Mouse Skip Test
Move your mouse steadily around the box. Any jump or freeze shows up in red.
Move steadily around this box for 20 seconds
How to Use the Mouse Skip Test
A skipping mouse jumps ahead or freezes for a moment. This test learns your normal movement and flags samples that jump far more than usual or arrive after a long gap.
- Move steadily. Move the mouse in smooth loops for about 20 seconds.
- Watch for red. Red segments are jumps or freezes.
- Read the counts. Jumps and Freezes tell you how often it happened.
Why Does My Mouse Skip?
- Low battery or weak wireless signal. Move the receiver closer.
- A dirty sensor or a bad surface.
- USB power saving. Turn off USB selective suspend in Windows power settings.
- A busy computer dropping input.
Fixing Skips
Clean the sensor, use a cloth pad, move the wireless receiver closer and charge the battery. Then test again.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Skip | Movement that drops out |
Summary
Move steadily, watch for red marks, and fix the connection or surface if skips repeat in the same way.
What Causes a Mouse to Skip?
| Cause | Sign |
|---|---|
| Dirty sensor window | Skips on every surface |
| Shiny, glass or patterned surface | Skips only on one surface |
| Sensor spin-out on fast flicks | Skips only when moving very fast |
| Wireless dropouts | Short freezes, then a jump |
| Lift-off distance too low | Skips when you lift and reposition |
Most skipping is caused by the surface or a dirty sensor. Both are quick to fix.
How to Fix Skipping
- Clean the sensor window with a dry cotton bud.
- Try a plain cloth mouse pad.
- Plug in with a cable, or move the wireless receiver closer.
- Raise the lift-off distance a little in your mouse software.
- Lower the DPI to 800 or 1600 and test again.
Retest after each step, so you know which fix worked. For slow, shaky movement rather than skips, use the mouse jitter test.
Common Causes of Skipping
- Low battery or a weak wireless signal.
- A dirty sensor or a worn mouse pad.
- USB power saving turning the port off briefly.
- A busy computer dropping input.
Fixes are covered in our mouse lag and stutter guide.
How to Run the Skip Test
- Move the mouse in fast, steady circles for 10 seconds.
- Then move it in long, straight swipes.
- Watch for red marks where movement stopped unexpectedly.
- Repeat on a different surface to compare.
Skip Test FAQ Extras
Is a single red mark a problem? Not usually. Look for repeated skips in the same spot or during the same kind of movement.
What a Clean Result Looks Like
A clean result has no red marks during steady movement. A few at the start or end are normal.
Related Tests
Also try the jitter test and the polling rate test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a few skips normal?
One or two during fast flicks can happen. Lots of them means a problem.
Does it detect lift-off?
Lifting the mouse stops tracking, which can look like a freeze. Keep it on the pad.
What about jitter?
Use the jitter test for shaky lines.
Related Tools
Mouse Jitter & Sensor Test
Spot sensor jitter, wobble and angle snapping while you move slowly.
Polling Rate Test
Measure your mouse report rate in Hz from coalesced and raw pointer events.
Mouse Latency Test
Estimate input-to-screen delay and frame timing in your browser.
Mouse Tester
The all-in-one mouse test: buttons, wheel, chatter and polling rate.