Photos app slow on MacBook Pro 2019 running macOS Sequoia 15.3.1

Since updating to Sequoia my MacBook Pro 2019 (2.6 core i7, 16 GB, 500gb SSD, 242gb available) is very slow during editing. Recent update to 15.3.1 doesn't solve a thing. What to do? Is this a known problem?(in general quick follow up updates isn't a good sign..)

There is enough space and memory. Tried also booting in safe mode but then the photo app keeps crashing..So instead of better it gets even worse. Tried rebuilding the library..also no luck.

So..any solutions or options ? Or just wait it out until Apple has a solution?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Feb 25, 2025 12:46 PM

Top-ranking reply

Emmanuel Puybaret

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Apr 24, 2025 12:12 PM

Replying to myself, it seems that the slowdown and memory leak is fixed under macOS 15.4.1 on my computer.

I don’t have to wait a long time to edit a

photo and restart Photos app after editing 3 or 4 photos :)

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24 replies

hopjesvla Author

Level 1

16 points

Mar 17, 2025 2:15 AM in response to hopjesvla

well, updating to 15.3.2 also doesn't improve anything. Thinking of setting it back to 14 with time machine, though it annoys me that this isn't working with sequoia..

Mar 18, 2025 6:48 AM in response to léonie

If it’s a recognized problem bound to Intel processors, just let us be able to downgrade to Sonoma. I really tried all possible solutions but didn’t find a way to succeed this downgrade.

hopjesvla Author

Level 1

16 points

Mar 18, 2025 11:53 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

i hadn't got the problem on Sonoma, nor did the Sony had a firmware update in between so i can only point it to the Sequoia upgrade here.

Mar 18, 2025 12:07 PM in response to hopjesvla

On my side, the "slow" pictures are also big Nikon JPEG images, old and new. Hope this can help Apple.

Mar 19, 2025 2:08 PM in response to Richard.Taylor

I took some new pictures after re-formatting the SD card-- it didn't help.

Mar 31, 2025 3:33 PM in response to hopjesvla

Did some of you check if this issue was fixed in macOS 15.4?

hopjesvla Author

Level 1

16 points

Mar 31, 2025 10:20 PM in response to ChauYauKi

"good" te hear. Until a proper fix I'm staying at Sonoma, don't want to go through the hassle again of downgrading.

hopjesvla Author

Level 1

16 points

Apr 24, 2025 12:40 PM in response to Emmanuel Puybaret

good news.. I haven't looked it up yet, but do you know if something was in the release notes of 15.4.1 that addresses this issue?

Apr 25, 2025 3:29 AM in response to hopjesvla

There's nothing about Photos app in the release notes of macOS 15.4.

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Photos app slow on MacBook Pro 2019 running macOS Sequoia 15.3.1