macOS Sequoia Review 2025: Major Problems & How to Fix Them

What's Actually Working in macOS Sequoia?

After months of real-world use, macOS Sequoia feels like a mixed bag. Apple promised better window management, improved performance, and enhanced security — but the reality is more complicated.

Let's break down what's genuinely useful versus what's causing headaches for Mac users in 2025.

The Good: Features That Actually Deliver

iPhone Mirroring works surprisingly well once you get it set up. Being able to control your iPhone from your Mac is genuinely useful for quick tasks.

Safari improvements are solid. The new password management and distraction control features make browsing more pleasant.

Security enhancements are typically Apple — mostly invisible but reassuring. The improved privacy controls give you better visibility into what apps are doing.

The Bad: Where Sequoia Falls Short

Window Tiling is Fundamentally Broken

Apple's biggest Sequoia feature — native window tiling — is frustratingly unreliable. Windows snap inconsistently, the tile zones are unpredictable, and it fails completely with many apps.

The implementation feels rushed. Windows often refuse to tile properly, especially on external monitors. When it works, it's nice. When it doesn't (which is often), it's maddening.

Performance Issues Persist

Battery drain remains a real problem on MacBooks. Many users report 20-30% worse battery life after updating. The system seems to be working harder for basic tasks.

Sluggish performance affects older Macs significantly. Even 2019-2020 MacBooks feel noticeably slower with basic operations like opening apps or switching windows.

Audio System Regressions

Sequoia introduced new audio bugs that are genuinely annoying:

• External speaker volume controls randomly become unresponsive
• HDMI audio output selection gets stuck or greyed out
• Per-app audio routing becomes unreliable
• Bluetooth audio experiences more dropouts

These aren't minor issues — they affect daily productivity.

Practical Fixes for Common Sequoia Problems

Fix Window Management Issues

If Sequoia's tiling is driving you crazy, you're not alone. The native implementation simply isn't ready for serious use.

Better alternatives:

• Rectangle (free) provides reliable window snapping
• Magnet ($8) offers more control
• Layoutish goes further with saved layouts and multi-monitor support

Layoutish is particularly useful if you're frustrated with Sequoia's poor multi-monitor window handling. It actually saves your window positions and restores them reliably — something Sequoia's tiling can't do.

Solve Audio Control Problems

The audio issues are perhaps Sequoia's most annoying regression. macOS still lacks proper per-app volume control, and Sequoia made existing workarounds less reliable.

What actually works:

• Use Audio MIDI Setup for basic output routing
• Consider Soundish for proper per-app volume control
• Reset Core Audio if volume controls become unresponsive

Soundish addresses the fundamental problem — macOS simply doesn't have a volume mixer like Windows has had since 2007. It gives you proper control over individual app volumes without the system-level conflicts Sequoia introduced.

Address Performance Problems

For battery drain:

• Check Activity Monitor for runaway processes
• Disable background app refresh for unnecessary apps
• Reset SMC (System Management Controller)

For general slowness:

• Clear caches: sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*
• Rebuild Spotlight index
• Consider a clean install if problems persist

Should You Upgrade to macOS Sequoia?

Upgrade if:

• You're on an older macOS version with security issues
• You specifically need iPhone Mirroring
• You have a newer Mac (2021+) with plenty of RAM

Hold off if:

• Your current setup works perfectly
• You rely on window management for productivity work
• You use audio-intensive workflows
• You have an older MacBook concerned about battery life

The Real Problem: Rushed Release Schedule

Sequoia feels like it needed another 6 months of development. The window tiling feature — positioned as the major selling point — simply wasn't ready for release.

Apple's annual release cycle is creating half-baked features that frustrate users rather than helping them. Windows users have had reliable window snapping for over a decade. macOS users deserve better than Sequoia's inconsistent implementation.

Bottom Line

macOS Sequoia has some nice improvements, but the headline features are poorly executed. The window management is unreliable, performance regressions are real, and audio issues affect daily use.

If you do upgrade, be prepared to find third-party solutions for the features that should work but don't. Sometimes the best part of a new macOS release is discovering which third-party apps actually solve the problems Apple created.