Apple - Big Sur - unable to focus any app or make mouse/keyboard inputs after waking from sleep?

I have not experienced this issue after disabling Touch ID unlock, by unchecking the option to Use Touch ID for: ... Unlocking your Mac in System Preferences > Touch ID.

This requires me to enter my password instead of using my fingerprint to unlock after waking from sleep. Somehow that appears to avoid this issue.


This has been happening to me as well, but after reading what Juan said about Touch ID, I tried resting my finger on the Touch ID sensor and it seems to fix the focus issue. Looks like its some sort of bug where the "Use Touch ID to unlock" screen isn't showing but the desktop is being shown instead.


For those of you who wish to avoid doing a hard reboot with the power button

sudo launchctl bootout gui/501

will log you out via the CLI (which might be considered preferable/more graceful way to recover). I had to do this a few times now, caveat is I already had SSH enabled and did this from a different host. (also, should mention "501" should be the desired user ID - whatever echo $UID returns).

I've run into this a few times now on my MBP16" on both 11.0.1 and 11.1, but never experienced it on Catalina. Those of you MBP16" users still on Catalina, I would suggest you stay on it until this gets sorted out.

I use an Anker USB-C hub and will have to test and see if this reoccurs without it. Didn't install any drivers for the Anker, and my Big Sur install is a clean install, not an upgrade, so all my kexts are notarized and obtained from Apple (no 3rd parties). It seems likely to me this issue is on Apple and I do hope the relevant team(s) fix soon.

If anyone knows of the appropriate Radar(s) please add a link this post.

Update: just happened again, continues to be very annoying. Used launchctl bootout to avoid the hard reboot. Will try and fiddle with TouchID next time.

Update 2: Using TouchID a subsequent time seems to be a clunky but viable workaround. TouchID once to unlock in the usual way, and again once you're in. Silly but has been working. I hope 11.2 fixes this

Update 3: I installed 11.2 recently, and have unlocked a few times. At least so far, the issue hasn't happened again. Let's hope it stays that way.

Update 4: Spoke too soon - just happened again on 11.2 :/. Seems it's not fixed unfortunately

Update 5: Just happened again on 11.2.1 :/