Pages lags with Big Sur update

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Pages lags with Big Sur update

This question has been asked but the answer was insufficient: Pages has started to lag since updating to Big Sur (I have a MacBook Air, Retina, 13-inch, 2018), for files NOT on iCloud, small files with no embedded video or anything, normal amount of low-energy draw apps in background, and rebooting the computer does not fix. Clearly the problem is with Pages and it has never (in my experience) happened before Big Sur, even with Pages files hundreds of pages long. The other users asking this question reinforce these details.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Jan 31, 2022 3:58 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

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Jan 31, 2022 7:31 AM in response to Carrielynnland

Beneath the Monterey upgrade in Software Update will be a blue link that may be named More… or Other… Click that, and you will see the Big Sur 11.6.3 update waiting, and possibly also Safari 15.3. Choosing the macOS 11.6.3 update only applies that update and does not invoke a Monterey upgrade.

When I updated to 11.6.3, it was about an hour before I received another notice that Safari 15.3 was waiting to install.

That 8GB of RAM is not independent of the operating system and shared GPU RAM. You probably have 3-4 GB RAM available for non-operating system applications. Humor me and try running only Pages on a reboot to see if its behavior changes.

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Answer 2

Jan 31, 2022 7:01 AM in response to Carrielynnland

Ensure that you are using Big Sur 11.6.3 and Pages v11.2. That still is no promise that Pages will be more responsive, because Big Sur is a monster compared to earlier releases of macOS.

If your Air is configured with the standard 8GB RAM, then I would try running only Pages and nothing else to see if that improves its response. If you are running any anti-virus software, regardless of 8 or 16 GB RAM configuration, it will distract the CPU from Pages needs and it will be very slow.

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Answer 3

Jan 31, 2022 7:09 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks, I appreciate your reply. I am using pages 11.2, but I've only got Big Sur 11.6 - do you have a link for the 11.6.3 update? because the only update I'm prompted to is Monterey (I always wait on those because they can cause so many app conflicts at first). I do have the standard 8GB RAM, but I got to say, shutting everything down except Pages is nonsense and impossible as I usually use it in conjunction with other things like PDF readers and other low-draw apps. I don't run anti-virus scans or other high-draw things in the background (if I did, that would obviously be the problem and I wouldn't need to ask). Is Apple aware of this problem? Is Monterey better? Thank you.

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Answer 4

Jan 31, 2022 10:12 AM in response to VikingOSX

Hi, thanks, I updated to 11.6.3 and Safari 15.3. Right now Pages is working fine. I have no doubt that you're right it will work brilliantly if it's literally the only thing the computer is doing, I'm just saying that that's not a realistic approach to work for me. Fortunately, my lag isn't as bad as some people's I've read about. It's frustrating that Apple charges so much for base level kit that can't even really do the bare minimum, even on its own branded apps. Hopefully this update will make a difference. Thanks again for your help.

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Answer 5

Jan 31, 2022 10:25 AM in response to Carrielynnland

You are welcome. Big Sur is about 4GB compressed larger than Catalina or anything earlier and one pays the price for all of the added features that few gain advantage in their presence.

Of course, I installed Big Sur on my Early-2014 MacBook Air with 4GB RAM as an experiment. Now there is a slow Mac, and Pages is as ponderous as you can imagine… 🤨

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Answer 6

Jan 31, 2022 10:26 AM in response to VikingOSX

Ha, no doubt! To some extent this is to be expected, I think. It messes me up, though, because I always used Pages for my massive note files (in terms of hundreds of pages, but not file size, just text) because MSWord is the one that can get cumbersome past 25 pages or so. Any idea if Monterey is any better, or is it all down hill from here?

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Answer 7

Jan 31, 2022 11:50 AM in response to Carrielynnland

On Monterey 12.2 and Pages v11.2, it still takes Pages around 5 - 7 seconds to open a 180pp text document — with no other applications running but the operating system. That on my new 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro with 32GB RAM.

On my M1 mini running macOS 11.6.3 with 16GB RAM and Safari 15.3 open (this session), Pages 11.2 takes 2 - 3 seconds to open the same 180pp document on a slower CPU M1 mini with 16GB RAM.

Don't expect Monterey to solve the Pages lethargy, especially on an older Intel-based MacBook Air.

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Answer 8

Jan 31, 2022 12:03 PM in response to VikingOSX

Huh. Well, I appreciate your honesty! I appreciate all of this, in fact. Thanks again!

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Answer 9

Jan 31, 2022 1:43 PM in response to Carrielynnland

You are welcome. Stay safe in a crazy world…

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Pages lags with Big Sur update

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