Upgrading To macOS Tahoe? Your Favorite MacBook Feature Might Break

By Nadeem Sarwar
Top view of MacBook Pro with Touch Bar cypopcolour/Shutterstock

Apple started rolling out the big macOS Tahoe update a few days ago, and it has seemingly raised some issues for users with an older Mac on their desk. Specifically, the MacBook Pro models that come equipped with a Touch Bar atop the keyboard deck. For some users, it's laggy, while a few report that the system is completely broken.

In case you're new to the MacBook line, the Touch Bar is a touch-sensitive display panel that lets users control system settings, such as volume and brightness, take quick actions, get emoji suggestions, and even access app-specific tools. The Touch Bar was heavily marketed when it originally launched, though it proved to be a controversial design choice, and after a seven-year run, Apple finally discontinued it in 2023 as the company streamlined its MacBook Pro and Air portfolio.

Now, it seems the Touch Bar issue has been noticed by users ever since the early developer build of macOS Tahoe was released. One X user captured on video (above) the laggy implementation of the Liquid Glass design on the Touch Bar. Another user on X mentions that the input lag is as slow as five seconds between gesture and output. But it seems the bug was reported widely after the software update was rolled out widely for all compatible Mac models earlier this month, and some users are facing it worse than the rest.

How bad is the Touch Bar problem?

Person interacting with MacBook Pro Touch Bar. Chesnot/Getty Images

One affected Reddit user wrote, "Touch bar disappears after the update.M1 MacBook Pro," wrote one affected user on Reddit. Another user on Reddit shared a rather funny situation where a virtual projection of the Touch Bar appears on the screen, even though the MacBook Pro lacks the physical Touch Bar. In another instance, half the Touch Bar display area is gone, rendering it non-responsive, while some have claimed (via Reddit) that the Touch Bar is "totally gone" at the moment. This bug is seemingly affecting MacBook models dating as far back as the 2019.

Some are speculating that macOS doesn't support the Touch Bar, and that's why it's raising hell. However, that assumption doesn't appear to be true. Not all MacBook Pro users appear to be affected by the Touch Bar issues after installing the update. So far, Apple has yet to officially recognize the issue and roll out a patch, but it will likely do so in the near future. In the meantime, a system restart could help to see if the Touch Bar returns to normal functionality. Bugs like these are pretty normal for feature-loaded yearly updates such as macOS Tahoe, and they usually get resolved quickly, especially in Apple's ecosystem.

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