What is hidd?

You might spot hidd in Activity Monitor or see it making network connections in a firewall tool. It is a normal macOS system process.

What does it do?

hidd stands for Human Interface Device daemon. It manages all input devices connected to your Mac: keyboards, mice, trackpads, game controllers, and anything else you use to control your computer.

The process handles:

• Bluetooth input devices (pairing, connecting, receiving input)
• USB keyboards and mice
• The built-in keyboard and trackpad on a MacBook
• Game controllers and other input devices

Every keystroke and mouse movement goes through hidd.

Why does it make network connections?

hidd talks to Bluetooth devices, which some firewall tools report as network activity. This is normal. It is how your wireless keyboard and mouse stay connected.

Why is it using CPU?

If hidd is using a lot of CPU:

• A Bluetooth device is having connection trouble. A weak connection causes hidd to keep retrying. Try turning the device off and on, or pair it again.
• Too many input devices connected. If you have several Bluetooth devices paired, hidd has more work to do.
• A faulty USB device. A broken keyboard or mouse can flood hidd with events. Unplug USB devices one by one to find the problem.

Should you worry?

No. It is one of the most basic system processes on your Mac. Without it, no input device would work. If it is causing trouble, re-pair your Bluetooth devices or restart your Mac.

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