Developers begin rolling out fix for major bug that caused slowdowns on macOS Tahoe – 9to5Mac

TITLE: Major macOS Tahoe Performance Fix Rolls Out for Electron Apps After GPU Slowdown Crisis

Widespread GPU Issues Plague macOS Tahoe Users

Mac users who upgraded to macOS Tahoe last month encountered significant performance problems across popular applications, with many reporting system slowdowns, excessive heat generation, and dramatically reduced battery life. According to widespread user reports on developer forums and social media, the issues were particularly pronounced in applications built using the Electron framework, which powers many of today’s most widely-used desktop applications.

Electron Framework Identified as Culprit

The root cause was traced to Electron’s use of a private macOS API called cornerMask, which Apple had modified in the Tahoe update. As confirmed by the Electron development team, this private API override caused GPU usage to spike dramatically in Electron-based applications, creating system-wide performance degradation. Private APIs like cornerMask are typically reserved for Apple’s internal use and aren’t subject to the same stability testing as public APIs, making them risky for third-party developers to implement.

Comprehensive Fix Deployment Underway

The Electron team has now released updated versions that completely remove dependence on the problematic private API. According to GitHub release notes, recent Electron versions including 28.0.0 and later no longer utilize cornerMask, eliminating the GPU performance issues that plagued Tahoe users. Major application developers have begun rapidly integrating these updated Electron versions into their software updates.

Tracking the Update Rollout

A community-developed tool called ShameElectron has become the go-to resource for monitoring which popular applications have implemented the crucial fix. The tracker provides real-time visibility into Electron version adoption across dozens of major applications, helping users identify which software on their systems might still be causing performance problems.

Applications Already Updated

Several major applications have already deployed fixes through recent updates. According to the ShameElectron tracker and company announcements, these include:

Discord – Latest versions now use patched Electron framework
Slack – Recent updates resolve Tahoe compatibility issues
Figma – Desktop app performance restored in newest release
Visual Studio Code – Microsoft’s popular code editor updated promptly
Notion – Productivity app now Tahoe-compatible
Signal – Private messaging app performance stabilized

Applications Still Requiring Updates

Several prominent applications continue to use older, problematic Electron versions according to current tracking data. Users should monitor these applications for pending updates:

1Password – Password manager still on older Electron version
Bitwarden – Open-source password solution awaiting update
Dropbox – Cloud storage client needs Electron refresh
Cursor – AI code editor not yet updated

Understanding Electron’s Role in Modern Applications

Electron has become one of the most influential application frameworks in modern software development, allowing developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Originally developed by GitHub for Atom editor, the framework now powers thousands of applications used by millions of users daily. While controversial for its resource usage, Electron has democratized desktop application development and enabled rapid deployment of feature-rich applications.

User Impact and Recommended Actions

Users experiencing performance issues on macOS Tahoe should first check for updates to all Electron-based applications. As recommended by Apple’s official support documentation, keeping applications updated ensures compatibility with the latest operating system changes. For applications that haven’t yet updated, users may consider temporarily limiting their usage or seeking alternative applications until fixes become available.

The situation highlights the broader challenge of framework dependencies in modern software development. When a popular framework like Electron encounters compatibility issues, the impact ripples across dozens or hundreds of applications simultaneously, affecting millions of users worldwide.