Your Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse is on, but your PC still hasn't connected to it. Windows 11 needs the mouse in pairing mode before you select it in Bluetooth settings. Start with the button underneath, then follow the connection steps and fixes below.
Get the mouse ready to pair
The Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse requires a PC running Windows 11 or Windows 10 with Bluetooth 4.0 or later. Press the Bluetooth button underneath the mouse to turn it on.
Hold the pairing button for approximately five seconds, until the LED flashes. The mouse is now ready for Windows to discover.
For a different Microsoft or Surface mouse, use the model-specific button and timing below.
If the light does not flash, check the battery orientation.
Replace depleted batteries before trying the pairing button again.
Connect through Windows 11 Settings
With the pairing light flashing, finish the connection on your PC.
- 1.Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
- 2.Set Bluetooth to On.
- 3.Select Add device, then Bluetooth.
- 4.Choose Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse.
- 5.Select Done.
Try pairing directly from the taskbar
On Windows 11 builds with Quick Settings pairing, this connects the mouse from the taskbar.
Put the mouse into pairing mode using its bottom button.
Select the taskbar Network, Sound, or Battery icon to open Quick Settings.
Turn on the Bluetooth tile.
Select its Manage Bluetooth devices chevron.
Choose your mouse under New devices.
Select Done after setup finishes.
Match the pairing button to your mouse model
For a Surface Arc Mouse, snap it into its curved position, then hold the bottom pairing button for approximately five seconds until the LED flashes. For a Surface Mobile Mouse, press the bottom power/Bluetooth button once to turn it on, then hold it for approximately three seconds until the LED flashes.
For a Surface Mouse, press the bottom power/Bluetooth button once, then hold the pairing button for approximately three seconds until the LED flashes. For a Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse, press the bottom Bluetooth button to turn it on, then hold the pairing button for approximately five seconds until the LED flashes.
On a Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse, slide the bottom power switch on. If pairing does not start automatically, hold the pairing button for approximately five seconds until the first pairing light flashes. For a Surface Precision Mouse, hold the bottom pairing button for five to seven seconds and release it; all three lights flash once, then the first flashes slowly.
Once your model is discoverable, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device > Bluetooth. Select the matching entry: Surface Arc Mouse, Surface Mobile Mouse, Surface Mouse, Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse, Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse, or Surface Precision Mouse. Select Done to finish.
Find a mouse that does not appear or connect
Check the mouse's battery orientation.
Replace depleted batteries, or recharge the mouse if it is a rechargeable model.
Turn the mouse off.
Turn it back on.
Temporarily turn off other Bluetooth devices connected to your PC.
Turn Bluetooth off under Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
Wait 10 seconds.
Turn Bluetooth back on.
Put the mouse back into pairing mode using its model-specific button and timing.
Retry the connection through Add device > Bluetooth > your mouse's name > Done.
If the mouse is already listed but will not connect, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices.
Remove its existing pairing through the mouse's More options > Remove device > Yes.
Put the mouse into pairing mode again.
Reconnect through Add device > Bluetooth > your mouse's name > Done.
For a mouse that still does not appear, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices.
On builds offering the discovery setting, choose Advanced under Device settings > Bluetooth devices discovery.
Retry discovery through Add device > Bluetooth.
Select Show all devices when the discovery window offers it.
Select your mouse when it appears.
Select Done after setup.
Tip: A pairing light that flashes three times and stops indicates an existing pairing with a nearby PC; on that PC, remove the mouse through Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices > More options > Remove device > Yes before pairing with your intended PC.
Restore Bluetooth on the PC
If Bluetooth itself is missing or malfunctioning, check the PC next. A PC without built-in Bluetooth needs a USB Bluetooth adapter that meets the mouse's Bluetooth requirements.
For a PC without Bluetooth, plug that adapter into a USB port before following the pairing steps.
Press Windows+A to open Quick Settings.
Turn Airplane mode off if it is enabled.
If your laptop has a physical Bluetooth switch, turn it on.
Restart the PC through Start > Power > Restart.
Retry pairing through Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device > Bluetooth.
For continued failures, launch the Bluetooth diagnostics through Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Bluetooth > Run.
Follow the diagnostic prompts in Get Help.
If the connection still fails, open Device Manager by right-clicking Start and selecting it.
Expand Bluetooth.
Right-click the Bluetooth adapter to select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
Follow the driver installation prompts.
Select Close when finished.
Restart the PC if prompted.
If these steps fail, check for updates through Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
Install the available updates.
If the mouse still has not connected, retry pairing after the updates through Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device > Bluetooth > your mouse's name > Done, with the mouse in pairing mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pair the mouse every time I use it?
No. After the initial pairing, Windows reconnects automatically when the mouse and PC Bluetooth are on and within range.
Can I connect without another working mouse?
Yes. With Bluetooth enabled and the mouse in pairing mode, press Windows+T, press Tab until you reach Show hidden icons, then press the Right arrow key until you reach Network, Volume, or Battery, and press Spacebar to open Quick Settings. Arrow to the Bluetooth button, press Tab once to reach Manage Bluetooth devices, and press Enter. Arrow to your mouse and press Enter, then tab to Done and press Enter. Microsoft supports this route with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA.
Why does Windows sometimes show a Connect notification?
Supported mice use Swift Pair when PC Bluetooth is enabled and the mouse is in pairing mode nearby. Select Yes if Windows requests first-use permission, then select Connect in the notification. To enable these notifications, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and turn on Show notifications to connect using Swift Pair.
Can a Microsoft Bluetooth mouse pair with more than one PC?
The Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse, Surface Precision Mouse, and Microsoft Adaptive Mouse each support up to three paired PCs. Each additional PC needs its own initial pairing. The Ergonomic Mouse also lets you switch between paired PCs manually by pressing its pairing button.