How to Fix Invisible Mouse Cursor Issue in Ubuntu GNOME

ByAbhishek Prakash Updated on
87 Comments
Reading Time: 1 minute

So, the other day was installing Gnome Shell in Ubuntu. The installation went smooth but I encountered one problem in Unity. The mouse cursor became invisible. I could see it when it hovered over an icon or a link or an application but the cursor was not visible. In this quick tip, we shall see how to fix invisible cursor issue in Ubuntu.

This article was originally written for an older version of Ubuntu but it is also applicable to mouse problem in the newer versions as well.

Fix invisible cursor issue in Ubuntu

Fixing this problem is rather too easy. Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and use the following command:

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.cursor active false

You’ll have to work a bit to copy this command with an invisible cursor. I leave that to you :) As soon as this command is applied, the cursor will be visible again like it should have been. No need for a restart.

I hope this quick tip helps you to fix invisible cursor problem in Ubuntu 14.04 and 14.10. Questions, suggestions are always welcomed. Enjoy :)

Creator of It's FOSS. An ardent Linux user & open source promoter. Huge fan of classic detective mysteries ranging from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes to Detective Columbo & Ellery Queen. Also a movie buff with a soft corner for film noir.

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  • On Ubuntu 22.04 I get this:
    No such schema “org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.cursor”

    The pointer disappear on the background of the windows when I do CTRL+TAB, quite weird.

    Reply

  • I am on ubuntu 20.04 on an old Imac and my cursor randomly disappears until I reboot. I think It has to do with the Imac and graphics driver. When I set the cursor size on max, then it’s somewhat better. Your solution as described does not work for me.

    Reply

    • I’m trying this, getting a disappearing pointer on return from idle lock screen.
      Otherwise, I’m back to disconnecting and reconnecting my mouse and using my touchscreen as backup.
      Running on a Pi400 running Ubuntu Mate 21.04.

      Reply