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Bluetooth latency (choppy cursor)

T

tozz

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 7, 2014
117
42
Got the smallest Studio and was surprised how choppy the cursor is using the Apple trackpads (yes I've used both the newest one and the version before). It looks really strange, as if the cursor is moving in 20fps or something. It's not input lag or unusable, just very choppy.
My 2018 Intel mini has better smoothness, even if it's not perfect. Connected with cable it all goes away.

No dropouts or such though (knock on wood), sometimes a slow connection process on cold boot.

Anyone else seeing similar behaviour?
 
I see this now and then with my 16” mbp and Magic Trackpad 2.
2.4 GHz is a busy band. What works for me is simply shutting down the trackpad and turning it back on. Works every time.
 
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No such luck for me. My Mini is sitting 30cm away and doesn't have the issue (well not to this point at least, it's somewhat choppy).
Not very much WiFi in the building either (and thick concrete walls). Guess it's something I will have to live with, or hope that Apple fixes it with the next macOS or a firmware update.
 
Haven't had this issue with mine. Only BT issues I seem to be having with my studio is a little crackle on my APM. Saw a YouTube that thinks that may be a firmware issue. I hope so because it is annoying but really inconsistent.
 
I get this too with my Mac Studio. I also get distorted audio with my AirPods sometimes.

Some people say that it's because of congestion over the air with Bluetooth. But, I never had any issues with my previous iMac. I definitely feel the Bluetooth performance of my Mac Studio is inferior to my older Macs.
 
For sure you checked the obvious - but just in case: how is the charge of it?
 
Slartibart said:
For sure you checked the obvious - but just in case: how is the charge of it?
Click to expand...
Yup, both trackpads were charged to 95%+, they both work better on the mac mini and equally bad on the studio.
 
You don’t necessarily have to live with it. One option (though you might not like it) would be to use the trackpad while plugged in via usb. You will not get any interference, but it would not be as “clean.”
 
Is it better with a wired connection?

I know Bluetooth is a pain and M1 Macs have not done so great with bluetooth. Hopefully Apple moves
to Bluetooth 5.2 soon. It's a much better standard than 5.0.
 
It could be a faulty Bluetooth radio or antenna in your Studio. You could always take your trackpad to an Apple store and see if it works normally there. That should be a robust test environment. If it works, then you likely have a problem with your Studio and could take it in for a check. Or, you could simply schedule a Genius appointment and take it in to see if they can identify the problem.
 
Remember that usb3 can interfere with bluetooth and is one of the most common problems in these types of builds, see if it happens without usb(s) plugged in if you can.
 
tozz said:
Those options are gone in Monterey, I tried doing it via the terminal but didn't help much. Thanks for the help though :)
Click to expand...
Open a terminal. enter the following command and execute:

sudo pkill bluetoothd

After entering the Terminal command to reset Bluetooth module you will be asked to enter your Mac’s password. Enter it and then restart your Mac.

An additional methods to fix bluetooth problems on Monterey is deleting Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist and restart your Mac.
 
Forgot this thread but I’m seeing the same issue on a MBP intel on another monitor with the previous gen trackpad. Probably just forgotten how bad it was and was extra focused when I got my studio.
 
The problem seems to be in the macOS itself, something terrible happened in Big Sur and they screwed up the way the trackpads and wireless mice work. Even wired mouse lags way more in Ventura than it used to in Mojave/Catalina - it feels floaty and the latency is pretty obvious. Coming from Windows with its super responsive cursor, the macOS is almost unusable.

Edit: so I think with Monterey Apple just optimized the cursor for their ProMotion displays and once again stopped caring about the "old" 60Hz displays. I hooked up a 240Hz external monitor to my M1 Mac Mini with Ventura and the lagging mouse is practically gone it's as responsive as it is on High Sierra at 60Hz on my older computer. Bravo, Apple. Can't stop the progress.
 
Last edited:
I've owned a Mac Studio for almost a year. This is a relatively new problem for me. Ugh! Nothing changed in my setup, except for the usual software updates.
 
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