Apple took advantage of the release of its new Mac M4s this week to renew its Magic accessories (mouse, trackpad and keyboard) in a USB-C version, sounding the death knell for the Lightning port. But be careful if you plan to buy them now for your current Mac: a software update seems essential to make them work correctly.
Deceptive compatibility?
On its website, Apple says its new Magic USB-C accessories are compatible with OS X El Capitan 10.11 or later. However, many users report operating problems on older versions of macOS.
Sebastiaan de With, developer of the Halide app, for example, noticed that his new Magic Trackpad USB-C did not scroll and did not pair correctly with his Mac. Other testimonies on MacRumors forums report inoperative function keys and Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard, or non-functional scrolling and gestures on the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad.
What do all these unhappy users have in common? They were not running macOS Sequoia 15.1, the latest version. Those who updated saw the problems magically disappear. Strangely, even macOS 15.2 Beta 1 seems to have issues with newer devices.
A software patch coming?
Did Apple misreport the compatibility of its USB-C accessories? Or does it plan to quickly deploy a software update (or even firmware) to make them operational on older versions of macOS? Mystery.
As for macOS 15.2, currently in beta, it is likely that support for Magic Mouse, Trackpad and Keyboard USB-C has not yet been integrated and that it will be in a future beta. It’s as if Apple didn’t plan to release these “new” devices. Developers will have to be patient.
In the meantime, if you have just acquired one of these brand new accessories, the only solution to take full advantage of them seems to be upgrading to macOS Sequoia 15.1. Don’t panic though, all Macs compatible with these devices can install this version, including some Intel models.
