MacBook Neo cursor is lagging

MacBook Neo – Persistent Cursor Lag

Since the cursor lag persists across macOS 26 and 27.2, occurs regardless of which applications are running, and isn't accompanied by unusual Activity Monitor readings, I'd focus on isolating whether the cause is background software, macOS or hardware.

Test in Safe Mode

Shut down your Mac. Hold the power button until startup options appear. Select your startup disk, hold Shift and select Continue in Safe Mode.

Use the Mac for at least 30–60 minutes, or long enough for the issue to normally reappear. If the problem disappears, a background service or third-party component may be responsible.

Apple: Start your Mac in Safe Mode

Test with a new user account

Go to System Settings > Users & Groups and create a new standard user account. Log into it and use the Mac without installing applications or changing settings.

If the problem disappears, something in your original user profile may be responsible. If it persists, a system-wide macOS issue becomes more likely.

Check for hardware or graphics issues

Consider whether the cursor is actually freezing or whether its visual movement is simply stuttering. A graphics or cursor-rendering issue could potentially cause this without producing unusual CPU or memory activity.

To check for hardware faults, run Apple Diagnostics. Shut down the Mac, hold the power button until startup options appear, then press Command (⌘) + D.

Apple: Run Apple Diagnostics

Consider reinstalling macOS

If the issue persists in Safe Mode and a new user account, consider reinstalling macOS through Recovery. Back up your data first. Choose Reinstall macOS without erasing the disk.

Apple: Reinstall macOS

Report the issue to Apple

Given that the problem has persisted across multiple macOS versions, consider submitting a bug report through Feedback Assistant, ideally including a sysdiagnose.

Apple: Feedback Assistant

My recommendation: Start with Safe Mode and a new user account. If the cursor continues lagging in both environments, run Apple Diagnostics and contact Apple Support. At that point, I'd request an investigation into a potential macOS-level issue rather than continue repeating settings adjustments and temporary workarounds.

Might be worth trying: turn on Reduce Transparency and Reduce Motion in Settings > Accessibility > Display, and test in a new user account to rule out a login item. If it still lags on 27.2, send feedback with a sysdiagnose via Feedback Assistant.

oliveroliveroliver9 wrote:

Sadly screen recording has no effect on mine… have tried all that has been said and nothing seems to work

To avoid a game of 20 questions, I would suggest the following:

Download EtreCheck directly from the developer's website.

EtreCheck is a diagnostic utility that makes no changes to your computer.

It generates a comprehensive, easy-to-read report detailing the hardware, software, configuration and other aspects of your Mac.

The application is free to use, with additional paid features available.

Once you have run it, please post the full report here:

1. Select Share Report.
2. Select Copy.
3. Paste the entire report into your reply using the Additional Text option.

This should give us a much clearer picture of what' is happening behind the scenes and help identify anything that might be contributing to the cursor lag.

Don't waste your time with sysdiagnose and reporting using Feedback Assistant. The Feedback Assistant is a tool for testing beta OS versions and logging changes made along with tracking the reports.

To learn what the Feedback Assistant app is and how it is used, you can refer to the User Guide here:

• To use Feedback Assistant, you must sign in using an Apple Account that’s registered as an Apple Developer, or currently enrolled in an Apple Beta Software Program or AppleSeed for IT.
• Note: If you’re not affiliated with any of these programs, you can send feedback to Apple on the Apple Product Feedback website.

https://support.apple.com/en-mz/guide/feedback-assistant/fbab81460adb/mac

All MacBook Neos are having the same problem. It’s not a hardware problem and it goes away if you screen record. It also doesn't do it when on the lock screen. Even the ones on the shelf in the Apple Store do it and its really annoying.