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How to Install Custom Cursors on macOS with Mousecape

Step 1: Download and Prepare Your Cursor Files

Download the ZIP file for your chosen cursor pack.

Unzip the file.

Find all the .png image files inside the extracted folder and move them to your Desktop for easy access.

Screenshot showing how to download and extract cursor files on macOS desktop

Step 2: Download and Install Mousecape

Go to the official Mousecape GitHub page to download the application.

Screenshot showing the Mousecape GitHub download page on macOS

Open the downloaded file and install Mousecape by dragging it into your Applications folder.

Step 3: Allow Apps from Known Developers

Before you can run Mousecape, you need to allow apps from known developers:

  1. Go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  2. Click on "Privacy & Security" (or "Security & Privacy")
  3. In the Security tab, look for a message about Mousecape being blocked
  4. Click "Allow Anyway" or "Open Anyway" next to the Mousecape app
  5. You may need to enter your admin password to confirm

This step is necessary because Mousecape is not signed by Apple, but it's a safe and trusted application.

Screenshot showing macOS System Settings Privacy & Security section to allow Mousecape app

Step 4: Create and Apply Your New Cursor Pack

Open the Mousecape application.

In the menu bar at the top of the screen, go to File → New Cape. A new, untitled cursor pack will appear in the list.

Screenshot showing Mousecape application interface with File menu to create new cape

Right-click on the new pack and choose Edit. Click on the plus button in the bottom left corner of the window.

Screenshot showing Mousecape editing window with plus button to add new cursor

A new window will open showing all the different cursor types (Normal Select, Help Select, Busy, etc.). Select Arrow to edit your normal cursor.

Screenshot showing Mousecape cursor types window with different cursor states like Normal Select, Help Select, and Busy

For each cursor type, drag the corresponding .png file from your Desktop and drop it onto the correct box in the editing window.

Screenshot showing how to drag and drop PNG cursor files into Mousecape editing interface

Set the Hotspot: For each cursor you add, you must set the "hotspot". I personally set the hotspot to the top left corner, around 8,8 or 9,9. This is the exact point of the cursor that clicks. Click on the cursor's preview image and then click on the precise pixel that should be the tip of your pointer.

Once you've added all your PNGs and set their hotspots, close the editing window and click Save.

Double-click your new cursor pack in the main Mousecape window to apply it. Your cursor should now be changed.

Screenshot showing how to apply the custom cursor pack in Mousecape by double-clicking on it

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I revert to default cursors?

In Mousecape, simply select "None" or disable your custom cursor pack to revert to the default macOS cursors.

Are these cursors safe?

Yes! All cursors on CursorTech are thoroughly scanned and verified. We only provide .png image files for macOS, which are safe cursor file formats that cannot contain malicious code.

Can I use these cursors on Windows?

These PNG files are specifically formatted for macOS. For Windows, please use our Windows installation guide with .cur and .ani files.

My cursor looks extremely enlarged, what do I do?

If your cursor appears too large, you need to resize the PNG file to around 32x32 pixels. Use any online image resizer tool to reduce the image dimensions, then replace the original PNG file with the resized version in your cursor pack.