macOS Sequoia: 16 Known Problems & Fixes

macOS Sequoia(version 15) was introduced at WWDC 2024 on June 10, 2024, as the next generation of macOS, the successor to macOS Sonoma. The first developer Beta was made available on June 10, 2024, the public Beta was scheduled to launch in July 2024, and the public launch was on September 16, 2024.

Apple adds powerful features to improve security and performance in every macOS release. Appealing features such as Apple Intelligence, Window tiling, iPhone Mirroring, revamped Safari, redesigned Calculator app, etc., make you want to update the Mac to macOS Sequoia. 

Unexpectedly, you may encounter issues downloading macOS Sequoia, installing macOS Sequoia, and booting after upgrading to macOS 15 or performance-related problems. Here, we collect 16 known macOS Sequoia update issues and provide remedies.

Issue 1. macOS Sequoia update not showing up/stuck on checking for updates

It could be annoying if the macOS Sequoia update even doesn't show up, and then you can't proceed to download and install macOS Sequoia on your Mac. You may encounter different scenarios when the macOS Sequoia update not showing up:

To solve the macOS Sequoia update not showing up, try the following solutions:

Check macOS Sequoia compatibility

You should make sure your current Mac model supports the latest macOS Sequoia if you want to update it via the System Settings. If there is an incompatibility issue, then you can't get the macOS Sequoia update. Head to the Apple menu and choose About This Mac to view the model info, then check whether it is included in the following list:

Shut down and restart your Mac

If you find your Mac model is compatible with macOS Sequoia but the update not showing up, you can shut down your Mac and give it a fresh start, it may eliminate some temporary OS glitches and successfully find and show up the macOS Sequoia updates.

Check the internet connection

Poor and unstable internet connection could cause the system unable to find the macOS Sequoia update. To identify whether the internet connection is the culprit, try to disconnect and reconnect the internet, switch to another WIFI, or use the ethernet connection, then, open the Software Update again to check for updates.

Issue 2. macOS Sequoia can't download

When you proceed to download the macOS Sequoia update, it prompts some error messages such as “The network connection was lost." "Failed to prepare the software update." etc., or the process bar is very slow or freezes. In addition to the internet connection, Appler server, and storage space could also be the culprit when you can't download macOS Sequoia. 

Apply the below remedies if you can't download macOS Sequoia:

Check Apple server status 

You can check whether the Software Update service is available from the Apple server, perhaps so many people flock in to update macOS Sequoia after its release causing the Apple server unable to handle it. If you find the Software Update service on the Apple System Status page is not available, you can wait for a while and try it again.

Ensure sufficient storage space

The macOS Sequoia installer requires around 14GB of free space and needs more for a smooth operation. Therefore, if your Mac is low on storage space, it may trigger the macOS Sequoia download failure. Hence, you need to check the free disk space on your Mac.

If the Mac startup disk is almost full and can't download the macOS Sequoia update, you should free up disk space on Mac. Instead of manually cleaning unnecessary and unwanted files on your Mac, you can use a third-party Mac cleaner such as iBosysoft DiskGeeker to quickly clean junk files and release disk space on your Mac.

Recommend this disk management tool to help others prepare enough disk space for macOS Sequoia update.

Download from the Mac App Store

If the macOS Sequoia update downloading fails or gets stuck in System Settings, you can try to download it from the Mac App Store. Just type macOS Sequoia in the search box, and click Get > Install to download the macOS Sequoia installer. 

Issue 3. macOS Sequoia installation failed

Once the macOS Sequoia installer downloading completes, it proceeds to start the installation. During this process, issues like the installation getting stuck, receiving error messages "Installation failed," "macOS Sequoia can not be installed on 'Macintosh HD'," and so forth. Similarly, poor internet connection and low storage space could be the issue, you can first eliminate errors from these two aspects.

Then try the following methods when you encounter macOS Sequoia installation issues:

Make sure the Mac has enough power

One of the reasons why macOS Sequoia installation fails is low power, the whole installation could last for 30 minutes to around 1 hour and it will restart several times. Thus, you'd better connect your Mac to the power cord during installation to guarantee the success of macOS Sequoia installation. 

Install macOS Sequoia in Safe Mode

If you can't install macOS Sequoia in a standard boot, you can try the Safe Mode, macOS' built-in tool to help you resolve or isolate OS problems. While booting into Safe Mode, your Mac prevents unnecessary software, such as startup items, from loading, and it performs a check of your startup disk. You can try to install macOS Sequoia here.

Redownload the macOS Sequoia installer

Due to the unstable internet connection or sudden power outage, the downloaded macOS Sequoia installer could be damaged and prompt the can't install errors. Thus, you can remove the macOS Sequoia installer from the Applications folder and retry to download and install it.

Perform a macOS Sequoia clean install

If you still receive the error messages that macOS Sequoia can not be installed on Macintosh HD, you may need to perform a clean install, it needs you erase the Macintosh HD first. Therefore, you should back up your Mac hard drive in advance and continue the installation.

Issue 4. macOS Sequoia not booting up

Mac boots to a circle with a line through it, Mac won't boot past Apple logo, Mac won't turn on or boot, etc., these boot issues could also occur to macOS Sequoia when you try to start up the Mac after updating. Then, you can try these workable solutions to get rid of them:

Issue 5. macOS Sequoia memory leaks and exhaustion

With every macOS release, the newly added features may use a lot of memory on your Mac. Some Mac users found that after upgrading to macOS Sequoia 1/2/3, iPhone mirroring, window tiling, and some other features occupy abnormal and huge memory viewing in Activity Monitor.

If macOS Sequoia memory leaks and exhaustion happens to your Mac, the fixes below could help:

Issue 6. macOS Sequoia overheating after updating

Some Mac users face the problem that their Mac or MacBook overheating after upgrading to macOS Sequoia even if no CPU-intensive programs are running. Overheating could be harmful to the hardware and affect the performance, thus it is necessary to cool down the Mac with these solutions:

Close unused applications

The CPU is your Mac's brain. Your Mac will get hotter as the CPU manages more processes. Checking your CPU usage should be your first step when your Mac starts to heat up, after which you need to close unused apps and processes.

Disable unwanted startup items

Startup programs are programs and services that launch on your Mac automatically upon logging in. Too many starting apps might cause your low-end, old Mac to start slowly and overheat. To speed up your Mac's boot time, you need to disable any startup items that you are not using.

Close unused browser tabs

Having too many open browser tabs is another major factor that might lead to your Mac overheating. Although having a few open tabs might not seem like a huge deal, having too many open tabs might cause issues as they slowly drain system resources and reduce Mac productivity. Closing unused browser tabs quickly is therefore a good idea.

Dust off your Mac

The fans on your Mac may become clogged with dust, which could lead to overheating and possibly PC damage. Give your Mac a thorough cleaning if you haven't done so in a while. Keep in mind that this is dangerous. Lean on the experts to handle the task if you lack knowledge about Mac hardware.

Ensure low ambient temperature

You should be aware that even when using your Mac normally, it may get warm. It is suggested that you use your Mac in environments with temperatures between 50° and 95°F (10° and 35°C).

Issue 7. macOS Sequoia increased battery drain

Some Mac users reported that they received the "low battery" notice after a short time of use, they thought that the Mac battery drains fast after upgrading to macOS Sequoia. Try any of the following if you find that your Mac laptop's battery drains faster than normal:

To resolve the issue, continue reading this in-depth guide: macOS Sequoia Battery Draining Fast? 12 Ways to Fix it

Have you already fixed the macOS Sequoia problems on your Mac? Share workable solutions with others!

Issue 8. macOS Sequoia apps not working

Apps-related issues such as the apps quitting unexpectedly, apps getting frozen, and apps not opening have troubled some Mac users after upgrading to macOS Sequoia. These issues could be fixed with the following solutions:

If you want to quickly remove problematic apps and delete the leftovers together, download and install iBoysoft MagicMenu to uninstall any unwanted apps on your Mac!

Issue 9. macOS Sequoia wallpaper disappearing

When I change the wallpaper mode from light to dark, the macOS Sequoia wallpaper does not load and shows a black wallpaper, when I switch it back to light, the wallpaper shows as normal. Besides, sometimes the macOS Sequoia wallpaper loads very slowly and displays incompletely when I restarted the device.

You may encounter a similar wallpaper not showing/loading problems on macOS Sequoia, when this occurs, you can wait for a while, restart the Mac again, or change a wallpaper in System Settings.

Issue 10. macOS Sequoia Spotlight index not working

Using Spotlight makes it convenient to access the wanted item on Mac quickly, but some Mac users found that the Spotlight index not working on macOS Sequoia, which is pretty annoying. In this case, the methods below are what you can try to bring the Spotlight index back on track:

Besides, Spotlight can also cause huge disk writes, read more in this article: macOS Sequoia Spotlight Bug: Fix Spotlight Indexing Running Wild

Issue 11. macOS Sequoia Wi-Fi not working

Some Mac users complained that their Macs are linked to a Wi-Fi network but they were unable to access websites, email, or any other internet services after upgrading to macOS Sequoia. Here is how to fix the macOS Sequoia Wi-Fi not working issue:

Issue 12. macOS Sequoia Window tiling bugs

Window tiling is a new feature introduced with macOS Sequoia, However, the dragging system is far from perfect. You may inadvertently go to an adjacent desktop area if one is open if you drag a window to the edge of the screen and hold it there for longer than a few seconds.

Moreover, tiled windows may end up overlapping or falling off the screen because some apps are not made to shrink down any smaller than a specific size. But, you can rectify it via System Settings, and toggle off "Tiled windows have margins."

Issue 13. macOS Sequoia AirDrop not working

When the AirDrop not showing, transfers files slowly, etc., the culprit behind the AirDrop not working issue could be faulty settings, unstable or poor Wi-Fi connection, disabled Bluetooth, Firewall, and so forth. You need to troubleshoot the issue step by step, read AirDrop not working on Mac.

Issue 14. macOS Sequoia kernel panics

Quite a lot of Mac users receive the kernel panic report after they upgrade to macOS Sequoia. Damaged or incompatible hardware and faulty or conflicting software are the possible causes. Relax, you can try the proven solutions below:

Issue 15. macOS Sequoia Safari not working properly

In macOS Sequoia, Apple revamped Safari 18 and has added some features that are likely to be welcomed by Mac users, including Highlights, Reader mode, Video Viewer mode, etc., however, some Mac users reported that Safari not working properly on macOS Sequoia.

Apply the methods below to quickly fix Safari not working on macOS Sequoia:

Issue 16. macOS Sequoia keeps asking to access apps

After I upgraded to macOS Sequoia, several apps kept asking to access apps, even if I clicked Allow, it kept popping up the message"[appname] would like to access data from other apps", or it prompted the next time I opened the app again. It is extremely unpleasant!

This message "[appname] would like to access data from other apps" that keeps prompting mostly occurs to some third-party apps on your Mac, it could be caused by limited app permissions. If it is a trustful app, you can change app permission on Mac to fix the issue, besides, updating the app and uninstalling and reinstalling the app may also work.

Also read:

macOS Sequoia vs Sonoma: Features/Performance/Battery Life Compared

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