I have upgraded on my MacBook Pro M1, 2020 to Tahoe 26.0.1 recently and have been having so many spinning death wheels lately, while using WhatsApp or other softwares. I can't even force quit out of the programs and have to do a hard reboot. What can I do?
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 26.0
You may start by updating to Tahoe 26.1 released Nov 3, 2025
Once updated run it for maybe 30 minutes
The restart the computer 1 of 2 more times
If the issues persist ?
Part 1 of 2
Restart in Safe Mode. This will perform a Disk Repair, clear cache files and only load Apple Software, extensions and fonts.
The boot up will be slow and can take some time - Normal.
Safe Mode will also eliminate Third Party Software, extensions and drivers from loading.
It will only load the Minimum amount of Core Apple Processes to allow the the computer to function at a reduced Level of Performance
Does the issue present in this mode ?
If not - there could be something in the main User Account playing up.
To further isolate this - Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac. Then log out of the Main User account and log into the dummy account and test again if the issue persists.
If the issue is present in the dummy account - then, this appears to be a System Wide issue on the computer.
Part 2 of 2
To Drill Down further and to avoid a session of Q&A, Q&A and Q&A
Download the Application Etrecheck ( External Link ) directly from the Developer.
The Application is Not a " Silver Bullet " and is only a tool to examine the Hardware / Software used on this computer
This is a Diagnostic Tool that makes no changes to the computer Hardware / Software used on this computer
The application is free or paid from added features.
The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information.
Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<
You may start by updating to Tahoe 26.1 released Nov 3, 2025
Once updated run it for maybe 30 minutes
The restart the computer 1 of 2 more times
If the issues persist ?
Part 1 of 2
Restart in Safe Mode. This will perform a Disk Repair, clear cache files and only load Apple Software, extensions and fonts.
The boot up will be slow and can take some time - Normal.
Safe Mode will also eliminate Third Party Software, extensions and drivers from loading.
It will only load the Minimum amount of Core Apple Processes to allow the the computer to function at a reduced Level of Performance
Does the issue present in this mode ?
If not - there could be something in the main User Account playing up.
To further isolate this - Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac. Then log out of the Main User account and log into the dummy account and test again if the issue persists.
If the issue is present in the dummy account - then, this appears to be a System Wide issue on the computer.
Part 2 of 2
To Drill Down further and to avoid a session of Q&A, Q&A and Q&A
Download the Application Etrecheck ( External Link ) directly from the Developer.
The Application is Not a " Silver Bullet " and is only a tool to examine the Hardware / Software used on this computer
This is a Diagnostic Tool that makes no changes to the computer Hardware / Software used on this computer
The application is free or paid from added features.
The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information.
Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<
In addition to my colleague’s excellent advice, it is possible there are processes running in the background that are using significant resources. Check Activity Monitor, CPU tab (sort by % CPU) and Memory tab (sport by Memory) to see what's running hard.
Activity Monitor User Guide for Mac - Apple Support
Spinning wheel freezing frequently after upgrading to Tahoe 26.0.1
