Fix Guide: Sequoia Stage Manager High CPU Usage

Symptom: Your Mac's fans spin up or performance drops when Stage Manager is active in macOS Sequoia. Activity Monitor shows WindowManager using >100% CPU.

Why this happens

Sequoia's Stage Manager uses a new "live preview" engine that can loop if certain Electron-based apps (like Discord or Slack) are in the sidebar.

Recommended Troubleshooting Tool

Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using CleanMyMac X. Quickly identify high CPU apps and optimize system memory with one click.

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Fix 1: Clear WindowManager Cache

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run:

rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.WindowManager

1. Kill the process:

killall WindowManager

Fix 2: Disable Recent Apps Previews

1. Go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock.
2. Click Stage Manager Details.
3. Toggle OFF "Show Recent Apps".

Recommended Tool: iStat Menus

To monitor CPU spikes in real-time:

- Get iStat Menus to see exactly which app is triggering Stage Manager lag and monitor your system's health from the menu bar.