Wacom Tablet Cursor Lag on macOS 14: Bluetooth vs. USB Connection Issues with Photoshop and Illustrator
I'm experiencing a cursor freeze for 1-2 seconds under a brand-new macOS 14 setup, with only Photoshop and Illustrator installed. The issue occurs as follows:
- When switching from any app to Illustrator, or from Illustrator to any app.
- When switching from any app to Photoshop, or from Photoshop to any app.
Additionally, under "Settings > Wacom Tablet > Tools > Functions > Applications," Photoshop and Illustrator automatically appear. Even after I delete them, they reappear automatically in the settings when I open either app again, making it impossible to truly remove them.
Additional Context:
During the cursor freeze, it's not the entire computer that freezes; mouse movement and keyboard input still function. Only the cursor operated by the Wacom stylus experiences this freeze.
Attempts to Resolve:
- Reformatted and reinstalled macOS, installing only the Wacom driver and Illustrator.
- Reinstalled any drivers compatible with macOS 14.
- Followed official installation steps, including security and other settings.
- Turned off some performance settings in Photoshop.
Hardware Specs:
- Mac Studio M1 Max
- 32GB RAM
- macOS 14.3 (issue persists across all 14.x versions)
- Models PTH-460, CTL-4100
Additional Note:
On macOS 13, using the Driver 6.4.0-9, there were no issues. However, subsequent driver versions have had this freezing problem, along with other issues reported by users.
This significantly impacts the user experience, especially since I frequently switch between Photoshop, Illustrator, and other apps. I opted for Wacom due to its brand reputation and the necessity of using both apps, yet encountering these issues has led to a disappointing experience.
I hope the engineering team can address this issue promptly. It has been ongoing for some time, and I believe it should not be difficult to resolve.
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Update:
- When connecting devices via Bluetooth, I do not experience any lag when switching between Illustrator and Photoshop.
- The lag occurs only when using a USB connection. However, while Bluetooth connectivity occasionally results in slightly less smooth operation, it is more tolerable compared to the freezing issue.
- No other USB devices are connected, only the Wacom tablet using the original USB cable. And I have tried other USB ports.
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Official comment
Hello everyone,
The latest driver release addresses the issue reported in this thread.
Please be so kind to install the latest version from the link below and try it out.
https://www.wacom.com/en-de/support/product-support/drivers
You can also check the release notes to see what other bugs we fixed and are working on.
https://cdn.wacom.com/u/productsupport/drivers/mac/professional/releasenotes/Mac_6.4.7-2.html
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Dear Joao,
not true, the freeze occurs always, in any cpu condition... always. And you say, "the cursor may stop"..but no, the cursor stops, everytime, always. Please be honest.
A reminder: freezing lasts 1 second, more or less, and i confirm that occurs when switching from AI ti PS, from AI to finder, from PS to finder. Idk with other Adobe apps...
– Just for tracking..same condition here: MacOS 14 + latest Wacom intuos pro with latest driver ; ) –
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incredible Wacom can notnfind solution for this problem, I barely can notnuse my 300$ tablet, this is garbage with lagging situation and there is no even explanation! Wacom has to fix problem soon or I will open the case for Wacom to return my tablet !
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Still no update on this Wacom ? Im using the PTH-460 and having the same problems with my M3 pro Sonoma 14.4. Any time frame on the horizon for fixing this bug. Follow ups would be appreciated thanks !
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More than 5 months! It's been 5 months with this problem!!! Besides affecting productivity, there's the constant disappointment of seeing the cursor stop countless times during the day.
5 months and no solution.
I tried support and just wasted time. I even received a response that didn't help at all.
Wacom, please give us a forecast!! For us, the tablet is an essential work tool. We need it to work. And this problem drives us crazy. It's very annoying.
Once again, please resolve this issue, give us a forecast to end this once and for all.
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I feel you Marcos. Same thing here all the time. If the solution lies in buying new hardware I would do it. It's that frustrating.
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I don't have any Adobe apps, but my CTL-4100 started displaying periodic bouts of lag after updating to Sonoma 14.4.1. Not related to CPU load.
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I have no problem before long time after i wanna start to use my wacom intuos M but it is lag , i am not sure what is the reason , new driver or new ios, but i can not draw anything , it is make me anoying, it was working perfect before, pls fix this issue because i spent days to find solution...
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Months are passing, last wacom software update (6.4.6-1) installed, but this critical issue is not solved... so disappointing ...i do not expect this from Wacom! please release a decent update..
The issue occurs not only with sonoma 14.4 on my mac studio, but also with big sur 11.7.10 on my macbook pro (late 2013).. same 1 second lag when passing from an adobe app to, for example, finder.. or chrome.
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Any news on this issue yet? I just bought a Wacom Intuos Bleutooth but it's a total waist of money as the BT functionality is useless and frustrating.
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Adding another comment here to hopefully surface this issue a bit higher.
Still experiencing the lag problem with a new MacBook Pro M3 with plenty of CPU cycles to spare! It's been almost half a year since this was surfaced!2 -
As I could imagine, no response. Just silence... as if nothing is happening. Every day I remember this driver. And it's not because I want to. I actually wouldn't even like to know it exists. I just wanted it to work as it always did until a few years ago.
Nowadays it's the driver, Wacom center that loads when I turn on the computer, profile to save my settings... I don't even know what else.
I don't need the Wacom center, I don't need to save my profile only to have to reset the password every time I need it because I don't use it. My settings take 2 minutes to configure. It's quick.
It's sad to have to "accept" that it no longer works as it used to and to have to live with that. I would like to receive $1.00 every time I have to wait 1 second for the cursor to start responding again.
Wacom, I am disappointed. Truly.
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The update did the job!! Fantastic! Finally!!! This took way to long
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I agree with what Gabriele Ennas said (I'm touched that someone else has encountered the same issue; previously, whenever I asked customer service, they always told me to reinstall the drivers and adjust the GPU settings, but it never helped).
Under any CPU condition, when I use a USB Cable to connect, switching between IL and PS to other windows always results in a 1-second freeze, but this does not happen when connected via Bluetooth.
Moreover, this issue does not occur with macOS 13's Driver 6.4.0-9 regardless of the CPU load, without modifying GPU settings, and while using a USB Cable. This problem persists with drivers updated thereafter and has been ongoing for half a year.
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Hi Wenquan Pan,
There has been no new driver release so the issue is not fixed yet. There is currently no ETA for this fix that I am aware.
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Following up on the issue, I purchased a brand new MacBook Pro M3 Max (running macOS version 14.1) and installed it following the official Wacom instructions, successfully reproducing the issue 100%. Subsequently, I took it to an Apple Store and tested it on another computer randomly selected, and once again, the same issue was replicated 100%.
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When it happens to me, "cfprefsd" and "diagnosticd" are having a spike in CPU usage, although system-wide cpu usage has plenty to spare.
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I've been in this for a while too. Exactly the same problem. I asked for support help and didn't have any success.
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This annoying issue is back with Somoma. It's really really terrible. Please...
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anyway Wacom lost my trust, it was best brand for me and now I will check another brand , it is so funny u are buying one product and u can not sue it because of software problem, and no explanation...
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Out of frustration with this issue I use the bluetooth connection. Slower, but I take it over the lag between the switches between programs. What else can I do?
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I Agree with u Marcos, they said everyone delete and download ur driver, and many question , they know Noone fix their problem and still continue to same process like it is solution, they do not except it is driver issue, they just try to proof we did not download properly or the problem in our program or our computer, it is so funny because it was working 5 months before but not now... t is my 2. tablet but now i say I wish I never buy Wacom, next time I will just buy another brand , or apple tablet .
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Dear Wacom,
Please do something. I am tired of this problem. If there is no forecast, give me instructions on how to return my tablet and get my money back to buy another one.
What is the procedure for returning it?
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7 days more and... nothing.
Problem solved. I bought an XP-Pen. And to my surprise, it works without this issue.
I didn't realize how much my productivity was being affected by this lag.
Dear Wacom, I want to return the PTH 460 tablet. What is the procedure?
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I'm sorry, João, but the wait has been too long, and it's become impossible to continue. After 28 years of using Wacom products, I've decided to move on and give other brands a chance.
Apple will release a new version of macOS in September. This means we've been dealing with this problem for almost a year. I bought a new Wacom Intuos two years ago, and it worked fine on the older version of macOS, but it’s no longer functioning properly.
Wacom is the most expensive tablet on the market, and for a long time, it was the most reliable, present in studios worldwide. It's a shame that this issue hasn't been resolved yet. Although you've mentioned that it's a priority, it doesn't feel that way for those of us who have been struggling with this delay when clicking in any Adobe app.
I sincerely hope that this problem will be addressed soon, as it's affecting the trust and loyalty of long-time users like myself.
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This is the info we have noted in the patch notes provided by the driver team who has been able to reproduce the issue. I have never been able to reproduce the issue myself.
Regardless, Wacom is aware and working on a fix.
I have seen other users mention that disabling GPU acceleration in PS and IL also helps in some cases.
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Hey following up on this, did they fix it yet? I have the same exact issue and now I have to revert the driver back to 6.4.0-9 to fix the issue.
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Following up on the issue, on my new MacBook Pro M3, the Wacom CTL-4100 works perfectly when connected via USB. The freezing issues is the PTH-460.
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Literally i can not use my wacom tbalet more than 2 month , I will open legal case for wacom soon, they have to refound my money i do not care I do not have my guarantee anymore, barely software issue i can not use my tablet and wacom do not explain nothing about this, i can not wait anymore, this is insane!!!
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Hi emre koyuncu,
Are you sure you have the same issue being discussed here? This issue only stops the cursor from moving for a few seconds maximum. It should not stop the tablet from working completely.
Please make sure this is the issue you have. If you have a different issue, then we will need to troubleshoot with you but this is not the right thread to discuss that.
The issue reported in the beginning of the thread is still being investigated. Unfortunately it is not as easy to solve as it might appear.
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