Many companies make wireless mice. And on the whole, you can use any
wireless mouse with any computer.
But there are two different ways in which wireless mice communicate:
- A Bluetooth mouse can connect directly to most modern computers.
- Other mice use their own radio signals that can only be picked up by the
supplied USB receiver – sometimes called a dongle – that you plug into the
computer, just as you’d plug in a wired mouse.
Making the connection
The first time you use a Bluetooth mouse, you need to ‘pair’ it with the
computer. You initiate this on the mouse, usually by switching it on and
then pressing a button (sometimes for a few seconds) on the underneath.
- Windows should automatically detect a mouse in pairing mode and offer to
pair with it.
- On a Mac, open System Settings and click Bluetooth in the sidebar.
In contrast, a non-Bluetooth (sometimes called 2.4 GHz) mouse works as soon
as you plug its USB receiver into the computer.
Note: most of these receivers have the original, larger kind
of USB connector. So if you have a modern Mac, which has only the smaller
USB-C ports, you might need an adapter (although given how few ports these
computers have, it probably makes more sense to switch to a Bluetooth mouse
so you’re not occupying one of the ports).
A note on batteries
Some wireless mice take an AA or AAA battery while others have a built-in
rechargeable battery. In the case of a modern Apple mouse, for example, you
connect it to the computer using a USB cable to recharge.
The battery can last for months. So, for the sake of convenience, people
don’t usually turn wireless mice off when they’re not using them.