Memory issues after updating MacBook Air to Tahoe

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Level 1

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Memory issues after updating MacBook Air to Tahoe

Tahoe memory issues. I have an Air (2020, M1, 16g RAM). I don't do any heavy computing work... I just jack around on the internet (I'm retired).

All I know is that everything worked fine with no problems using Sequoia. None of these problems until I "upgraded" to Tahoe 26.1. I'm not visiting any different websites or doing anything differently than I did before the "upgrade" and I never had these problems. Can I uninstall Tahoe and go back to Sequoia until Apple figures this out?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.1

Posted on Nov 20, 2025 5:58 AM

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Answer 1

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neuroanatomist

Level 9

55,875 points

Nov 20, 2025 6:50 AM in response to Tom Strange

Reverting to Sequoia is not simple. You need to boot into Recovery OS, erase your internal drive, then install the older macOS, then restore from a backup made prior to the Tahoe upgrade. Even then, the firmware on the Mac may have been updated, meaning potential conflicts and a possible need for DFU mode and a Configurator revive/restore, which would need to be done via another Mac connected to yours. If that sounds complicated and risky, then you're assessing the situation correctly.

It is possible there are processes running in the background that are using significant resources. Check Activity Monitor, Memory tab (sort by Memory) to see what's running hard.

Activity Monitor User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

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