Losing your cursor on a laptop screen can be frustrating and disrupt your workflow. Whether the cursor disappears entirely, becomes invisible or freezes there are several reasons this might happen including software glitches, driver issues or accidental settings changes. Knowing how to get your cursor back quickly helps minimise downtime and avoid unnecessary stress.
This guide explains common causes for a missing cursor and offers step-by-step solutions for Windows and macOS laptops.
Check Your Touchpad and External Mouse
If you use an external mouse, make sure it is properly connected and has fresh batteries if wireless. Sometimes the cursor disappears if the external mouse disconnects or malfunctions.
Try disconnecting any external mouse to see if the cursor reappears on the built-in touchpad. Conversely, check that the touchpad is enabled and working. On Windows, you can press Fn + F7 or a similar function key on your keyboard to toggle the touchpad on or off.
Enable the Cursor Using Keyboard Shortcuts
On Windows laptops, pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete briefly brings up a screen which often resets cursor visibility when you return to the desktop.
Try pressing Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. This shortcut restarts your graphics driver and can restore a missing cursor caused by display glitches.
Adjust Mouse Settings
Sometimes the cursor may be hidden due to settings. On Windows, open Settings > Devices > Mouse > Additional mouse options. In the Pointer Options tab, ensure Hide pointer while typing is unchecked.
Check that your cursor scheme is not set to a blank or invisible option under the Pointers tab.
On a Mac, go to System Settings > Accessibility > Display and verify that the cursor size is set to normal.
Update or Reinstall Mouse and Touchpad Drivers
Outdated or corrupted drivers can cause cursor problems. On Windows, open Device Manager, expand Mice and other pointing devices, right-click your mouse or touchpad and select Update driver. You can also uninstall the device and restart your laptop to force Windows to reinstall drivers automatically.
Visit your laptop manufacturer’s website to download the latest drivers if automatic updates do not resolve the issue.
Check for Software Conflicts
Some third-party software or recent updates may interfere with cursor visibility. Boot your laptop into Safe Mode to see if the cursor appears there. If it does, uninstall recently added programs or updates that may be causing conflicts.
Use an External Mouse as a Temporary Fix
If your laptop cursor remains missing, connect a USB or Bluetooth mouse as a temporary workaround while troubleshooting the issue.
Restart Your Laptop
Many cursor issues resolve simply by restarting your laptop. This clears temporary glitches and refreshes drivers.
Conclusion
Getting your cursor back on your laptop involves checking hardware connections, adjusting settings, updating drivers and troubleshooting software conflicts. Both Windows and macOS offer tools and shortcuts to help restore a missing cursor quickly. With these steps, you can regain control of your laptop and continue working without interruption.