Frequently Asked Questions

Only the macOS Accessibility permission is needed, which is prompted on first launch. MouseMat uses a CGEvent tap to intercept clicks at the system level, which requires Accessibility access.

MouseMat is distributed outside the Mac App Store, so macOS will show a warning saying it "can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software." This is normal for independent apps. To open it: right-click (or Ctrl+click) the app in your Applications folder and choose Open. You'll see a new dialog with an Open button - click it, and you're done. This is only needed once; after that it opens normally.

Never. Clicks with any modifier key held down (Cmd, Shift, Ctrl, Option) always pass through. This means Cmd+click on links, Ctrl+click context menus, and Cmd+Shift+4 screenshots all work perfectly.

Click the MouseMat icon in the menu bar and choose Snooze. You can pick 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes, or 1 hour. The remaining time is shown in the menu, and you can cancel the snooze at any time.

The mat dismisses instantly. Typing, scrolling, dragging, trackpad gestures (pinch, rotate, swipe, force touch), desktop space changes, and screen sleep all cause the mat to disappear. It only reappears after the cursor goes idle again.

Yes. MouseMat respects all apps. If any app hides the cursor (such as during YouTube playback, presentations, or when typing in text fields), the mat stays hidden until the cursor reappears and goes idle again.

Yes. MouseMat ships as a universal binary supporting both Intel and Apple Silicon. It requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.

No. MouseMat is a menu bar app only. There is no Dock icon and no visible windows (except the Settings panel when you open it). It stays completely out of your way.

Yes. Open Settings from the menu bar icon. You can adjust the idle timeout from 1 to 10 seconds (default 3s) and the mat zone size from 40 to 200 pixels (default 80px). Both are controlled with simple sliders.