Google Chrome browser on Windows machine is hiding the mouse cursor. It can be due to various issues, but the primary cause can be using the tablet mode.
To resolve this problem, you can:
1. Disable Tablet mode on your computer
2. Kill the Chrome processes using Task Manager
3. Restart the browser
4. Switch the hardware acceleration toggle button.
Troubleshooting can help you identify and resolve the missing mouse pointer on your computer device.
Are you facing this issue with your Chrome browser, especially with the mouse cursor disappearing when using the touchscreen mode? Then you have landed on the correct page.
The mouse cursor disappears from the screen while reading or browsing in Chrome; however, the cursor reappears when we scroll through the web page.
It wasn’t like the cursor or mouse pointer was inactive, but it was hidden in plain sight only when using the Chrome browser. While using other programs or accessing files in Windows Explorer, one didn’t face any problems.
This cursor disappearance only happens when using the touchscreen (tablet) mode; however, when connected with a mouse and keyboard, the mouse pointer was not disabled.
After trying a few tweaks in the Chrome browser, we settled down with settings that fixed the problem (temporarily), and these workarounds will surely help bring back the hidden cursor.
On this page, you can find and jump to:
Quit Chrome and Relaunch
Restarting the program will solve the issue if the cursor disappears in the Chrome browser. You can kill the browser process and relaunch the browser. It’s probably one of the basic troubleshooting techniques you can start with.
Here are the steps to quit the Chrome browser from the task manager:
- Open the Task Manager on Windows.
- Select the Google Chrome processes from the program list.
- Hit on button.
It will kill all the existing Chrome processes running in the background.
After verifying that no Chrome threads are running in the task manager and completely exiting all the processes, reopen the browser and start using the Chrome browser with the cursor on the screen.
It should temporarily make the cursor reappear in the Chrome browser. I know killing every running thread is pretty tedious; however, it will help resolve the Chrome cursor disappearance issue.
Restart using chrome://restart command
Alternatively, you can use Chrome’s Restart function to relaunch the browser without ultimately killing the task manager.
Try running the chrome://restart in the browser URL whenever the cursor or mouse pointer is hidden. It will automatically restart the browser and make the job less painful.
Make sure that you do not have any unsaved edits in the browser. Restarting the browser will temporarily close all the existing tabs and running extensions and make the mouse cursor reappear.
Enable/Disable Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration is a pre-built Chrome browser feature that helps smooth functioning when the system runs on low memory. It typically helps improve display performance by utilizing the GPU for visual rendering.
Hardware acceleration also influences the keyboard, trackpad, touchscreen display, etc. Hence, turning the hardware acceleration on or off will fix the cursor issue.
I juggled between turning this option on and off. For some system users, disabling the hardware acceleration fixes the issue. While for others, I am keeping the hardware acceleration option ON has resolved the auto-hiding problem.
Here are the steps to enable or disable the hardware acceleration usage in the Chrome browser:
- Launch Google Chrome on your computer.
- Click on the More
menu and select the Settings menu.
- Switch to the System settings tab in the left side pane.
- Toggle switch for Use hardware acceleration when available option to Turn On or Off on hardware acceleration.
- Click the button to make the changes.
As I mentioned, keep this toggle turned on or off based on how it’s resolving the mouse cursor auto-hide in the Chrome browser.
Disable Chrome Extensions
Browser extensions are another reason that can result in conflict with the mouse cursor. A few extensions can help in customizing the mouse cursor, which can also create problems in visibility.
Hence, disabling the Chrome extensions is a part of troubleshooting that can help to understand the root cause. Here are the steps you can follow.
- Launch the Google Chrome app on your computer.
- Click on the More menu and hover on the Extensions option.
- Select the Manage Extensions menu.
It will display a page with the list of installed extensions. - Click on the Toggle switch to Turn On or Off the browser extensions.
- Alternatively, you can select the button to uninstall the extension if required.
If the cursor problem is resolved, then any extensions create the issue. Enable extensions one after the other to identify the culprit and Uninstall it to fix the problem permanently.
If disabling extensions could not fix the missing cursor issue on Chrome, then extensions can be ruled out as a problem-causing agent.
Switch to Chrome Canary
You may also switch to Chrome Canary, which can resolve the issue with the mouse pointer disappearance. The Canary is built over the Chromium project and has the same features as the Chrome browser. However, this browser is volatile and used by developers.
I do not recommend using this version of the browser. However, you can download chrome canary for free on Windows and macOS.
Alternative to Chrome
Alternatively, you can also consider using Microsoft’s Edge browser. The new Edge browser is built with the Chromium project, which also powers Google Chrome. The Windows OS has started loading the Edge browser in the latest Windows Upgrade.
Technically, you won’t find any significant difference between Chrome and Edge browsers. However, the Edge browser does not support the Google account sync but relies on the Microsoft account.
The Edge is just a clone of the Chrome browser with all the features you need. Perhaps, the Edge is getting even better than Chrome.
Bottom Line
I hope this helps in resolving the issue with the Chrome cursor disappearance. While I know and want to share that this is a temporary workaround for the issue, it may reappear, and you need to try the above workaround to fix it frequently.
If this is a significant flaw, Chrome developers must permanently address and fix the issue. It would be best to keep checking for the latest updates in your Chrome browser for patch fixes and resolutions to the hidding cursor problem.
FAQs
Why does my mouse cursor disappear in Chrome?
Your mouse cursor may disappear in Chrome for various reasons, such as conflicting extensions, GPU acceleration issues, or outdated browser settings.
How can I fix the issue of the mouse pointer disappearing in Chrome?
To resolve the problem of the mouse cursor disappearing in Chrome, you can try disabling extensions, updating Chrome, or disabling hardware acceleration.
My mouse cursor is not showing on Chrome when using Google Meet. What should I do?
If your mouse cursor is not visible during Google Meet sessions on Chrome, try restarting the browser or checking for updates. Additionally, disabling unnecessary extensions might help.
What are the common causes of the mouse not working in Google Chrome?
Several factors can cause the mouse not to work correctly in Google Chrome, including incompatible extensions, outdated browser settings, or conflicts with system software.
How do I enable the mouse pointer in the Chrome browser?
To enable the mouse pointer in Chrome, you must ensure your mouse works correctly, check for system updates, and verify that no conflicting extensions interfere with the cursor visibility.
My Chrome mouse pointer disappears randomly while browsing. How can I prevent this?
If your Chrome mouse pointer disappears randomly, turn off hardware acceleration and update your graphics drivers. This should help stabilize the cursor visibility.
Is there a specific browser version that experiences frequent cursor disappearing issues?
Cursor disappearing issues are not specific to a particular browser version, but they can occur in various Chrome versions due to conflicts with extensions, GPU drivers, or outdated software.
Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.
