Simulink Dragging Lag on macOS with High-Resolution Displays

I have two Macs (M2 Mac Mini and MacBook Air M1), both running the Apple Silicon version of MATLAB 2024B. I have connected external 2K and 4K monitors, and I noticed that when the output screen resolution exceeds around 3000×2000 (or when using HiDPI mode on a 2K monitor), there is a noticeable lag when dragging elements in Simulink. However, this issue does not occur when using a 1080P external monitor or the built-in display of the MacBook Air. Additionally, I have not installed any window snapping-related software.

[Sergio]

I have the same issue. Recently, I started using Simulink to model electric motors, and even with the Apple Silicon-native version of MATLAB 2024b/2024a on my M1 Max, it runs extremely laggy, especially when connected to an external 2K 144Hz monitor.

[TING JU]

Based on the information I’ve found, the issue likely stems from the fact that Simulink’s GUI is built using Java, which has poor support for high-resolution displays. While MATLAB’s main UI has already transitioned to a web-based interface (as of R2025a), it seems that Simulink will still take some time before making the switch.

[ANDREA]

So at the moment we have no fix to this issue? Is there any settings that can be edited to at least make it usable?

[TING JU]

It might take multiple reports before they take the issue seriously, since macOS users are relatively few. I’ve already reported the problem using the in-app feedback feature.

[Saifeldin]

I'm having the same problem on both my macbook with m1 pro and a high end desktop pc, simulink is very slow and laggy on 2024b.

[Oliver]

I have the exact same issue on linux, when using a 4K display, amtlab is ver slow to type and use

Answer 1

[TING JU]

I’ve found a temporary workaround (2025a) that can alleviate the lag when dragging blocks, especially in models with many blocks.

Go to Settings > Simulink Settings > Editor, and check the option “Use classic diagram theme”.

This enables a simpler GUI, which improves the dragging performance. In fact, I personally think the classic GUI even looks better than the current one.

However, I still hope MathWorks can fix this fundamental issue, especially since they promote themselves as a cross-platform software provider.