Mouse test

How to use the mouse test

1. Point at the test area: Click, scroll and move the mouse inside this area.
2. Click each button a few times: Left, Middle (press the wheel), Right, Back and Forward. Each counter shows how many clicks it received.
3. Scroll the wheel both ways. Wheel shows the steps counted Up and Down.
4. Move the mouse quickly in circles for a few seconds to see the Report rate estimate.

Back and Forward do not leave the page while the pointer is inside the test area, so you can press the side buttons freely.

Double click test: what the result means

A finger cannot click the same button twice in less than about a tenth of a second. When one button registers two presses less than 80 ms apart, the test counts an accidental double click. That is switch chatter: the metal contact inside a worn switch bounces, and the computer sees two clicks where you made one. It is the most common fault of older mice and shows up as files opening when you meant to select them, or drags that let go halfway.

• No accidental double clicks so far: the buttons you pressed behave normally. Single clicks for half a minute are a good check.
• This button registers double clicks you did not make: a worn switch. The fault is in the mouse, not in a setting.
• A click count that stays at zero means the button does not reach the computer at all.
• A wheel that counts Up when you scroll down, or skips steps, usually has a dirty or worn wheel encoder.

Chatter often comes and goes. If you only notice it sometimes, click slowly and steadily for a minute; one or two accidental double clicks are enough to confirm it.

Polling rate (report rate)

The report rate is how many times per second the mouse sends its position: 125 Hz for many office mice, 500 or 1000 Hz for most gaming mice, and up to 8000 Hz on some recent models. The test measures the time between movement events and rounds the result to the nearest common rate (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 or 8000 Hz). Treat it as an estimate: browsers may cap very high rates, and Safari lacks the fastest movement event, so a 4000 or 8000 Hz mouse can read lower than the box says.

• Gaming mice set the rate in the maker's software. If it reads lower than expected, check that setting first.
• Wireless mice usually reach their top rate only through their USB receiver. Over Bluetooth they are often much slower.
• Move the mouse fast and keep it moving. Slow or interrupted movement makes the estimate drop.

Fixes by system

• Double clicks feel too fast or too slow on Windows 11: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Additional mouse settings, then move the Double-click speed slider on the Buttons tab. This changes the timing for real double clicks; it cannot fix chatter.
• Left and right are swapped on Windows 11: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Primary mouse button.
• Mac: the double-click speed is in System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control. Scrolling direction is Natural scrolling in System Settings > Mouse.
• Side buttons do nothing on a Mac: macOS does not map them to Back and Forward everywhere. The maker's software can assign them; the test still shows whether they register.
• A button that works here but not in a game or app is being remapped by the mouse software or by that program. Reset its button settings.

A button or the wheel does not work

• Try another USB port, and for wireless mice charge or replace the battery and plug the receiver into a port close to the mouse.
• Test the mouse on another computer. If the same button fails there, the fault is in the mouse.
• Blow compressed air around the wheel and the button edges to remove dust.
• A switch that chatters is a wear fault. If the mouse is still under warranty or within the store's return period, contact the manufacturer or the store; otherwise the switch can be replaced by someone who solders, or the mouse replaced.