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Shake to Find Your Cursor on Mac: Turn It On or Off

Updated 2026-10-23 · macOS 12 Monterey to macOS 26 Tahoe

Quick answer: Open System Settings → Accessibility → Display → Pointer and switch Shake mouse pointer to locate on or off. When it's on, moving the mouse quickly makes the pointer grow for a moment so you can spot it.

  1. Open System Settings

    Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.

    Apple menu open with System Settings highlighted
    Screenshot: open-settings.pngThe Apple menu open, with System Settings… highlighted.

  2. Go to Accessibility, then Display

    Click Accessibility in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click Display.

    System Settings with Accessibility selected and Display highlighted
    Screenshot: accessibility-display.pngSystem Settings with Accessibility selected in the sidebar and the Display row visible.

  3. Scroll down to Pointer

    Scroll to the Pointer section. Everything about the pointer is here: Shake mouse pointer to locate, Pointer size, Pointer outline color, Pointer fill color and Reset Colors.

    The Pointer section of Accessibility Display settings
    Screenshot: pointer-section.pngThe Display pane scrolled to the Pointer section, showing all five controls.

  4. Switch Shake mouse pointer to locate on or off

    On: shake the mouse, or move a finger quickly back and forth on the trackpad, and the pointer grows for a moment. Off: it never grows.

    Shake mouse pointer to locate switch
    Screenshot: shake-toggle.pngClose-up of the Shake mouse pointer to locate switch.

Why does my cursor get bigger when I shake it?

That's this feature doing its job: it's how a Mac helps you find a lost pointer. It's on by default, so many people only notice it by accident.

When shaking isn't enough

The shake only makes the pointer briefly larger, and only for a second or two. On a large display, or across several, people still lose it:

“No matter how much I shake it, the cursor is not visible.” MacRumors forum, user with two 43-inch screens
“Currently it is as brief as 1-2 seconds, I need it for more like 10-15 seconds.” Mac-Forums

macOS has no setting for how big or how long the shake makes it. A permanently bigger pointer, or a brighter fill color, helps: see change cursor size and change cursor color.

Questions

How do I turn off shake to locate on a Mac?

Open System Settings → Accessibility → Display → Pointer and switch off Shake mouse pointer to locate.

Why does my Mac cursor get bigger when I shake it?

Shake mouse pointer to locate is on. It briefly enlarges the pointer when you move the mouse quickly, to help you find it.

Can I make the shake cursor bigger?

Not in macOS settings. Where's My Mouse? has a Super shake that grows the pointer up to 30×.

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