Frustration Switching Users on MacBook Pro

[mac_in_tosh]

Ever since Apple went to the new, animated lock screen I have had trouble switching users on my MacBookPro (13", 2019, Sonoma 14.6.1).

Besides the admin account there are two other accounts that I use for different purposes. If I'm in, say, the admin account, click on the name at the top right of the screen to display all the users and select another user, there is a very long delay. I usually give up and just go to the top left apple to select the lock screen. I can usually get to the other users that way, but today even if I select one it only keeps prompting for the admin password and I have to reboot to get things right. It's not the first time I've had to do that.

I've read a few posts where people thought it had to do with the use of the same touch id fingerprint in all accounts. I've tried it both way - different fingerprints and the same fingerprint - and it didn't seem to make a difference.

Somehow Apple has converted what used to be a rapid operation (changing accounts) into a very frustrating process. I keep hoping each Sonoma update fixes things but it doesn't. Is there anything someone can recommend? Thanks.

 

[mac_in_tosh]

158 views and no replies. Does that mean the issue is unique to my machine or ones like mine?

I had come across a couple of items a while back discussing the same problem but apparently it's not common.

 

[svenmany]

158 views and no replies. Does that mean the issue is unique to my machine or ones like mine?

I had come across a couple of items a while back discussing the same problem but apparently it's not common.

I can't comment about the general population, but I don't have the issue you are describing. But, I don't switch users that often, so with repeated attempts maybe it would happen.

 

[svenmany]

When you say "long delay", how long do you mean?

 

[mac_in_tosh]

When you say "long delay", how long do you mean?

I don't know how long it might ultimately take to present the choice of users when it's in that state, if it ever does - after about 15 seconds I give up and go with the Lock Screen option. It doesn't do that every time, but often enough. And as I mentioned, sometimes if I'm in user A and select user B with the Lock Screen, it gets stuck by only prompting for the user A password or touch and I have to reboot.

The thing is that with every OS up to now, switching users was basically instantaneous. It even is sometimes that way now but too often there are the problems I mentioned. The trouble started coincident with the introduction of the animated Lock Screen.

 

[HDFan]

If I'm in, say, the admin account, click on the name at the top right of the screen to display all the users and select another user, there is a very long delay.

When you say "long delay", how long do you mean?

Switching users can take quite a while depending upon the state you were in when you started the process, if that is what you are referring to.

Logging out of my main user account takes about 40 seconds. Logging back in to the same account takes about another minute. I have a lot of programs running and many startup items.

 

[svenmany]

After I select a user and have entered its password, I sometimes experience a delay before the desktop shows. I just tested one of my accounts and it took 30 seconds. But, that's the only delay I've ever encountered.

 

[mac_in_tosh]

@HDFan and @svenmany Assuming you have Sonoma on your machines, did you experience these delays with any previous Mac OS? I haven't.

 

[svenmany]

@HDFan and @svenmany Assuming you have Sonoma on your machines, did you experience these delays with any previous Mac OS? I haven't.

I can't answer that with any confidence. Also, I think my delays are not the same as the ones you're experiencing. My delays seem to be related to initializing the user's session after successfully authenticating.

I just repeated my experiment now and the switch to the same user that delayed for 30 seconds the other day was almost instant. I have a feeling that the longer it's been since I last logged in on a user account, the longer it takes to switch to that account.

Delays on the order of 30 seconds like I got often involve waiting for server responses. I think, in my case, it was responses from Apple's servers related to that user's iCloud information that caused the delays. It wouldn't be hard to monitor my firewall (easy on my OPNsense firewall) and see if a response from some server coincided with the login finishing. Are you able to try that?

 

[mac_in_tosh]

It wouldn't be hard to monitor my firewall (easy on my OPNsense firewall) and see if a response from some server coincided with the login finishing. Are you able to try that?

Sounds way above my level and not something I can get involved with at this time but thanks for the suggestion. Definitely a first world problem. I posted just to learn if there was some quick fix and I'll just hope it all gets resolved in future Sonoma updates.

 

[HDFan]

Assuming you have Sonoma on your machines, did you experience these delays with any previous Mac OS? I haven't.

Yes, every one. It takes time to startup all of my login items, extensions, etc.

Delays on the order of 30 seconds like I got often involve waiting for server responses.

Has been a problem in the past. Not sure whether still an issue.