How to increase mouse tracking speed on Mac

Anyone who uses a Mac with a mouse instead of the Trackpad runs into the same problem sooner or later: the pointer is too slow. For some reason, Apple caps mouse tracking speed quite low, and even at the maximum the system allows, it still isn’t fast enough. At that speed, your hand gets tired from all the extra dragging, and the feet under the mouse wear out faster too. Follow this article to fix the problem.

Increase mouse tracking speed in System Settings

First, try the built-in setting. Open System Settings > Mouse.

Next, go to Point & Click and drag the Tracking speed slider up.

If the built-in setting is fast enough for you, great. If you need the pointer to move faster than the system allows, try the methods below.

Go beyond the system limit with Terminal

This method is not complicated and completely free. Open the Terminal app (built into macOS), paste this command, and press Enter. Change 20.0 to whatever value you like (20.0 is already quite fast, and it’s the value I use).

defaults write -g com.apple.mouse.scaling 20.0Copy

After that, you need to restart your Mac for the change to take effect. To check the current tracking speed, run the command below.

defaults read -g com.apple.mouse.scalingCopy

Increase Magic Mouse speed with an app

If you use a Magic Mouse, I’d like to recommend a pretty good app called BetterTouchTool. The Standard license costs $15 and the Lifetime license $25, with a 45-day free trial (prices as of October 2026; check the official folivora.ai page). I like it because it can turn the Magic Mouse into a tap-to-click mouse and even add a middle mouse button. In this article, though, I’ll only cover how to increase mouse speed with it.

Step 1: First, download BetterTouchTool and try it for 45 days. If you like it, you can buy it later.

Step 2: Grant BetterTouchTool Accessibility access in Settings > Security & Privacy. On macOS Ventura and later, this is System Settings > Privacy & Security.

Step 3: Once BetterTouchTool is running, you will see its icon in the menu bar. Click it and open Configuration.

Step 4: This is where you add gestures for the Magic Mouse (you can see I have added a middle mouse button). Click the three-dot button in the right corner to show more Magic Mouse settings, including speed.

Step 5: Select Magic Mouse in the left column and raise the value in the Set mouse speed section.

Increase Logitech mouse speed on Mac

If you use a Logitech mouse, you can adjust its speed on Mac with the Logi Options app. I’m not sure it supports every Logitech mouse, but it’s worth a try. I have tested it with the M590 and MX Master 3.

Note: The steps below use the older Logi Options app (screenshots from 2022). Logitech now offers Logi Options+, a newer app with a different interface, and many recent mice only work with Options+. If your mouse is on the Options+ supported list, install Options+ instead; the pointer speed setting is still under Point & Scroll.

Step 1: Download Logi Options for Mac. The latest version requires macOS 10.15 or later. If your Mac runs an older version of macOS, choose another version of Logi Options.

If you don’t know which macOS version your Mac is running, click the Apple icon > About This Mac.

Step 2: After downloading Logi Options, unzip the file and run the Logi Options installer.

Step 3: Grant Logi Options access in Settings > Security & Privacy (Privacy & Security on macOS Ventura and later). Allow it under both Accessibility and Input Monitoring.

Step 4: Open Logi Options and connect your mouse via Bluetooth so the app can detect it. If it isn’t recognized the first time, you may need to disconnect and reconnect a few times.

OK, first click the Add devices button.

Next, choose Open BT Settings, since most of us use a Bluetooth mouse with a Mac.

Connect the Logitech mouse to your Mac over Bluetooth until it shows Connected, as in the screenshot below. Then close these windows and go back to Logi Options.

Step 5: Go to Point & Scroll and raise the Pointer speed slider.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to restart my Mac to change the mouse speed?

Only if you use Terminal to change the mouse speed. The other methods don’t need a restart.

Can I uninstall apps after adjusting mouse speed?

No. You need to keep the apps installed to keep the faster mouse speed. If you’d rather not use extra apps, use the Terminal method instead.

Conclusion

Those are the four ways I know to speed up a mouse, Magic Mouse, or Logitech mouse on Mac. If you have any questions or other tips, leave a comment below the article. Good luck speeding up your mouse!