Magic Mouse Blamed for Draining Bluetooth Keyboard Batteries [Updated]
Over the weekend, TUAW pointed to a growing chorus of complaints in Apple's discussion forums from users who have seen poor battery life from their Apple wireless keyboards after moving to the company's new Magic Mouse, which began shipping in late October. According to the reports, some users are finding that their wireless keyboards are running through batteries on a nearly-weekly basis since switching to the Magic Mouse, although an exact cause of the problem has not yet been determined.
Some have guessed that the Magic Mouse is preventing the keyboard from going into sleep mode. One user swapped his Magic Mouse with a Logitech model and saw the problem disappear, while another claims to have heard from Apple Tech Support that this is a known Bluetooth driver issue and that a fix is in the works.
The issue, which was noted early last month by MacNN, has begun receiving more attention as it continues to be unresolved. The complaints appear to be coming from users of Apple's older, three-battery aluminum wireless keyboard, which was replaced with a new, two-battery version that initially shipped with Apple's new iMacs released in October and also made available for individual sale. Few, if any, reports have come from users of the new keyboard model, although it is unclear if the new model is unaffected or if there is simply a larger sample of users of the older model who would be more likely to notice a change in battery performance than recent purchasers of the new model.
Update: One MacRumors reader claims to have received an e-mail from Steve Jobs this morning in response to his contact about the issue. In the brief response typical of the Apple CEO, Jobs reportedly notes that the company is working on a fix for the issue.
We know. A software fix is coming soon. Sorry for the problem.
Steve
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
