How to find the cursor on a Mac: shake, enlarge or recolour it

Lose the pointer on a big screen? Shake to locate, a bigger pointer and pointer colours all live in Accessibility. How to set each, and what if it vanished.

Guide · Updated 22 October 2026

How do I find my cursor quickly?

Move the mouse, or your finger on the trackpad, quickly back and forth. With Shake mouse pointer to locate on, the pointer grows large for a moment so you can see it. It is in System Settings, Accessibility, Display, under Pointer.

How do I make the cursor bigger?

In the same place, drag Pointer size to the right. A step or two larger is enough to make it easy to spot without getting in the way.

How do I change the cursor colour?

Set Pointer outline color and Pointer fill color. A white fill with a bright outline, such as orange, stands out on both light and dark windows. Reset puts the black and white pointer back.

Why has my cursor disappeared completely?

  • It may be on another display. Move it in a wide sweep, or shake it.
  • Some apps hide it while you type, and it returns when you move it.
  • If it is gone entirely, press ⌥ ⌘ Esc to open Force Quit, which often brings it back; or restart the Dock.

Highlight the window as well as the pointer: highlight the active window. Let the pointer follow focus: focus follows mouse.

Checked on 22 October 2026 on a MacBook Air (M1) running macOS 27.0.1: Shake mouse pointer to locate, Pointer size, Pointer outline color and Pointer fill color were read from System Settings, Accessibility.

Questions

How do I find my cursor on a Mac?

Shake the mouse or your finger quickly. With Shake mouse pointer to locate on, it grows for a moment.

How do I make my Mac cursor bigger?

Drag Pointer size in System Settings, Accessibility, Display.

Can I change the cursor colour on a Mac?

Yes. Set Pointer outline color and Pointer fill color in Accessibility, Display.

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