5 ways to customize your cursor on Mac

Unlike on PC, most people don’t customize settings on Mac. The default settings work with little problem. Now with multi-touch gestures, there is even less of a reason to change settings in Keyboard & Mouse under System Preferences. But if you haven’t updated your Mac operating system or are still using an older model, you may not be able to take advantage of these features.

If you’re looking to add some cursor customization, here are five different utilities that you can install and use.

SteerMouse: This driver for both USB and Bluetooth mice lets you customize all aspect of the device, from the wheel to the clicks and movements. You’ll be able to set cursor speed and acceleration and have it placed at a particular location when certain windows are opened up. SteerMouse also lets you customize cursor actions depending on the application.

Mouse Locator: With Macs upgrading with bigger and higher resolution screens, it’s becoming easier to lose track of where the cursor is on your screen. With Mouse Locator, you have an indicator on the screen that will instantly call out to you to show you where your mouse is on the screen. It’s a simple utility with one purpose, but can be indispensable if you’re working with a lot of apps open at once.

iCursor: Visual effects might really be your thing. In this case, you’ll probably like iCursor. This program allows you to choose from 20 different effects to accompany your cursor activity. These go from sparks to fire, bubbles, a shower of stars and more. The effects are well designed yet you might want to turn them off after a while, as they tend wear you out a little.

Wraparound: This ingenious little program literally lets you wrap your cursor around multiple screens, as the name obviously suggest.Those of you who work with multiple monitors will know the pain of dragging the cursor on large spaces. With Wraparound, all you need to do is approach it to one side of your screen to switch to that one. A real lifesaver.

OmniDazzle: Similar to iCursor, this little plugin adds effects to your mouse movements. It can be both entertaining and practical as it’s also an original way to highlight movements and actions with your cursor. You can easily change colors and sizes of elements according to what needs to be revelaled on your screen.

If you’re running an older version of Mac OS, it may be time to update or upgrade. The features found in later versions of OS, including the newly revealed OS X Yosemite can probably replace the need for these customizations.