Typing in Messages is 'laggy' since installing Mac OS Sequoia 15.1 update

Since installing the macOS 15.1 update (16" M1PRO), I've also been experiencing significant keyboard lag in the iMessage app only.

Moments after a reboot, everything works ok, only a minute after loading the system the problem returned.

The temporary solution to the problem was to disable real-time file system protection in Eset Cyber Security.

Does anyone know a permanent solution to the problem of significant typing lag in the iMessage app (ms teams work without problems)?

I don't want to give up ESET protection at the expense of writing in iMessage.

I have exactly the same issue as you mentioned. I do have ESET Cyber Security installed! The Apple Intelligence isn't a problem actually.

After I turn off the real-time file system protection in ESET Cyber Security, the issue is gone!

56Mat wrote:

Since installing the macOS 15.1 update (16" M1PRO), I've also been experiencing significant keyboard lag in the iMessage app only.

Moments after a reboot, everything works ok, only a minute after loading the system the problem returned.

The temporary solution to the problem was to disable real-time file system protection in Eset Cyber Security.

Does anyone know a permanent solution to the problem of significant typing lag in the iMessage app (ms teams work without problems)?

I don't want to give up ESET protection at the expense of writing in iMessage.

 ESET

There are no known Windows-like Viruses in the wild that self replicate and affect macOS, because of the underling UNIX  Foundation and Permission Limitation. 

The Operating System resides in a Sealed and Read Only Volume that cannot be opened by the User nor by Third Party Applications.

The Only thing this Antivirus software is protecting is the Bank Account of the Developers and for zero return to the User aside from the problems this software creates.

Security. Built right in

Mac app security enhancements

 The Built in Security  is all that is required to protect the computer.

Protecting against malware in macOS

There is Adware & Malware which will affect the computer and is generally downloaded from “ Shady “ Websites or Developers who Inject this software into the download.

From a well written User Tip from @Kurt Lang

What is malware? - Apple Community

I had this issue too for both iMessage and WhatsApp running on Sequoia 15.1 and ESET. Here is what fixed it for me if you are ok with disabling this setting with ESET while they solve the issue in presumably 15.2 release:

Turning "off" in ESET Settings > File-system Protection > Scan on \ File open (Disabled)

M2 Max with 15.1.1 here. I confirm that turning off Eset's Real-time file system protection solved the problem in Messages, Whatsapp and Signal. I suspect those use some kind of file-level method to sync with their cloud so whenever you hit a key, they open a file, write to it and close it to enable sync (this seems to have been confirmed by another poster earlier). Eset MUST fix their scanning engine (come on, my M2 Max is [was, actually] a SPEED BEAST, how can't you do something that doesn't affect typing?), and Apple, Meta and Signal must fix their apps to use a more effective sync method. I don't care to recuperate unsent message across devices!

From all I've read and from my test, this really seems to be linked to applications that rely on cloud files for synchro between devices. Basically, it looks like Messages and the others write to a file each time you type a letter then rely on services like iCloud to transport this file as quickly as possible on other devices.

When you have some file inspection going on, by an antivirus, for example, it means that synchro file is analysed at each keystroke. For me, disabling the real-time filesystem protection of my A/V completely solved the problem.

I had the same issue as all of you, I have a M2 macbook air 16gb of ram.

I read that one was talking about apple intelligence, I had it turn on but my Siri was on English Canada so it was not active. I just switch it to English (United States) and now the laggy feeling is gone.

I even now realized that my hole mac had a laggy feeling. I am now discovering about the snappy and fast feeling of day 1 lol.

edit: I am still on 15.1.1, have not tried 15.2 yet.

This issue exists here on a 2019 Macbook Pro 16" and a 2020 Macbook Pro 13", both with MacOS 15.1 (24B83).

Here is what I have observed:

• iMessage text entry becomes increasingly slow as longer messages are entered.
• Short messages do not seem to be affected. By about the 800 character mark, the text entry box is laggy, sometimes so much as to be unusable.
• The slow text entry problem does not affect any other software which accepts text entry - it is specific to iMessage, as far as I can tell. (I do not use Whatsapp.)
• This is not related to any third party security software (I have none).
• The problem occurs regardless of whether any other software is running (I have reproduced this on a clean reboot).
• I have removed all peripherals except my USB keyboard, so there is no relationship to (for example) my external GPU.
• There are two third-party drivers installed: OpenVPN, and a Canon printer driver.
• This problem was not reproducible on my 2020 Macbook Pro 13" with MacOS 15.0.1. It was immediately reproducible after I upgraded it to 15.1, so that seems pretty definitive.
• So far, I cannot reproduce this problem on an Apple M1 Pro 16" with MacOS 15.1, though I see that others have reproduced it on this platform. On this particular M1, Apple Intelligence is offered only as a waitlist item, not yet an available feature, in case that is significant.

I have not found any reliable way to prevent this from occurring when I experience it, so I have resorted to composing longer messages using vi in a terminal and then pasting them into iMessage.

updating to 15.2 solved the issue for me on a 2020 13" MPB.

16" intel 2019 MBP.. experienced issue on 15.1.1 and 15.2 resolved the issue. performed the same exact test before and after update - just typing text in messages app until it got laggy at around like 100 characters & worse as i typed. after the upgrade i an unable to repro issue. fixed!

I had this exact same issue and strangely the way I solved this was by... enabling Apple Intelligence. Up until that point, Messages was incredibly laggy while typing.

Just updated to 15.2. Looks like the problem is fixed in Messages and WhatsApp for me.

I can confirm that 15.2 fixed the issue for me. I tested pre and post update.

I can confirm as well that the update today to Sequoia 15.2 seemed to fix the issue! Tested it before and after the update. Now hopefully it stays non-laggy... :)

After updating to macOS 15.2 the problem seems to have gone away. So far, so good.