CODERACE Simple Mouse Locator: general FAQs

General Mouse locator

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How to open the preferences panel when the menu icon is hidden

All versions

When the menu icon is removed from the menu bar extras, the preferences panel can still be opened:

Relaunch Simple Mouse Locator (while it is already running in the background) from the Applications.

How to return the menu icon in menu bar extras

All versions

Open the preferences panel and select the General view.
Turn on the "Show app icon in menu bar extras" checkbox.

How to remove the menu icon from the menu bar extras

All versions

Simple Mouse Locator is able to hide its icon in menu bar extras. The picture below shows the effect of this feature:

Open the preferences panel and select the General view.
Turn off the "Show app icon in menu bar extras" checkbox.

Safety note:

In case the icon is hidden, please relaunch Simple Mouse Locator (while it is already running in the background) to open the preferences panel.

Disabled buttons in system pop ups

All versions

The "disabled buttons" issue is a new feature introduced with macOS Catalina. It is available in the latest macOS too.

A permission-requesting pop-up (window, panel, etc.) must not be overlapped by another app window. For example, any window dragged above the permission panel will disable its buttons. So on-screen assistive apps (like screen shades, mouse crosshairs and locators, etc.) should be toggled off until the user choose the permission action.

The easiest way to deal with this issue is to hide the permanent mouse locator:

To hide it click on the "Toggle locator visibility" item in the app menu (in the menu bar extras).
Click on the chosen button inside the system notification popup.
Click on the same menu item again to show the locator.

Simple Mouse Locator and Apple silicon

v1.9

Simple Mouse Locator is built as a universal kind and will run natively on both Intel and Apple Silicone computers.

More info:

The older versions are intel builds, so they will run under Rosetta on an M1 system.

Voice Over and hotkeys

All versions

There are some issues with hotkeys when Voice Over is ON, especially:

All shortcuts that involve both VO keys (Control and Option) are not working.
Hotkey editors (our and others) react badly when both VO keys are pressed.
Mouse locator activation by tapping on a single modifier key is affected. The locator may be shown when the second VO key is pressed or depressed. This case is valid when the Control or Option key is selected to activate the locator.

Workaround:

Change the default hotkey to a combination without Control and Option (⌃⌥).
For example, change the locator activation hotkey from “⌃⌥⌘ Space” to “⌘ Space”, “⇧⌘ Space”, “⇧⌥ Space”, etc.
Try using “⌘” or Function for modifier key only activation.

SML and Catalina / Big Sur

v1.7 & next

The new 1.7 version is build according to the last Apple Privacy Policy. So the app should not require registration in the "Privacy Input Monitoring" list anymore.

v1.1 - 1.5

On a Catalina system an old application must be registered in the "Input Monitoring" list in order to deal with input devices (like keyboard and mouse) while in background. As SML monitors some hotkeys and mouse events all the time it should be registered or it will work only while it's in front.

To simplify the process Catalina will ask the user to register such an app. Here is a description of the same case with SML. When SML is launched for the first time a box with "Keystroke Receiving" title will appear.

Choose the "Open system preferences" button. This will open System preferences - "Security & privacy" panel.
Ensure the Privacy view is selected.
Select the "Input monitoring" item.
Unlock the Lock icon in order to enable the apps list.
Select the checkbox next to SML icon.
If SML is not already in the list you should click on the "+" button to add it manually.
If SML doesn't work - quit and relaunch it. If it doesn't work again - restart the computer.

If the user denies the "Keystroke Receiving" request, Catalina will not ask any more. So the user must register the app manually.

Open System preferences panel and click on the "Security & privacy" button.
In "Security & privacy" panel ensure the Privacy view is selected.
Select the "Input monitoring" item.
Unlock the Lock icon in order to enable the apps list.
Click on the "+" button to show the "Open file" panel. Find and select our app, then click on the Open button.
The app appears in the apps list. Ensure its checkbox is selected.
If SML doesn't work - quit and relaunch it. If it doesn't work again - restart the computer.

If Simple Mouse Locator fails to register in the Login Items list

All versions

Deselect the Automatically start option in the preferences panel.
Select the Do not ask option.

Open Launchpad or Applications and click on System Preferences icon:

In System Preferences window, click on Users & Groups icon inside System group:

In Users & Groups window, select the preferred user - the current user in common case.
If Simple Mouse Locator application is not listed in Login items, click on the "+" button: