Where to find cursor size settings on Mac

The cursor size control lives in System Settings under Accessibility, not in the main Display settings. Open System Settings (the gear icon in your Dock or Applications folder), then click Accessibility in the left sidebar. From there, select Display, and you will see a slider labeled "Cursor size" near the bottom of the window.

The slider ranges from small to large, with a preview of your cursor shown next to it. You can adjust it in real time and see the change happen when ready on your screen — no restart needed. Once you find a size that works for you, the setting stays in place until you change it again.

Key Takeaways

  • Cursor size controls are in System Settings > Accessibility > Display, not in Display settings alone.
  • The slider shows a live preview of your cursor as you adjust it, so you can test sizes before confirming.
  • Changes take effect right away and explore to all applications on your Mac.
  • If you cannot see the cursor size slider, make sure you are in the Display section of Accessibility, not another section like Zoom or Pointer Control.

Step-by-step instructions for adjusting cursor size

Start by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then select System Settings. Wait for the window to open fully — it may take a few seconds on older Macs.

In the left sidebar, scroll down and click Accessibility. The sidebar is organized alphabetically, so Accessibility appears near the top. Once you click it, a submenu appears on the right side showing different accessibility categories.

Click Display in that submenu. You will see several options: Increase contrast, Reduce transparency, Differentiate without color, and others. Scroll down past these until you reach the Cursor size slider. Drag the slider to the right to make the cursor larger, or to the left to make it smaller. The preview next to the slider updates as you move it, so you can see exactly how large or small your cursor will be.

What to do if you cannot find the cursor size slider

If the slider is not visible, you may be in the wrong section of Accessibility. Double-check that you are in Display, not Zoom or Pointer Control — both of those sections also contain cursor-related settings but do not include the size slider. The Display section is the only place where cursor size appears.

On very old Macs running macOS versions before Big Sur (released in 2020), the cursor size control may not exist in System Settings at all. If your Mac is that old, you can use the Zoom feature instead: go to Accessibility > Zoom and turn on Zoom, which will enlarge everything on your screen including the cursor. This is not the same as changing cursor size alone, but it accomplishes the goal of making the cursor easier to see.

How cursor size affects different applications

Once you change the cursor size, the new size applies everywhere on your Mac — in web browsers, word processors, email, and every other process. You do not need to adjust the setting separately for each program. The cursor will be the same size in Safari as it is in Mail or Microsoft Word.

Some applications with custom cursors (like design software or games) may override the system cursor size and use their own. In those cases, the system setting will not affect that process's cursor. This is rare, but if you notice the cursor size changes when you open a specific program, that program is using a custom cursor that ignores the system setting.

Testing your new cursor size

After you adjust the slider, move your mouse around the screen to see how the new size feels during normal use. Open a few applications you use regularly — a web browser, email, and a document — and move the cursor across different backgrounds. A cursor that looks good on a white background might be harder to see on a dark one, so test in multiple places.

If the size still does not feel right, go back to System Settings > Accessibility > Display and adjust the slider again. There is no limit to how many times you can change it. Many people find they need to adjust it once or twice before landing on a size that works for their eyesight and screen setup.

Cursor size versus other visibility options

If making the cursor larger does not solve your visibility problem, Accessibility offers other tools. The Pointer Control section includes an option to make the cursor flash when you move it, which helps you locate it on screen. The Zoom feature magnifies your entire screen, which makes the cursor larger as a side effect but also enlarges everything else.

You can also turn on "Increase contrast" in the Display section, which makes the cursor stand out more against backgrounds without changing its size. Some people use a combination of these settings — a larger cursor plus increased contrast plus the flash effect — to make the cursor as visible as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing cursor size affect how fast the cursor moves?

No. Cursor size and cursor speed are separate settings. Changing the size does not change how quickly the cursor moves across your screen. If you want to adjust cursor speed, that setting is in Accessibility > Pointer Control > Tracking speed.

Will a larger cursor slow down my Mac?

No. Changing the cursor size has no effect on your Mac's performance. It is a visual-only change that does not use extra processing power or memory.

Can I make the cursor even larger than the maximum on the slider?

The slider goes to a maximum size, and you cannot make it larger through System Settings. If you need a much larger cursor, try using the Zoom feature instead, which magnifies your entire screen and makes the cursor appear much bigger as a result.

What if I change the cursor size and then forget what it was before?

You can always go back to System Settings > Accessibility > Display and adjust the slider again. There is no "default" setting you need to remember — just move the slider until the cursor looks right to you. If you want to return to the smallest size, drag the slider all the way to the left.