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Weird cursor moving / acceleration on Monterey

D

domsodidavid

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 7, 2015
120
52
Since I updated to Monterey, I felt that something has changed regarding the mouse/trackpad moving/acceleration. It just feels inaccurate and sometimes it lags also.

I did an exact comparasion with an older 12 inch MacBook which is still on Big Sur and with the same mouse, on the same surface and also with the same settings the feeling is very different.

I read that Apple made big „improvements” regarding the Bluetooth in Monterey and I guess that Universal Control requires big changes, but I hope they will restore the previous feelings soon.

Tested on 12.2 beta 2 (21D5025f) and 12.1.
 
I was about to post the same thing. Jumped straight to 12.2 (21D49) from Big Sur.
Although it might only be a few milliseconds more of delay, it makes using it totally unintuitive and hard to hit a specific button and not move over it as the pointer lags noticeably behind.
Attached a (slow-mo) video where you can clearly see the lag between finger movement and the actual mouse-pointer/window. It's the same for scrolling etc. Already did a clean install and PRAM reset.
When booted back under Big Sur, it behaves again as responsive as it should.
Is this the same problem you are experiencing, otherwise I start a new thread in the MacBook section.
MacBook Pro 13" 2020
 
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arw said:
I was about to post the same thing. Jumped straight to 12.2 (21D49) from Big Sur.
Although it might only be a few milliseconds more of delay, it makes using it totally unintuitive and hard to hit a specific button and not move over it as the pointer lags noticeably behind.
Attached a (slow-mo) video where you can clearly see the lag between finger movement and the actual mouse-pointer/window. It's the same for scrolling etc. Already did a clean install and PRAM reset.
When booted back under Big Sur, it behaves again as responsive as it should.
Is this the same problem you are experiencing, otherwise I start a new thread in the MacBook section.
MacBook Pro 13" 2020
View attachment 1951263
Click to expand...
Yes, it's the same I think.
 
I contacted Apple and sent them the video. Will keep you updated.
 
Finally, I think that I've found a proper explanation to this weird behavior.

Yesterday I took my Magic Mouse to an Apple Store, and tested a new ProMotion MBP with it, and everything gained meaning. With 120Hz the new cursor acceleration/moving feels very precise and also natural, but if you switch the display to 60Hz the feeling falls apart immediately.

So the only thing that happened, that they optimised the new cursor acceleration to ProMotion in Monterey, and with an „obsolate” hardware it's not as good as it was before.
 
Does this happen with apple peripherals only? Does this happen on Intel machines?
Cant reproduce on x86 and normal mouse (not bluetooth).
 
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Not sure if the problem is the same but Monterey is driving me crazy. I've never been able to use the Magic Mouse as I find it too slow and inaccurate but had no problems using logitech on my imac.

I've updated to Monterey couple of weeks ago and they definitely changed something about pointer movement and acceleration because after an important number of tests playing with settings of mac/logitech and third parties software, I'm still no way near to my logitech-iMac level of comfort, speed and precision I had up until Big Sur.

At some point I may consider revert back to Big Sur although first I'd like to be sure of what the problem is.
 
I've the same problem with the new iMac 24" M1 on Monterey 12.5 and the trackpad! Before, I worked on an iMac 27" with Monterey. No problems. Working with the MacBook Air M1 (Monterey 12.5) is good too. Only the iMac is driving me crazy.

The acceleration quality is like working on windows millennium beta 0.9 and bluetooth 1.0 with a cheap mouse.

It doesn't feel good and the pointer is sometimes jumping (on his path) 5 mm to 5 cm forward. Sometime he is lagging. So, sometimes "to soon" and sometimes "to late". Sometimes on a place, which he shouldn't be (jumping). I bought a new trackpad (Apple). Same story. Used this and my iMac trackpad on the MacBook Air M1 and everything was working fine. So it's the iMac. A lot of users said, that they never had this problem with the same hardware under Big Sur.

This is horrible and I hate my new iMac so much. I don't want to work with. Apple Care said, ... nothing. No idea. I should bring the iMac to the Apple store. Sure ... and then? This is a problem, which takes a lot of time to reproduce and those GENIUS haven't any time.

I loved working with my Intel iMac 27". The M1 iMac isn't worth the money. It's like a car, where you cant't control the front wheels in a precision way.
 
domsodidavid said:
Since I updated to Monterey, I felt that something has changed regarding the mouse/trackpad moving/acceleration. It just feels inaccurate and sometimes it lags also.

I did an exact comparasion with an older 12 inch MacBook which is still on Big Sur and with the same mouse, on the same surface and also with the same settings the feeling is very different.

I read that Apple made big „improvements” regarding the Bluetooth in Monterey and I guess that Universal Control requires big changes, but I hope they will restore the previous feelings soon.

Tested on 12.2 beta 2 (21D5025f) and 12.1.
Click to expand...
Did you solve your problem?
 
I kind of got used (ish) to it. Reduced the acceleration to 0.5, played with Logitech settings and endured some pain to finally be able to work on it. I was seriously considering reverting back to Big Sur.
They have definitely done something in Monterrey to make it worse in terms of accuracy, hopefully fix it in future updates - pity because work on imac was a joyful experience before this.
 
You're right. I installed "LinearMouse" with the setting 0,52 for the acceleration. But this isn't the perfect feeling of BigSur and the 27" Intel iMac. This is a big difference.

BUT, this can't be true. I bought a € 3.000 iMac and then the primarily function (control the pointer) doesn't work? Shame on Apple.
 
Pinkulinku said:
And what did they say? Do you have the same problem? Tell us something :)
Click to expand...
This is so annoying - still no change in 12.5. It takes ~50% longer for the pointer to react to trackpad finger movement compared to Big Sur.
I send them diagnostic files after each Monterey update.
Haven't heard back since I mailed them a week ago - time to follow up on it.
 
Pinkulinku said:
You're right. I installed "LinearMouse" with the setting 0,52 for the acceleration. BUT, this can't be true. I bought a € 3.000 iMac and then the primarily function (control the pointer) doesn't work? Shame on Apple.
Click to expand...
arw said:
This is so annoying - still no change in 12.5. It takes ~50% longer for the pointer to react to trackpad finger movement compared to Big Sur.
I send them diagnostic files after each Monterey update.
Haven't heard back since I mailed them a week ago - time to follow up on it.
Click to expand...
I'm preparing BIG SUR for a brand-new installation on my M1 iMac 24" 16 GB 1 TB now. I'll delete the hole structure on SDD and then reinstall "macOS Big Sur 11.6.8" with a USB Boot Drive directly. After this, I'll install NO App! Just Apple macOS. I'll test a few days the working of the pointer/trackpad. I'm absolutely sure, that this will solve ALL PROBLEMS.

In a few month a new macOS is coming and Monterey won't work properly like Big Sur. What a shame. I am extremely disappointed in Apple. How can they completely overlook and neglect such an extremely important function like the precision of THE POINTER? That makes no sense! We bought Apple products! What else should we buy? They ignore the own product line.

I'll give you feedback after my testing period with BIG SUR at the M1 iMac.
 
Pinkulinku said:
In a few month a new macOS is coming and Monterey won't work properly like Big Sur. What a shame. I am extremely disappointed in Apple. How can they completely overlook and neglect such an extremely important function like the precision of THE POINTER? That makes no sense! We bought Apple products! What else should we buy? They ignore the own product line.
Click to expand...
I guess the culprit is Universal Control in Monterey. To make mouse and keyboard available to other devices, Apple re-wrote/modified the drivers or added additional latency for stability reasons.
For on-device operations this is clearly counterproductive.
I'm just surprised not more people are disturbed by the additional delay.
 
arw said:
I guess the culprit is Universal Control in Monterey. To make mouse and keyboard available to other devices, Apple re-wrote/modified the drivers or added additional latency for stability reasons.
For on-device operations this is clearly counterproductive.
I'm just surprised not more people are disturbed by the additional delay.
Click to expand...
So Universal Control has morphed into Universal Dysfunction, at least on the M series.
 
arw said:
I guess the culprit is Universal Control in Monterey. To make mouse and keyboard available to other devices, Apple re-wrote/modified the drivers or added additional latency for stability reasons.
For on-device operations this is clearly counterproductive.
I'm just surprised not more people are disturbed by the additional delay.
Click to expand...

Universal Control: That's what the world needs! I was waiting for that like for a wart on the butt. Sounds good on some Apple events! But now you can't work properly with a standalone iMac? Apple? Anybody at home?

I don't want to work on my imac anymore! It's no fun anymore.The pointer is imprecise, he jumps, sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow. The pointer acceleration seems to work randomly. Sometimes the pointer jumps 5mm, sometimes 5 cm. Aaaarrrrrgh! APPLE! What have you done? Shame on you.

Enough people are reporting in other forums (reddit, apple america, apple europe, etc.). BUT, however, many users are really satisfied with everything that apple puts them in front of their noses. Ah, the pointer isn't accurate? Maybe the next update. Again? Maybe the next update. Again? Maybe the next update. And so on ...

The next type of costumer is "new in apples world". They doesn't know anything about the good quality before. They're accepting this. And last but not least ... the hardcore windows users (like me, 10 years before). Where is the registry? There must be a registry. Ok, I'll install 28 3rd-party apps and then I'll mix them and test it for month in my life. No change? Where is the registry? Anyone how founds the registry? (attention: humor).

There is a big group of customers at the beginning: Hmm. I'll waiting until others solve the problem. Why should I do anything? Sorry, but there a thousands of costumers with the same problem. Not only the M1 iMac. The iMac mini has a lot of problems with bluetooth too (with "our problem on top"). Did you hear anything? Nope ...

I had a call with Apple Care. OMG! Where are the experts? Sometimes I'm thinking, that they have only actors and a script like "did you power on you device?", "ok", "did you ...". After 15 minutes "and what did you say is the problem now?" Every AI-Bot is more professional in coming to the point (the quest). Apple has a lot of experts, but you can't talk with them. Hiding?

OK, to the point: Today, I'll delete Monterey. Full. Complete. Hole structure. Newest Big Sur over USB is coming in. I'm absolutely sure, that after my first login, everything is working charming und perfect. Apple as we love Apple. I'll give you a fast response.

BUT ... this wouldn't solve any problem in Monterey! And this could't solve any problems in the new macOS! Apple is having a new focus and WE have to follow it. If this (for me) MASSIVE problem isn't gone soon, I'll fire the iMac out of the windows and (attention about that wording) ... I'll go back to windows (the badest day in my life).
 
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Testing: "deactivate universal control"

Same problem. This doesn't change anything in the weird pointer movements.

AND ... i tested this new feature with my MacBook Air M1. Going from iMac to MBA ... the pointer works weird on the MBA. Going (with the pointer) from MBA to iMac ... the pointer ist working good (not perfect, but good).

NO ... it's NOT the trackpad. I bought a new one and this makes the same problems.

AND ... I've no problems with that on my MacBook Air M1 with the same version of macOS Monterey! It's a problem on iMacs! Also the trackpad of the iMac ist working properly with the MBA under Monterey!
 
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arw said:
I was about to post the same thing. Jumped straight to 12.2 (21D49) from Big Sur.
Although it might only be a few milliseconds more of delay, it makes using it totally unintuitive and hard to hit a specific button and not move over it as the pointer lags noticeably behind.
Attached a (slow-mo) video where you can clearly see the lag between finger movement and the actual mouse-pointer/window. It's the same for scrolling etc. Already did a clean install and PRAM reset.
When booted back under Big Sur, it behaves again as responsive as it should.
Is this the same problem you are experiencing, otherwise I start a new thread in the MacBook section.
MacBook Pro 13" 2020
View attachment 1951263
Click to expand...

Your problem here isn't mine. I don't have these lags on windows. My pointer ist lagging, juming, too slow, too fast, bad/stupit/random acceleration. BUT, maybe I have a solution for you. Please check my Screenshot here. I don't know the wording in a English macOS ... but it should like ... "Shake your pointer to find him". Disable that option. Restart.
 

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Ok my case with Apple was now open for almost 11 months and is presumably coming to an end.
Latest assumption: Probably due to Universal Control, Apple intentionally added ~50% additional delay for input devices.
This affects the internal trackpad as well as a Magic Mouse.
Ventura has the exact same additional delay as Monterey.
In comparison to Big Sur, it takes the mouse pointer ~50% longer to respond to input.
Disabling Universal Control has no effect.
For my workflow and usage this is just unacceptable and I'm downgrading back to Big Sur.
Lucky are those who don't notice...

Just two numbers:
Big Sur and Magic Mouse: ~42 ms delay
Monterey and internal Trackpad: ~83 ms delay
(100% reproducible btw.)
 
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