starts disconnecting when the rechargeable battery drops below around 50%, it did not used to do this before macOS Tahoe. Maybe it’s a power saving thing? I don’t know but it’s annoying, it drops the mouse connection for about 20 seconds and then reconnects itself.
The problem with solution2 is that if your mouse has lost connection, you can’t navigate to the preferences panels much less within them. I was told by the genius bar one time when my keyboard was not responding, to disable then re-enable bluetooth. See a problem? Once it’s disabled, you can’t re-enable it. Duh! Next step? Get yourself a usb mouse or a wired one. If a system is SO dependent on a single techology, it better be solid!