How to turn on Bluetooth & Reconnect Your Mouse Using Only the Keyboard (Sonoma/Ventura)

iMac when used with bluetooth Apple keyboards and mouse has a faintly annoying problem of the inability to use the mouse if it doesn’t automatically gets connected to the system. A possible remedy and workaround for this is to use keyboard keys for mouse control.

  • Press F8 (or F7 in the Macbook) key on the keyboard to enable switching the command palettes in the settings window.
  • Use the Tab to scroll up and down in the command palette.
  • Use the Space bar to make the selection click at the desired command.

In a bit more detail:

When your Apple mouse disconnects and you’ve only got a keyboard, you can still get to Bluetooth and reconnect, no clicks needed. This guide is my personal, step‑by‑step checklist for macOS Sonoma/Ventura.

Why this exists: Apple’s designs are… quirky. The Magic Mouse still can’t be used while charging because its port sits on the bottom; pairing or charging often means you’re temporarily mouseless. So let’s master the keyboard‑only path and move on with life.

TL;DR (60‑second rescue)

  1. Enable Full Keyboard Access (Keyboard Navigation): press ⌥⌘F5 (Accessibility Shortcuts) and turn Keyboard navigation on. If needed, press ^F7 (or fn+^F7 on laptops) to make Tab move focus across all controls.

  2. Open Bluetooth: press ⌘Space, type Bluetooth, press Return.

  3. Toggle & Connect: Use Tab (and sometimes F6) to move focus, ↑/↓ to pick your mouse, Return to Connect. If Bluetooth is off, focus the Turn Bluetooth On button and hit Return.

  4. If that fails: Launch Bluetooth File Exchange (⌘Space → type Bluetooth File Exchange → Return) and accept the prompt to Turn Bluetooth On. Then connect from the Bluetooth pane.

  5. Emergency cable pair (Magic Mouse/Trackpad/Keyboard): plug it into your Mac via USB/USB‑C/Lightning → it auto‑pairs, then unplug and use wirelessly.

The detailed, reproducible flow

1) Turn on keyboard navigation for everything

  • Press ⌥⌘F5 to open the Accessibility Shortcuts panel. Turn Keyboard navigation (Full Keyboard Access) On.
  • If the panel doesn’t appear or toggling doesn’t stick, press ^F7 (or fn+^F7) to switch Tab behavior so it highlights all interactive controls (buttons, lists, etc.).
  • Tip: on laptops with media keys, remember to hold fn with F‑keys.

2) Open the Bluetooth pane without a mouse

  • Press ⌘Space, type Bluetooth, hit Return. System Settings → Bluetooth opens.
  • Alternate (works even if search is flaky): press ⌘Space, type Terminal, Return, then run:
  open /System/Library/PreferencePanes/Bluetooth.prefPane

This jumps straight to the Bluetooth settings pane.

3) Navigate the pane and connect

  • Move focus: press Tab to cycle through sidebar, search, and the main Bluetooth content. If focus gets stuck, press F6 to move between regions.
  • Turn Bluetooth On: when the Turn Bluetooth On button is highlighted, press Return.
  • Select your mouse: in the devices list, use ↑/↓, press Return on Connect (or Options → Connect, depending on the UI).
  • If pairing fails, turn the mouse Off → On, wait 5–10 seconds, and try Connect again.

4) Fast toggle via Bluetooth File Exchange

Sometimes the quickest way to bring back Bluetooth is to start Bluetooth File Exchange:

  1. ⌘Space → type Bluetooth File Exchange → Return.

  2. If Bluetooth is Off, macOS shows Turn Bluetooth On, press Return.

  3. Close the window; go back to System Settings → Bluetooth and connect.

5) Menu bar route (works when the status menu is responsive)

  • Move focus to the menu bar with ^F2 (or fn+^F2). Use → to reach the Bluetooth status item, ↓ to open it, and Return to toggle or connect.
  • Note: in full‑screen apps or certain macOS builds, ^F2/^F8 behavior can be inconsistent. If it doesn’t respond, exit full screen (Esc) or use the System Settings method above.

6) Last‑resort: pair via a cable

  • Plug the Magic Mouse/Trackpad/Keyboard into your Mac with its cable. With the device switched On, the Mac typically pairs it automatically. Unplug after a minute and use it wirelessly.
  • Reminder: the Magic Mouse cannot be used while charging, this is by design. Quick top‑ups (a few minutes) usually give enough battery to finish pairing and reconnect.

Troubleshooting

  • Tab won’t move between buttons/lists → Toggle ^F7 (or fn+^F7) to enable Full Keyboard Access behavior for all controls.
  • Menu bar shortcut not working → Not in full screen? Try ^F3 (Dock) then ^F2 (menu bar), or return to the System Settings flow. Recheck the shortcut in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts.
  • Bluetooth pane loads but nothing is clickable → Press F6 to jump regions, then Tab.
  • Mouse doesn’t appear → Switch mouse Off → On, bring it closer, or power‑cycle Bluetooth (Turn Off → On).
  • Persistent issues → Reboot Bluetooth via sudo pkill bluetoothd (advanced), or just Restart the Mac when convenient.

Cheat sheet (print me)

  • Open Accessibility Shortcuts: ⌥⌘F5
  • Toggle “Tab moves focus to all controls”: ^F7 (use fn on laptops)
  • Open Spotlight: ⌘Space → type → Return
  • Focus menu bar: ^F2 (or fn+^F2) → ↓ to open menus
  • Move between UI regions: F6
  • Activate focused control: Return (or Space)
  • Open Bluetooth pane directly: open /System/Library/PreferencePanes/Bluetooth.prefPane

That’s it. Whenever you’re stranded without a mouse: ⌥⌘F5, ^F7, ⌘Space → Bluetooth, and Return your way back to a connected mouse.