Bluetooth Mouse Not Working on Windows 11 — Fix

Bluetooth mouse not working on Windows 11 means the mouse cursor does not move even though the mouse shows as connected in Bluetooth settings, the cursor freezes intermittently, or the mouse disconnects and requires reconnection every few minutes. According to Microsoft’s official Bluetooth troubleshooting documentation, the most common causes are Windows power management cutting the Bluetooth adapter during idle periods, stale pairing data, or an outdated Bluetooth HID driver.

Bluetooth mouse not working fix path: disable Bluetooth adapter power management, replace battery and re-pair, remove and re-pair device, update Bluetooth and HID drivers, disable USB selective suspend

What causes Bluetooth mouse not working on Windows 11

Bluetooth adapter power management — Windows power management can cut power to the Bluetooth adapter during brief idle periods — even a few seconds of mouse inactivity. When this happens, the active HID connection to the mouse is dropped and the cursor freezes until the adapter powers back on, which takes 0.5–2 seconds. This manifests as intermittent cursor freezing rather than a complete disconnection.

Low battery — A Bluetooth mouse with a low battery may report as connected but transmit unreliable signals, causing the cursor to stutter, skip, or stop entirely. The mouse connection state in Windows remains “Connected” even when the battery is too weak to maintain a stable signal.

Stale pairing data — Previous pairing attempts or connections to other computers can leave inconsistent HID pairing data that allows the Bluetooth connection to establish but prevents the HID input from being registered correctly.

How to fix Bluetooth mouse not working on Windows 11

Work through the steps in order. Step 1 (power management) and step 2 (battery replacement) resolve the majority of cases.

How to verify the fix

After applying the power management change, leave the mouse idle for 2–3 minutes, then move it — the cursor should respond immediately without freezing. Test by alternating between periods of activity and 30-second idle pauses. If the cursor responds without delay after each idle period, the fix worked. Also test after putting the computer to sleep and waking it to confirm the mouse reconnects automatically.

Known limitations

Microsoft’s Bluetooth troubleshooter cannot detect hardware faults in the mouse Bluetooth transmitter or Windows’ built-in Bluetooth adapter. A mouse with a failing internal Bluetooth chip may connect intermittently and show as paired while being unresponsive — this appears identical to a software configuration problem. If all driver and pairing fixes fail and the mouse works correctly on another computer, the Bluetooth adapter in the problem PC may have a hardware fault. Some Bluetooth mice also require manufacturer-specific companion software for full functionality on Windows 11 — without this software, customised button assignments, scroll speed, and polling rate adjustments do not apply even when the mouse cursor moves correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Bluetooth mouse cursor freeze every few seconds on Windows 11?

A cursor that freezes for a fraction of a second at regular intervals is caused by the Bluetooth adapter powering down briefly under Windows power management. Open Device Manager, right-click the Bluetooth adapter, go to Properties > Power Management, and uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. This eliminates the brief power cycle that causes the cursor freeze.

Why does my Bluetooth mouse work on another computer but not Windows 11?

A Bluetooth mouse working on one computer but not another indicates a Windows-side problem — either the Bluetooth driver on the non-working PC has a compatibility issue or the mouse's pairing data is corrupted from a previous connection attempt. Remove the mouse from Bluetooth settings on the problem PC, update the Bluetooth driver, and re-pair the mouse with it in fresh pairing mode.

Why does my Bluetooth mouse not connect after Windows 11 wakes from sleep?

After sleep, the Bluetooth adapter sometimes does not fully restore its connection state, leaving previously paired devices unresponsive. The adapter powers back on but does not re-establish the active device connections. Disable the power save setting for the Bluetooth adapter in Device Manager. If the problem persists, also check whether the Bluetooth Support Service restarts correctly after wake by opening services.msc after waking and confirming the service status shows Running.

How do I fix a Bluetooth mouse that is connected but does nothing?

A Bluetooth mouse that shows as connected in Settings but does not move the cursor has a HID (Human Interface Device) driver issue or the wrong Bluetooth profile active. Open Device Manager, expand Human Interface Devices, and look for the Bluetooth HID device entry corresponding to the mouse. Right-click it and select Update driver. If updating the HID driver does not help, remove the mouse from Bluetooth settings and re-pair it to renegotiate the HID profile.

Can I use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard at the same time on Windows 11?

Yes, Windows 11 supports multiple simultaneous Bluetooth HID devices — mouse, keyboard, gamepad, and others can all connect and function at the same time through a single Bluetooth adapter. If only one device works while others disconnect, the issue is with the Bluetooth adapter's connection capacity or power management affecting individual device connections, not a Windows limitation on the number of devices.