A Mac shows the battery of a Magic Keyboard, a Magic Mouse or a Magic Trackpad only while the device is turned on and connected to that Mac. If the level is missing, turn the device off and on, then click Control Center and click Bluetooth. The level is next to the name of the device. If it is still missing, here are the causes.
Where the level should be
- Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar.
- Click Bluetooth.
- Read the level next to the name of the device.
The level is also in System Settings, under Bluetooth, and in the Batteries widget. It is never in the menu bar itself. These devices have no battery light, so the Mac is the only place to see the level.
The causes
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The device is not in the Bluetooth list | It is turned off, or its battery is empty | Turn it on, or charge it with the cable |
| The device is in the list and not connected | It is connected to another Mac or an iPad | Turn it off and on near this Mac, or pair it with the cable |
| The device is connected, with no level | The Mac has not received the level yet | Keep the Bluetooth settings open for a minute |
| The level is old or does not change | The Mac did not read the level again | Turn the device off and on |
| There is no Bluetooth menu | Bluetooth is not in the menu bar | Add it in System Settings, or use Control Center |
Fixes to try, in order
- Turn the device off and on. Slide the power switch until no green shows, then slide it back. The switch is on the back edge of a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad, and on the bottom of a Magic Mouse.
- Wait a minute. Open System Settings, click Bluetooth, and keep the window open. Users on Apple’s support forum report that a level can take a minute or more to appear, and that it can be missing after the Mac wakes from sleep.
- Turn Bluetooth off and on. Use the switch at the top of the Bluetooth settings. Do this with a wired mouse or a built-in trackpad, because your Bluetooth mouse stops for a moment.
- Restart the Mac.
- Pair the device with its cable. Connect it to the Mac with its cable, wait 1 minute, then disconnect the cable. This pairs it with this Mac and charges it.
- Install the latest macOS update.
If the device does not stay connected, other wireless devices near it can interfere. Move them away and try again.
Put Bluetooth in the menu bar
The Bluetooth menu makes the level one click away.
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click Menu Bar in the sidebar.
- Below Menu Bar Controls, select Bluetooth.
In macOS Sequoia or earlier, click Control Center in the sidebar and set Bluetooth to Show in Menu Bar.
You use the device with two Macs
A Magic accessory connects to one device at a time. If you use it with a Mac at work and a Mac at home, or with an iPad, it stays paired with the last one. The other Mac then shows the name with no level, or does not show the device at all.
Connect the cable to the Mac you want to use now. That moves the pairing to this Mac.
No low battery warning
macOS gives a warning when a Magic accessory is low, at a level it picks. You cannot change the level, and users on the TidBITS forum report that the warning does not come on recent versions of macOS. See how to get a low battery notification at the level you want.
A late warning matters most for a Magic Mouse. Its charging port is on the underside, so you cannot use it while it charges, and a late warning stops your work.
Keep the level in view
BatteryBud is a battery monitor for Mac. It lists your Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad with your other devices, one click from the menu bar, and you can pin any of them to the menu bar with its percentage.
- The last level stays. When a device disconnects, BatteryBud shows its last level and when it last saw the device.
- An alert at your level. Set it at 20%, for example, and charge the device at lunch.
- A history. It shows how many weeks a charge lasts.
For each device by itself, see how to check your Magic Keyboard battery, how to check your Magic Mouse battery and how to check your Magic Trackpad battery. A mouse from another maker has other causes. See Bluetooth battery level not showing on a Mac.