Choppy scroll on M1 Chip Macbook Air

I too was new to Macs and found it disappointing to have this issue on a M1 device, that is supposed to have tight hardware and software integration.

I went to an Apple Store and got a replacement but that too had the same issue.

While I was at the store, I checked this on two Intel MacBook Pros, 13-inch (4 thunderbolt ports) and 16 inch.

They both had the same scrolling issue when browsing Apple's own product webpages.

This is purely a macOS Big Sur (11.2.x) issue. I think it was less noticeable on 11.1 which came installed.

reading through some comments I'm kinda stunned. I came here cuz I felt like safari was glitchy. or may be they're actually having a defective system. probably you guys ask for a refund. man.

or an installed software might be affecting the performance too. I've lot of apps installed on this machine. its 5months old. only 90GB free of 256GB. 10+hours of daily usage. still I noticed its not smooth only when using Safari.

probably what I'm experiencing will be fixed. until them I will be sticking with Chrome. . I guess It has nothing to do with peripherals cuz even using built-in trackpad and still there're stutters when using safari. I tried same webpages in Chrome and its super-smooth. hence I'm sure it's not a hardware limitation. obviously M1 has the power. It compiles code, builds projects like crazy. faster than the i9 16" mac.

so probably there's something which needs further development in safari or it might not be optimised for a certain framework.

if you're using 3rd party mouses make sure there're no compatibility issues. I develop apps and use Xcode as well. it runs both iOS and android simulator simultaneously. (with many other apps running in the background including chrome and safari.) its fast and no heat at all even though there is no fan.

I have a M1 MacBook Air base model (8GB, 256GB) btw. I was willing to buy a mouse but man, the trackpad is so amazing and nothing like I've used before. then I decided to not to buy any mouse.

furthermore take a look at https://chromeisbad.com

sometimes the chrome cause issues with Macs. even with intel macs.

I've done some testing (all on M1 chip):

Big Sur + MacBook Air + Magic Mouse 2 and 1 > same issue

Big Sur + MacBook Air + Trackpad > everything is smooth

Big Sur + MacMini + Magic Mouse 2 and 1> same issue

Big Sur + MacMini + Wired Mouse > everything is smooth

iMac late 2013 + Magic Mouse 2 and 1> everything is smooth

iMac late 2009 (!) + Magic Mouse 2 and 1> everything is smooth

My conclusion: it's the Bluetooth and M1 with BigSur that's causing the problem. I hope it's a software issue.

I'll post this results also in a new discussion related to Mac mini and notify Apple.

Hi guys, if you are using a non-Apple mouse just like me.

I suggest you install one of the apps below.

Both of them are 100% free (at least when this post is written).

• Mos (I'm using this)
• Mac Mouse Fix (Download here on Github)

I hope all mouses will be supported for the smooth scrolling by apple soon in the future without having to install a third-party app.

I have been using a standard set of media rich websites to test this issue IMDB, The Verge, etc.

After updating to 11.4, I am seeing some improvement, maybe 30-40% reduction in the stuttering while scrolling website through Safari.

This is while using the built-in trackpad on the M1 MBP (stuttering was most noticeable in this scenario).

Scrolling with the mouse wheel on a Logitech MX Vertical connected via the Unifying Receiver seems ok (Logitech Options is not installed).

I too started noticing this in Safari only after a few weeks using my new Macbook Air M1. My issue is only in Safari so far and using Chrome fixes the problem for now.

Solution (in steps)

1. system preferences
2. accessibility
3. pointer control
4. trackpad options (small button)
5. adjust scrolling speed to 'fast'
6. choose 'with inertia' in the drop down menu

This worked for me!

I bought a M1 MacBook Pro 2 weeks ago with 16 GB unified memory, it is running macOS 11.2.3 and Safari 14.0.3.

And webpage scrolling was choppy from Day 1. It happens on Apple's own websites. Or even on websites that do not have any ads.

Scrolling over text would be fine until the images in the page appear.

This issue exists in Chrome also but to a lesser extent.

The UI stuttering and sluggishness happens outside Safari too, like the Notification Center.

When connected to an external display, the stuttering would happen when moving windows.

I also reported a dozen other issues using the Feedback web page. https://www.apple.com/feedback/

After speaking to Support, I completely erased the drive and reinstalled macOS.

The issue exists even on a fresh install without any 3rd party extensions and apps.

The issue is noticeable even in Apple Music sometimes, when scrolling past songs and reaching other albums.

The transition between text and images seems to trigger the issue in Safari, Music etc..

Changing Accessibility > Pointer Control settings do not improve the issue.

I just now reported again in the Feedback webpage.

I urge everyone to report performance issues and other bugs, this is the only way to have issues addressed.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookair.html

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

Can't imagine how these basic issues exist on Apple Silicon considering DTKs and Big Sur were available since July 2020 and it was another 4 months till the M1 products released.

The Bluetooth connection might be the problem indeed. When connecting my MacBook Air M1 to the same external display (4K BenQ > HDMI) and use the trackpad to move things around the effect seems less persistent than with the Mac Mini + Magic Mouse 2. I also tried a Magic Mouse 1 with the Mini. Same issues. So for now everything points to the BT connection... I've just installed Big Sur 11.3 and will check tomorrow.

From my recent experience, I can confirm it's most probably related to M1 chip and current OS. Was recently working on a brand new Intel i9 MacBook Pro 16 with latest OS, there was absolutely no graphics / scrolling issue. Just started using 2021 M1 MacBook Air with the same latest OS, and the graphics / choppiness brought me to this forum unfortunately. I'm using Logi MX3 mouse. When using MBA trackpad, everything is smooth. Hope Monterey will take care of this, this is kinda unacceptable from Apple.

Update:

Apple called, he got Feedback from the engineers. Its a known problem which Apple Are investigating. But it wasnt ant fix for now, and he did not think it would be before a bigger update...

I've installed https://smooze.co mouse smooth scrolling utility and that's when I started experiencing the same. I will probably turn this off.

I have the same problem. Super annoying. A temporary fix for me, was downloading Safari Technology Preview. So I am using that, and really hope that they fix this problem soon.

I've got my MBA 2 weeks ago. At first I didn't notice, as it felt perfectly smooth, especially after using windows 10 for years. But now I kinda notice at the beginning of each scroll the page kinda stutters a bit, like its loosing frames. I notice it the most in safari, especially when setting default page zoom like 125%. In chrome it is significantly less noticeable. In Pages or large pdf files I cannot tell if I see the lag. Maybe they need to release a new graphic driver version or something.