macOS Tahoe 26.1 Freezes - Typing and Cursor Delay

Just as an Experiment

I ran your question through another Ai / LMM

AL / LMM is good for many things but lacks the Human Experiences that both my colleague @ neuroanatomist and self 🦉-53 can bring to bear on this unusual computer behaviours

AL / LMM response verbatim

Confirm What’s Happening in the Background

Let’s make sure the slowdown isn’t caused by runaway processes.

Check Activity Monitor:

1. Open Activity Monitor (⌘ + Space → type Activity Monitor).
2. Go to the CPU tab.

• • Look for anything using more than 50–100% CPU consistently (e.g., kernel_task, WindowServer, mds, photoanalysisd).

1. Go to the Memory tab.

• • See if the “Memory Pressure” graph at the bottom is green (good) or red/yellow (bad).
  • If swap usage is high (over a few GB), it may be running out of RAM.

If you can, share the top few processes from the CPU and Memory tabs — that’ll help diagnose this quickly.

🔊 2. “Struggling Sounds” — Identify the Source

M3 MacBooks have no fans, so if you’re hearing whirring or clicking, it’s likely:

• The speakers popping or crackling (possible driver issue),
• Or the SSD making faint coil-whine-like noises (rare but can happen).

Try this:

• Mute the system sound completely and see if the noise continues.
• If it does, note when it happens (during load? at idle?).

🧹 3. Reset System Caches and Background Indexing

macOS updates can trigger Spotlight reindexing, which can tank performance for days if stuck.

Try:

1. Open System Settings → Siri & Spotlight → Spotlight Privacy.
2. Add your whole disk (Macintosh HD) temporarily to the privacy list.
3. Wait 1 minute → remove it again.
4. This forces a clean reindex.

Then restart your Mac.

🧰 4. Run Safe Mode to Isolate Software

Safe Mode disables third-party extensions and performs a system check.

1. Shut down completely.
2. Press and hold Power until “Loading startup options” appears.
3. Choose your disk → hold Shift → click “Continue in Safe Mode.”
4. Log in and test typing and cursor responsiveness.

If it’s fast in Safe Mode → the slowdown is from a login item, kernel extension, or background app.

If it’s still slow → system-level corruption or a macOS 26.x bug is likely.

🔄 5. Reinstall macOS (without erasing)

If none of that helps:

• Boot into macOS Recovery (hold Power → “Options”).
• Choose Reinstall macOS.
• This reinstalls the system but keeps your data and apps intact.

If the issue persists after a clean reinstall, it may be:

• A hardware issue (SSD, RAM, or logic board problem),
• Or a macOS 26.x-specific performance bug affecting M3 chips.

🧪 Optional Diagnostics

You can also run:

• Apple Diagnostics: Restart → hold D while booting.
  • Note any error codes.
• EtreCheck (free from etrecheck.com): Generates a report summarizing hardware/software issues.

Part 1 of 2

Restart in Safe Mode. This will perform a Disk Repair, clear cache files and only load Apple Software, extensions and fonts. The boot up will be slow and can take some time - Normal.

Safe Mode will also eliminate Third Party Software, extensions and drivers from loading. It will only load the Minimum amount of Core Apple Processes to allow the the computer to function at a reduced Level of Performance 

Does the issue present in this mode ?

Sometimes a Safe Boot followed by a Normal Boot will just put things right.

If not - there could be something in the main User Account playing up. To further isolate this - Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac. Then log out of the Main User account and log into the dummy account and test again if the issue persists.

If the issue is present in the dummy account - then, this appears to be a System Wide issue on the computer.

Part 2 of 2

To Drill Down further and to avoid a session of Q&A, Q&A  and Q&A  

Download the Application Etrecheck  ( External Link ) directly from the Developer.

The Application is Not a " Silver Bullet "  and is  only a tool to examine the Hardware / Software used on this computer 

This is a Diagnostic Tool that makes no changes to the computer Hardware / Software used on this computer 

The application is free or paid from added features. 

The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information. 

Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<

There are 4 Categories of Third Party Software / Services that are not needed 

Get rid of them via the Developers Instructions

If applicable to this machine

1 - Third Party 2 Way Firewalls 

2 - Commercial VPNs 

3 - Third Party Security Software 

4 - Third Party Disk Cleaners / Optimizer 

northsky3 wrote:

It's now also making struggling sounds.

I have to ask...what sounds? 🤔

It is possible there are processes running in the background that are using significant resources. Check Activity Monitor, CPU tab, sort by % CPU to see what's running hard.

Activity Monitor User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

MacBook M1 Pro 14'' 32GB

The same issue with keyboard input and cursor lagging after the update to version 26.1

On 26.0, it worked well

UPD: Disabling and enabling Bluetooth devices - the mouse and the keyboard - solved the issue

@northsky3 can you please paste a link to the bug report or other information about corespotlightd/mediaanalysisd. When the freeze/hang symptoms strike your computer, what do you see for those processes in Activity Monitor? I'll watch for that.

Like my Colleague

Running a M4 Desktop and a M3 Laptop

Both with current Tahoe 26.1

None of this issues you have outlined

What about the Etrecheck report if you really what to Drill Down Further

I have an Apple Mac Mini M4 with 24Gb of RAM. When it ran Sequoia it worked perfectly. After upgrade to Tahoe it is a disaster, now running 26.1. The symptom here is that every day or so, Finder stops responding. When the mouse is over the screen background I get the spinning beach ball.. forever. I now keep activity monitor open continually, which shows no runaway CPU process, plenty of free memory, swap used 0 bytes.

I checked Settings > General > Login Items and Extensions, there are no "Open at Login" items and the items in the Extensions are Books, Freeform, GarageBand, Journal, Messages, News, Notes, Reminders, Shortcuts, System Services; all of those seem original Apple. I have a couple third-party apps installed, like TaxCut. I have no anti-virus etc installed. I have two USB accessories plugged in, a DVD drive and a flash-memory backup drive.

Please Apple, my goodness, figure this out!!!

mini m4 24GB ram so no problem there. In use memory under 40% - so not issue there. Operated fine till 26.1, now often get the spinning breach ball, lag, cursor disappears and or stops. typing has huge lag before seeing it on screen. This is the worst release ever. Apple focus on OS efficiency not the GUI bells and whistles that don't generate the speed and efficiency we overpaid for when we bought these devices. Get back to the core of being Apple computer. just glad I did not put Tahoe on my laptop.

Perhaps confirmed but not universal – I have an M4 Pro MBP and I've never see it happen (my CPU, memory usage and temps are in my menu bar with iStat Menus so I'd notice if it had).

Disappointed in Tahoe 26.1, apps, photos, un necessarily complex, Sequoia much superior. A general over engineered feeling is what this "upgrade" gives. 1st time let down by an Apple upgrade.

Great comment.