Fix: Right Mouse Button Not Working on Magic Mouse

Kevin ArrowsUpdated on July 22, 2021
Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

Some iFolks are experiencing a problem when trying to use a right click on their Magic Mouses. The right click function just doesn’t work even if it is enabled in System Preferences (Mouse > Preferences > Secondary Click enabled to “Right”). When users change the secondary click to “Left,” the “right click” function works perfectly fine (using the left click as an activation button). However, when they change it back to “Right,” the “right click” function stops working again (using the right click as an activation button).

Here you can find how to fix this problem.

Note: Before jumping on any of the solutions below, make sure you check your mouse batteries status. If they are low with power, they may need to be replaced.

Method #1: Delete Bluetooth.plist

In most cases, the cause of the right mouse not working are invalid Bluetooth.plist files. Here is how to fix that.

  1. Select Go to Folder from the Go menu of Mac’s Finder.
  2. Type “/Library/Preferences” (without the quotes) and click Go.
  3. Locate the apple.Bluetooth.plist file.
  4. Select that file and move it to Desktop (CMD + C – to copy the file and CMD + OPT + V to paste into the new location and cut it from the old one). Alternatively, you can also delete that file (CMD + Click and choose Move to Trash). However, it is safer if you keep a backup copy of it.
  5. Now, restart your Mac.

Booting up the OS will recreate the file you’ve just deleted (or moved), and your Magic Mouse secondary click should work properly.

Method #2: Update OS X or macOS

Updating your Mac OS to the most recent version, available for your device may also fix right button not working.

  1. Go to App Store on your Mac.
  2. Click the Updates Icon at the top bar.
  3. Install any software update that is available for your Mac.

Method #3: Restart Your Mac and Magic Mouse

  1. Firstly, go to System Preferences, click on Mouse and select Preferences (if available).
  2. Now disable “Secondary click” and restart your Mac.
  3. Once it boots up, go into System Preferences > Mouse > Preferences and re–enable “Secondary Click.”

Additionally, if this doesn’t help, try restarting your Magic Mouse (remove the batteries and put them back in), and toggling your Mac’s Bluetooth off and on again. Another thing that you can try is unpairing the mouse and then pairing it again. It helped for some users.

Now, let us know which method worked for you in the comment section below.

Kevin ArrowsUpdated on July 22, 2021
Kevin is a certified Network Engineer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Comments

14
    JM
    Jim Mitchem Oct 3, 2018

    is com.apple.BluetoothFileExchange.plist the same? My mac (2017 mbp) doesn’t have apple.Bluetooth.plist

    Reply
    DM
    David Monreal Oct 29, 2018

    I have tried tried the suggested strategies above to no avail. I have even hooked up a different magic mouse to factor out a magic mouse defect and the second mouse has the same issues as the first. I am at my wits end but I use right click all the time and now I have to stop and hit the control button. Being left handed I use my left hand for the mouse (but keep the right click the same for my wife) so I have to lift my right hand off the keyboard.

    Reply
    GG
    Gitmo Gains Dec 17, 2018

    Have a Magic Mouse 1 (removeable batteries) & Magic Mouse 2 both had right-click stop working at the same time. Tried all of the above, nothing worked.

    Swithed to a Logitec mouse.

    Reply
    MM
    Myke Metzger Apr 10, 2019

    Method #1: Delete Bluetooth.plist and then restarting worked for me.

    Reply
    SW
    Shane Warren Author Sep 22, 2019

    Go into system preference and click on “Mouse”. Tick the secondary click on right side option.

    Reply
      DA
      David_Arditti Jul 3, 2020

      I found this setting does not hold. I found I can check the box, then close the preferences, reopen them, and the box is unchecked. This is with Catalina 10.15.5. Deleting the plist achieved nothing.

      Reply
        SW
        Shane Warren Author Jul 4, 2020

        Hmm, seems weird that it doesn’t hold. Are you the administrator on the machine?

        Reply
          DA
          David_Arditti Jul 4, 2020

          Yes. Also the ‘scrolling direction’ checkbox setting doesn’t hold – but the tracking speed slider does.

          SW
          Shane Warren Author Jul 5, 2020

          Create a new user on the machine and try to change the setting with that. make sure to set the user as an administrator

          DA
          David_Arditti Jul 5, 2020

          Thanks for the advice Shane. Yes I have done that and that does cure it. I simultaneously had a big problem of getting all my old emails accessible in the new, properly working, user account, but eventually, by a complicated route, I have solved it. It seems that users have to be set up by the OS properly, and any messing with the Users & Groups ‘advanced’ settings tends to break the system.

    KL
    Kathy Leslie May 5, 2020

    #3 worked for me, even though the”Secondary click” was already enabled when I first tried to fix it. My computer didn’t seem to have the Bluetooth plisit file. Thanks so much for the help!

    Reply
    LE
    Lefaucheur Nov 9, 2020

    Aloha: None of these suggestions have worked for me. I’m running 10.14.6. I just un-paired my wireless mouse and plugged in an older wired mouse. I’m having the same issue; the right secondary does not work. Any suggestions?

    Reply
      MZ
      Muhammad Zubyan Author Nov 18, 2020

      Create a new user account and check if the problem still persists in that account as well. Also, have you tried changing the secondary button settings again when you plugged in the older mouse?

      Reply
    AB
    Arthur Battram Jun 13, 2021

    nah. Just ‘forget’ the mouse in BT prefs, then connect it again.

    Reply