Critical performance issue with CapCut on Mac M4

Hi,

You are not alone in facing this issue as many users with Apple Silicon Macs (especially M2, M3, and now M4 chips) have reported severe CPU spikes and system-wide video playback freezes when using CapCut for Mac, particularly after recent updates.

Here's what's happening:

CapCut as of mid-2025 is still not fully optimized for newer Apple Silicon chips like the M4, especially in combination with macOS Sonoma or the developer beta of macOS Sequoia.

Several users have pointed out:

• High CPU usage (90–100%) immediately on launch

• System-wide video decoding issues (QuickTime, Safari, even VLC freeze or lag)

• No improvement after disabling hardware acceleration

• Persistent across fresh installs and OS updates

Is CapCut Optimized for Apple M4 Chips?

• There's no definitive "yes, fully optimized" or "no, not at all" answer.

  • There are issues with CapCut on Apple Silicon (including M1, and by extension, possibly M4), suggesting that it might not be fully optimized to leverage the Apple Silicon architecture's media engines efficiently, leading to high CPU usage instead of offloading tasks to the dedicated hardware.

  • Conversely, CapCut's official resources indicate it is "designed to run on macOS 10.15 and later" and is "optimized to work on a wide range of Mac devices." CapCut also highlights AI-powered tools and cross-platform compatibility, which implies a level of optimization for Apple's ecosystem.

  • M4 Macs came with a "Special Build of macOS Sequoia" with "specifically designed Special Apple Drivers" for the M4 Chipset. This means that older macOS versions (like Sonoma) might not be fully compatible or optimized for the M4, and applications need to be updated to take full advantage of the M4's architecture.

Is CapCut Optimized for macOS Sequoia/Sonoma?

• macOS Versions and M4: Your M4 Mac would have come with macOS Sequoia (macOS 15) or a very recent version of macOS Sonoma (macOS 14) that specifically supports M4.

• Sequoia is the Native OS for M4: It's important to understand that M4 Macs were released with macOS Sequoia. While Sonoma might run, the M4's full capabilities are best leveraged on the macOS version it was designed for.

• Updates are Key: As with any new chip and OS combination, applications require updates to be fully compatible and optimized. Even if CapCut works on Sonoma, it might not be utilizing the M4's full potential if it hasn't received specific M4/Sequoia optimizations.

What Your Issue Suggests:

The symptoms you're describing (97-100% CPU usage, system-wide video playback freezing) are classic signs of poor optimization or compatibility issues. It suggests that CapCut is not efficiently utilizing the M4 chip's dedicated media engines or is encountering a conflict with how it interacts with the macOS system on your new hardware.

Troubleshooting You've Already Done (and why it makes sense):

• Disabled hardware acceleration: This was a good step, as sometimes a buggy hardware acceleration implementation can cause issues. The fact that it didn't resolve it points more towards a fundamental optimization gap.

• Reinstalled CapCut: This rules out corrupted application files.

• Updated macOS to latest version: This is crucial for M4 compatibility and generally a good practice for software issues.

• Closed all other apps: This rules out resource contention from other applications.

What you can try now as workarounds:

1. Switch to CapCut Web or CapCut for iOS/iPadOS
   Use the CapCut Web Editor temporarily until desktop compatibility improves.

2. Check for CapCut Updates: The most important step is to ensure you have the absolute latest version of CapCut. Developers are constantly releasing updates for new hardware and operating systems.

3. Create a New User Account on macOS
   Try launching CapCut under a new macOS user profile which avoids the high CPU load. This can isolate potential user-specific config bugs.

4. Install CapCut via an Emulator (e.g., Bluestacks)
   Running the Android version of CapCut via an emulator is a temporary workaround for M-series users who still want to use a desktop screen.

5. Send a Bug Report to CapCut Developers
   Contact CapCut via:

   • Email: [email protected]

   • You've identified a serious bug. Provide CapCut developers with all the details you've given here, including your Mac model (e.g., MacBook Air M4, MacBook Pro M4), specific M4 chip configuration (e.g., 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU), macOS version (e.g., macOS Sequoia 15.x.x), and the steps you've already taken. They need to be aware of this performance problem on M4 Macs.
6.  Consider Alternatives temporarily: If this is impacting your workflow significantly, you might need to explore other video editing software that is known to be highly optimized for Apple Silicon, such as:

• • Final Cut Pro: Apple's professional video editor is highly optimized for Apple Silicon and is often cited as a benchmark for performance on these chips.

  • DaVinci Resolve: It's a powerful and professional-grade editor.

It is highly probable that CapCut needs a specific update to properly leverage the Apple M4 chip and its integration with macOS Sequoia/Sonoma. Your detailed report to CapCut support will be valuable in getting this addressed.