How to turn off an Xbox controller connected to a Mac
Hold the Xbox button until its light goes out. Xbox Support gives five to ten seconds. That turns the controller off, and the Mac sees it disconnect. Pressing the Xbox button later turns it on and brings it back to the Mac. To send it to an Xbox console instead, double press the small Pair button on the top edge.
The button timings and what the Pair button does are from Xbox Support's Bluetooth page for the Xbox Wireless Controller, which I read on October 7, 2026. I make InputConfig, a free Mac app that maps the controller to keys and mouse while it is connected.
On this page: 9 sections
Steps
- Hold the Xbox button for five to ten seconds.
- Let go when the Xbox button's light goes out.
- Check that the Mac shows the controller as not connected.
- Press the Xbox button later to turn it on and reconnect.
Turn it off from the controller
- You: Hold the Xbox button for five to ten seconds.
- The controller: The light in the Xbox button goes out.
- Check: The Mac lists it as not connected. A press of the Xbox button brings it back.
On a USB cable, unplugging it disconnects it from the Mac. The light in the Xbox button is the power light: when it is dark, the controller is off.
InputConfig is completely free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
Turn off the light
The Xbox button stays lit for as long as the controller is on. InputConfig cannot dim it, and I know of no macOS setting that does, so turning the controller off is the way to turn the light off. There is no light setting on an Xbox controller, only on and off. A PlayStation controller is different: how to turn off the PS5 controller light on a Mac.
Disconnect it and keep the pairing
- You: Open Control Center in the menu bar, open the Bluetooth list, and click the controller's name.
- macOS: Disconnects it and keeps it paired.
- Check: A press of the Xbox button reconnects it with no pairing steps.
Disconnect is the one to use when the controller is coming back to the same Mac. To remove it for good, choose Forget This Device in System Settings, Bluetooth.
Hand it back to the Xbox
Pairing with a Mac over Bluetooth does not erase the controller's link to its console. Xbox Support describes the switch:
- To the console. Double press the Pair button. The controller moves from Bluetooth to its most recent Xbox connection at once.
- Back to the Mac. Press and hold the Pair button. The controller restores its most recent Bluetooth connection.
The controller talks to one device at a time. A double press of Pair sends it to the Xbox, and holding Pair brings it back to the Mac. Xbox controller keeps disconnecting from a Mac covers a console that keeps taking it.
Know what does not work over Bluetooth
Xbox Support says Bluetooth does not carry the controller's attachments: a headset plugged into the controller, a chatpad or the stereo headset adapter. For sound, plug headphones into the Mac. Over Bluetooth the controller sends buttons and sticks, and nothing plugged into it. How to connect an Xbox controller to a Mac has which controllers pair.
Turn it off when you finish
A controller left on keeps its Bluetooth link and drains its batteries. If you use InputConfig, a preset that is still active also keeps reading it, so a bumped stick on the couch can still move the pointer. Holding the Xbox button until the light goes out is all it takes to shut it down. How to check controller battery on a Mac shows the charge that is left.
The short version
- Off. Hold the Xbox button five to ten seconds.
- Off the Mac, still paired. Click it in Control Center's Bluetooth list.
- To the console. Double press Pair.
- Back to the Mac. Hold Pair.
Hold the Xbox button to turn it off, and use Pair to move it between the Mac and the Xbox.
Questions
How do I turn off an Xbox controller connected to a Mac?
Hold the Xbox button for five to ten seconds, until its light goes out. That is Xbox Support's own step for a controller on Bluetooth.
How do I turn off the light on an Xbox controller on a Mac?
Turn the controller off. The Xbox button stays lit while the controller is on, and I know of no Mac setting that dims it.
How do I switch an Xbox controller from a Mac back to the Xbox?
Double press the Pair button on the top edge. Xbox Support says the controller switches from Bluetooth to its most recent Xbox connection at once.
How do I get the Xbox controller back onto the Mac?
Press and hold the Pair button. The controller restores its most recent Bluetooth connection.
Does an Xbox controller headset jack work on a Mac?
Not over Bluetooth. Xbox Support says headsets and other attachments are not supported on a Bluetooth connection.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
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