macOS Tahoe Slow After Update? Here’s How to Fix It

Apple just released macOS Tahoe, the successor to macOS Sequoia. It comes with exciting new features like a more stable iPhone mirroring experience, improvements to the Control Center, and better system performance on paper.

But here’s the catch — many users have reported that their Mac feels sluggish after updating to macOS Tahoe. Don’t worry; this is a common issue with major macOS updates. Luckily, there are several ways to fix it and get your Mac running smoothly again.

Quick TL;DR

If macOS Tahoe feels slow after updating, try these in order:

1. Restart + let Spotlight finish indexing. Apple Support
2. Clean Login Items & check Activity Monitor.
3. Update apps and drivers.
4. Reset NVRAM (Intel) or clear NVRAM equivalents (Apple Silicon) — step-by-step below. Apple Support
5. Reset SMC on Intel Macs (detailed steps below). Do not try SMC resets on Apple silicon — a restart is the equivalent. Apple Support+1
6. Free up storage, rebuild Spotlight if needed. Apple Support
7. Wait for Apple’s small patches (Tahoe updates) and install them. Apple Developer

Do each step, check if speed improves before moving on.

1. Restart and Let Spotlight Reindex

Right after a major macOS upgrade, Spotlight (the macOS indexer) usually re-indexes your drive. During that time mdworker / mds processes can use a lot of CPU and disk I/O, making everything feel sluggish.

What to do:

• Restart the Mac and then leave it idle for a few hours (plug it in if it’s a laptop). That gives Spotlight time to finish indexing. Apple Support
• If you want to force reindexing:
  • Open System Settings → Spotlight → Privacy: add your Macintosh HD, wait 30s, remove it — this forces reindex. Apple Support
  • Advanced (Terminal): sudo mdutil -E / — reindexes the main volume (advanced; you’ll need admin password). Use carefully.

How to check progress:

• Open Activity Monitor → CPU and look for mds / mdworker or high disk usage. If those are busy, indexing is still running.

2. Clean up Login Items & background apps (practical checks)

Many background apps/plugins that worked on Sequoia may misbehave on Tahoe.

Steps:

1. Go to System Settings → General → Login Items and remove anything you don’t need on startup. (Disable first, don’t delete.)
2. Open Activity Monitor → sort by CPU (or Energy) to find the top culprits. If an app shows constant CPU or energy drain, quit it and test.
3. Check ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents, and /Library/LaunchDaemons for leftover .plist files from old apps (only remove if you know what they do). For most users, removing/turning off login items is enough.

Tip: Boot into Safe Mode to test whether third-party software is the problem (Safe Mode disables many extensions). On Intel hold Shift during boot; on Apple silicon hold the power button to get Startup Options then choose Safe Mode. Apple Support

3. Update apps, drivers & extensions

Outdated apps or kernel extensions (kexts) are common culprits after an OS upgrade.

Do this:

• Open App Store → Updates and update all apps.
• For apps installed outside App Store (e.g., Adobe, Dropbox, Homebrew packages), open each app or run brew update && brew upgrade if you use Homebrew.
• Check vendor websites for updated drivers (audio interfaces, GPU/game tools).
• Disable or uninstall old kernel extensions (if any) — many have been phased out; look for compatibility notes from the developer.

4. Reset NVRAM

Important: The classic NVRAM/PRAM key combo only works on Intel Macs. Apple silicon manages NVRAM differently. Always back up important data before low-level fixes.

A — Intel Macs — Reset NVRAM (safe)

1. Shut down your Mac (Apple menu → Shut Down).
2. Press the power button to turn it on, then immediately press and hold Option (⌥) + Command (⌘) + P + Rtogether.
3. Keep holding the keys for about 20 seconds. On older Macs you’ll hear the startup chime twice; on newer models you’ll see the Apple logo appear and disappear twice — then release. Apple Support
4. Let your Mac boot normally. Afterward, check System Settings (Startup Disk, Date & Time, display, audio levels) — a NVRAM reset can revert some of these preferences.

Why this helps: NVRAM stores small hardware settings (display resolution, startup disk, speaker volume). Corrupt NVRAM can cause odd performance or peripheral issues.

B — Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) — what to do instead

• For Apple silicon Macs there is no firmware key combo to reset NVRAM. Most “NVRAM issues” are resolved by a regular restart or shutting down and waiting ~30 seconds, then powering on. Advanced users can inspect or clear NVRAM keys with nvram in Terminal, but that’s not usually necessary and can cause Recovery/Drive unlock prompts if you have FileVault. Ask Different+1

Advanced Terminal (use with caution):

sudo nvram -c — clears NVRAM. May trigger a recovery/password prompt on first restart. Only use if you know what you’re doing (and backup first). (community sources show this method — advanced users only). 

5. Reset SMC — full step-by-step (Intel Macs only)

DO NOT try SMC resets on Apple silicon — they don’t have SMC in the old sense; restarting is the recommended action. Apple Support

Pick the sequence for your Mac type:

A — Mac notebooks with non-removable battery (most MacBooks pre-2018 & some models)

1. Shut down (Apple menu → Shut Down).
2. Connect the power adapter if it’s a MacBook (recommended).
3. On the built-in keyboard press and hold Shift (left) + Control (left) + Option (left) and press the power buttonat the same time.
4. Hold all four keys for 10 seconds.
5. Release all keys, then press the power button to turn on the Mac.
   (If the Mac has a Touch ID button, that’s the power button.) Purple Computing

B — Mac notebooks with Apple T2 security chip (2018 models and some later Intel models)

1. Shut down.
2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release. Try turning on normally. If still problematic:
3. Shut down again. Press and hold Right Shift + Left Option + Left Control for 7 seconds. While keeping those keys pressed, also press and hold the power button for another 7 seconds.
4. Release all keys, wait a few seconds, then press power to turn on.
   (If the Mac turns on while holding the keys it may shut off during the procedure; that’s expected.) Purple Computing

C — iMac / Mac mini / Mac Pro (desktop) — with / without T2

• If no T2: Shut down, unplug the power cord, wait 15 seconds, plug back in, wait 5 seconds, then press power.
• If T2: Try holding the power button for 10 seconds first; if that fails, unplug power for 15 seconds and plug back in. tdx.maine.edu

Why this helps: SMC controls power/charging, fans, sleep/wake, and other low-level hardware behavior. If fans run at full speed or battery drains weirdly after the update, SMC reset can fix hardware-level oddities.

6. Free Up Storage and Clear Cache

A nearly full SSD will slow down Tahoe (and any macOS).

Steps:

• About This Mac → Storage → Manage (or System Settings → General → Storage) → use recommendations: Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Trash automatically.
• Remove large downloads, old disk images (.dmg), or unused VMs/ISO files.
• Clear app caches with care: ~/Library/Caches — delete only caches from apps you understand, or use a trusted cleaner tool.
• Consider moving large media files to external storage.

7. Advanced checks (if you still see slowness)

• Run Apple Diagnostics (restart and hold D) to check hardware problems (RAM, disk errors). Apple Support
• Run First Aid in Disk Utility on your drive (Recovery Mode if needed).
• If you use FileVault, note that first boot after some changes may be slower because of disk encryption operations.
• Consider creating a new user account and test performance there — if new account is fast, it’s a profile/config issue.

8. Wait for Apple’s Patch Updates

Apple typically pushes small patch updates soon after a major release that fix early stability/performance bugs. Check System Settings → Software Update and install minor updates as they appear. 

Quick checklist (do these in this order)

1. Restart → wait for indexing. Apple Support
2. Disable login items → Activity Monitor check.
3. Update apps & drivers.
4. Reset NVRAM (Intel) or restart (Apple silicon). Apple Support+1
5. Reset SMC (Intel) if hardware-like issues persist. Apple Support
6. Free storage, run Disk Utility First Aid.
7. If still slow: backup → clean reinstall or contact Apple Support.

Before applying performance tweaks, you might want to read this roundup of top macOS Tahoe bugs and fixes so you’re addressing the root causes.

Final Thoughts

If your macOS Tahoe feels slow after update, you’re not alone. From Spotlight reindexing to incompatible apps, there are many reasons behind the slowdown. Try these fixes step by step before considering a downgrade or clean reinstall.

If you zoom out a bit, this pattern actually started with earlier macOS updates. In my article on what’s new in macOS Sonoma and its coolest upgrades, I talked about how Apple’s feature changes often come with performance side effects—and in macOS Tahoe, those effects are much more noticeable.

👉 Also, check out more useful guides in our Gadgets category for the latest tech tips.