Why does the mouse hover over a stream instead of controlling its desktop?

A stream displays an image of another desktop. Moving the pointer onto that image leaves it on the receiving display. Use Command-click on the streamed content, or Warp Mouse Cursor in its context menu, to move the pointer to the corresponding source position.

A spinning dotted halo around the pointer means it is over the receiving display’s stream image. It is a routing hint, not by itself a sign of a failed stream or an app hang.

If the pointer accidentally crosses onto the physical stream target through an underscan border, move that target in the macOS display arrangement so its boundary is harder to cross—for example, near a corner of another display. This makes accidental crossings less likely, although the pointer can still enter that desktop.

If an app window ends up on the receiving desktop behind the stream, use Hide Stream in the source display’s Streaming menu to reveal it, move the window to the intended desktop, then choose Unhide Stream. These controls hide the overlay without removing either desktop or deleting the stream configuration. They are unavailable in Full Screen Window Mode. Use the stream’s Stop Streaming action in that case. See Streaming for presentation controls.

A selected application-window stream is a viewing copy: interact with the original app. Its Mouse Click-through option passes input to the local window underneath, and it does not provide the display-stream pointer-warp command. See Keep a chosen app window visible while working elsewhere.

Dismissing the hover hint only hides the message. Hover over it and choose Dismiss Hint if you do not need the reminder. It does not change pointer routing or prevent the cursor from entering the receiving desktop.

Shared automatic pointer-warp options can move the pointer when it enters a stream, but are separate from locking it inside the streamed image. See stream interaction for pointer controls and the return shortcut.