New Macbook Pro 16 inch M2 - jerky scrolling

I have a new M2 Macbook Pro 16 GB, 1 day old, MacOS 13.2.1, very little software installed. Scrolling is very jerky, in Finder windows, websites in Safari and Firefox, small images in Photoshop.


Display is set to Promotion. Scaling is set to default. Compared to my 2020 iPad Pro, where Promotion works perfectly, it's close to unusable at the moment. I've tried setting it to 60 Hz but there's no difference. Before I do a factory reset, is there any setting I should be looking at to improve the performance?

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.2

Posted on Mar 17, 2023 05:53 PM

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3 replies

Mar 19, 2023 07:00 PM in response to Martin Kitts

Hi Martin Kitts, We appreciate you reaching out to us. We’d like to gather additional details that may help us be in a better position to assist you.

Do you have any accessories that is connected or paired with your MacBook Pro?

If yes, does it help if you disconnect or unpair your accessory?


In the meantime, please check if the issue persists while on safe mode.

Safe mode does a basic check of your startup disk, similar to using First Aid in Disk Utility.

Performing this step may help resolve the issue, or further isolate the issue.

Below is an article to help guide you through the process.

How to use safe mode on your Mac


If the issue persists, please test if the issue happens on a newly created user account. 

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups  in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

Click the Add Account button below the list of users on the right (you may be asked to enter your password.)

Click the New Account pop-up menu, then choose a type of user.

Enter a full name for the new user. An account name is generated automatically. To use a different account name, enter it now—you can’t change it later.

Enter a password for the user, then enter it again to verify. Enter a password hint to help the user remember their password.

Click Create User.


You can use the article below as a reference.

Add a user or group on Mac


Take care!

Mar 20, 2023 10:12 AM in response to Martin Kitts

Martin Kitts, Since you're still experiencing the same issue when testing in safe mode and when trying inside a new user account, we recommend contacting Apple Support directly so that they can work with you to find a solution.

You can reach them by clicking here: Apple Support or calling the most local number in your region: Contact Apple for support and service Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. Cheers!

Mar 20, 2023 12:58 AM in response to kamote0628

Hi, thanks for replying. I'd already tried reinstalling the OS and erasing my user account, but the same issue persists. I guess it is actually meant to be like this.


I've seen the same problem reported elsewhere, and the solution seems to be to turn off trackpad inertia. Makes scrolling through documents much slower, but removes the flickery effect that some people seem to be particularly sensitive to. I've no idea why this isn't an issue on the 120Hz displays on iPad and iPhone.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

New Macbook Pro 16 inch M2 - jerky scrolling

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