How to fix the scroll wheel on your Apple mighty mouse

I love the scroll wheel on top of the Apple mighty mouse, but after a while the sweat and oil on your finger combined with grit and dust clogs the whole thing up. This manifests itself in the scroll wheel not scrolling down, or up, or in worst cases, not scrolling all. Here’s how to fix the problem.

I rang Apple and said my scroll wheel was not working and they gave me this simple but effective solution over the phone.

Simply take a sheet of clean white paper, put it on top of the mouse, and press down on the scroll wheel with your finger, but with the paper between your finger and the scroll wheel. Press quite hard with it and at the same time scroll around – moving it up and down and round and round. Move to a different area of the paper and give it another go.

The paper seems to absorb all the oil and gunk off the scroll wheel, and the scroll wheel in turn when it is clean must absorb the gunk off the sensors or whatever is underneath it.

I have found that a better method, especially with a dirty mouse, is to turn the mouse upside down and run the scroll-wheel in circles on a clean piece of paper until all the dirt comes off.

Make sure you use a brand new clean piece of paper.

Do not use alcohol. The rubber scroll wheel is sensitive and the alcohol is not needed.

No not use water. You don’t want water getting into the inside of your mouse!

It’s just dirty. It’s funny that I could not find this information anywhere on Google or on the Apple web page.

This clean paper trick works amazingly well.

Written by Wayne Connor
Mac user since 1996
Helping people master their Macs since 2005


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Comments

304 responses to “How to fix the scroll wheel on your Apple mighty mouse”

  1. Jack Foley

    Great and thanks. But damn it! I have just spent £16 on a refurbished one and now I find out about this super trick!

  2. Patrick

    Great and thank you. It works perfectly now!!! What a wonderful idea that WORKS.

  3. Kay

    Thanks! That worked! :)

  4. Walter

    Thanks! Your solution worked, but not initially. I used a clean sheet of paper without success, but I then tried a clean paper towel, which is more absorbent. I turned the mouse upside down and rolled the ball on the paper towel for quite a long time. When I next tried the mouse, it worked perfectly. Thank you for taking the time to help other users. It is much appreciated.

  5. Matt

    Yep that totally worked!!!

  6. Pushkar

    It actually worked for me too. Its really funny though I found it a good solution

  7. Sue Doe

    Elegant solution. Works!

  8. Charlie

    This worked instantly! I flipped it over and rolled it every direction, pressing down extremely hard on the piece of paper (up and down, left and right, clockwise circles, counter-clockwise circles). I plugged it back in and worked like brand new! Thank you!

  9. Bee Bee

    THANK YOU! I have been going crazy trying to figure out which setting my two year old may have messed up!!

    1. Oh My Goodness!! What a life saver. I was getting ready to order a new mouse when I saw this. Thank You thank You THANK YOU!

  10. Sa

    THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! It really did work. I was about to order another one myself

  11. Alex

    A million thanks for this brilliant tip, which saved me the cost of a new mouse!

  12. Gregory R Redford

    That is an excellent tip. My mouse is working again!!!!

  13. Connor Moizer

    WOW this trick just fixed my Mighty Mouse I bought this morning (24/07/18) I’m in the process of writing a review so I might add this guide to it thanks a lot

  14. Luis

    awesome thank you for the helpful advice

  15. Yes!!
    This mouse was my last hope, I wanted a hardwired one, got sick of all the battery drama.

    Now my scroll button works again… I just want to give you a huge virtual hug.

    Thank you my friend!!!

  16. It worked! I used a napkin instead, and was thrilled when it started working again. Thank you very much.

  17. Rebecca

    Incredible! So easy and worked perfectly! Who knew?? :)

  18. sarah

    such a great trick! worked right away! thanks!!!!

  19. SEAN

    WOW IT WORKED!

  20. Wow what an easy fix, just wish I would have thought of it! Thanks

  21. I bought a Magic Mouse (wired) from Facebook marketplace and was truly crestfallen to find that the scrolling didn’t work. I was dismayed at the idea of having to return it to the seller, and tried a few fixes (deleting preferences files etc.)

    This WORKED. As I rolled the mouse on a sheet of notepaper, small flakes of filth appeared on the surface of the paper, and the Magic Mouse started scrolling again. MAGIC indeed!

    Thank you, heartily, Wayne. You’ve made my weekend. And it’s only Friday morning.

    Simon

  22. Donna Hicks

    And another thank you from me. Works a treat! Cheers.

  23. Issy

    Thank you so much! Works 100%

  24. Vicki Munie

    OMG! What a simple little trick to have my mouse back in perfect working order!!!!!

  25. oh my gawd

    This totally worked and made my morning! I was about to throw the mouse against the wall.

    THANKS A MILLION

    Audrey

  26. Bambi Baldino

    Holy Moly

    This is the best tip ever! I could not find anything on Apple’s website about this super easy fix!

  27. Christopher Clouteir

    Yup! Did the trick. Such an easy solution to a very irritating problem.

  28. Loni

    It works! Thank you for sharing!

  29. G OHara

    Wow, I saw no sign of any gunk on the paper but it absolutely worked and quickly! Thanks!

  30. Janet E.

    Holy cow – that worked immediately! THANK YOU!

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