Whether you have a laptop or a desktop PC, having a mouse adds a particular convenience. In fact, it is an essential peripheral for video games, such as FPS, or for use in professional applications. Usually, mice on the market all have a USB connection cable. However, it is often more helpful to use a wireless mouse. Once purchased, how can you connect it? Follow me in this guide: not only are there different types of wireless mice, but the connection methods also change.
Wireless Mouse: How To Connect It To Your Computer
While all mice that work wirelessly can be called “wireless,” there is actually a big difference between:
- Wireless mouse
- Bluetooth mouse
While the latter has a Bluetooth chip that creates a private connection between two devices, the former needs a wireless receiver. Let’s see together how they connect!
Connect A Wireless Mouse To Microsoft Windows
A wireless mouse is straightforward to use precisely because it removes the main obstacle of a wired mouse: the USB cable. In fact, together with the actual device, the sales package will also contain a small USB dongle. You will have to insert it into one of your computer’s USB ports and wait for the drivers to be installed. This operation is usually carried out automatically by the operating system, which recognizes the new device and will enable it in a few seconds. To use a wireless mouse, you will also need batteries. This is because, with a standard USB mouse, the cable also powers the peripheral. In the case of a wireless connection, you will have to power the mouse independently.
How To Connect To MacOS
Even with regards to the Apple operating system, the procedure is simple and substantially the same as in the Windows environment. You will need to power your mouse with the batteries indicated in the package, connect the wireless receiver to a USB input on your Mac, and wait for the short setup. Unfortunately, in the latest models produced by Apple, the USB ports are only type-C. To connect your wireless mouse, you will necessarily need to purchase a Type-A to Type-C adapter.
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Bluetooth Mouse: How To Connect It To The Computer
As I told you at the beginning of the article, a Bluetooth mouse is different from a standard wireless mouse. Compared to this, it has some advantages:
- It doesn’t need a dongle because it contains a Bluetooth chip inside.
- It can be connected to almost all Bluetooth devices.
The only disadvantage is that if the computer does not have a Bluetooth chip, you will not be able to make the connection. In this case, you need to equip yourself with a Bluetooth adapter, a small dongle to insert into a USB input on your PC.
Connect A Bluetooth Mouse To Microsoft Windows
This is a less immediate procedure than the wireless mouse, but not at all complex. As for a computer with Windows 10, follow the steps listed below:
- On the PC, at the bottom, click on the speech bubble that opens the notification area.
- Click on the Bluetooth symbol to activate it.
- Turn on the mouse.
- still in the notification area, click on “Connect.”
- As soon as the name of the mouse appears, please select it and wait for the pairing to complete.
Things are different if you have a PC running older versions of Windows. In the case of Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, in fact, you will have to:
- Turn on the mouse.
- Go to Control Panel and then to “Devices and Printers”;
- At the top left, click on “Add device.”
- Wait for the mouse name to appear in the window.
- Click and wait for the procedure.
The connection via Bluetooth means you don’t have to repeat the operation after the first time; the next time you turn it on, you will find the mouse already connected to the PC!
Connect A Bluetooth Mouse To MacOS
If you have a Mac and don’t have a Magic Mouse (version 1 or 2), you may find it helpful to connect your Bluetooth mouse to it. Of course, you won’t have many of the possibilities offered by the Apple device, but you will still have the convenience of a wireless connection.
To do this, follow these simple steps:
- At the top right, click on the Bluetooth symbol and, if necessary, activate it.
- Turn on the mouse, as we saw in the Windows part of the guide;
- go to “System Preferences” from the gear icon on the dock bar;
- Click on the Bluetooth icon and wait for the system to identify the mouse.
- Select the “Connect” button and wait for the pairing to complete.
Beyond Your Computer: Connect Your Mouse To Android And PS4
Given the great usefulness of controlling an interface via mouse, it is customary to wonder if this peripheral cannot also be used with other devices. In this part of the article, I will briefly talk to you about the ways in which you can connect your mouse to Android—smartphones and tablets—and to the PS4. In the first case, the Android system must support USB OTG technology, an acronym that stands for on-the-go. In fact, you will need to equip yourself with a USB OTG cable and connect it to the input of your smartphone or tablet.
At the end of the cable, you will then have to insert the mouse’s wireless receiver, as we have seen in the case of a computer with Windows or MacOS. When the system asks you to confirm the connection, tap yes, and you will be able to use your mouse right away. However, if you have a Bluetooth mouse, you will need to follow the same procedure as for any other Bluetooth device you connect to Android. The case of the PlayStation 4 is slightly different because this console only supports Bluetooth mice. Here are the operations to be carried out:
- In the top bar, enter the “Settings” menu and select the “Devices” item.
- Enter the “Bluetooth Devices” section;
- Turn on the mouse.
- In the PS4 interface, as soon as the name of the mouse appears, please select it and press X on the controller.
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