Text input lagging with v8.0.0

[ctp9]

Using a supported version?

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates.
• I am using Signal-Desktop as provided by the Signal team, not a 3rd-party package.

Overall summary

Since the app auto-updated to v8.0.0, I began noticing that there is now an observable input lag in the cursor and typing in the Message box. It doesn't always happen, and is a bit difficult to pin-point when it does happen, but so far I noticed that the typing will slow down and begin lagging when viewing messages that contain a lot of multimedia files (photos/videos/GIFs). Almost like a memory leak starts occurring when media is focused, followed by cursor/typing/input lag.

Steps to reproduce

1. View messages that contain a lot of multimedia files (photos/videos/GIFs)
2. When media is focused, cursor/typing/input lag starts occurring

Expected result

No input lag of any sort.

Actual result

No errors, just major performance degradation that lasts until the media messages are no longer in focus and/or the app is restarted.

Screenshots

No response

Signal version

8.0.0 production

Operating system

Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7922)

Version of Signal on your phone

8.0.4

Link to debug log

No response

[jamiebuilds-signal]

Sorry that's happening, I'm trying to reproduce it though. Could you provide a few more details for me?

• What do you mean by media is focused? Do you mean that it is scrolled into view? When you scroll far away from the media does the input stop lagging immediately?
• Is it only while GIFs are playing? Are they very large GIFs?
• If you look at task manager on windows, is Signal using a lot of CPU/Memory? Are there any other apps using a lot of resources? If you scroll away from the media or switch conversations does Signal start using a lot less CPU/Memory?

[ctp9]

Actually, I am now noticing that the input lag is present in this version when I start typing, and not just when media is scrolled into view (photos/videos/GIFs, not necessary large GIFs but any GIFs) - although the lags gets worse when media appears on screen and it feels like memory is leaking.

Cursor and text input starts lagging when I begin typing while CPU spikes upwards (+30% spikes at random while Signal is focused and I am typing).

I will try to record CPU activity and share it in my next comment. This computer has an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 card, driver support ended a long time ago. Perhaps new code is not playing nice with an integrated GPU because this did not used to occur prior to v8.0.0.

[ctp9]

Okay so I spent some time observing what is happening. I am now on v8.2.1 and the newly occurring lag issue is carrying on to this version too.

Typing in the Message box gotten somewhat laggy but gets significantly laggier/unresponsive with multiple other applications open - even when those other applications are not drawing too much CPU power themselves. Just merely having a lot of applications open causes text input in Signal to visibly slow down/lag.

There are no other consistent reproducible steps, other than the fact that this started occurring only since v8.0.0 - and persists as a newly observed performance issue into v8.2.1.

[oski646]

I have a similar issue. I’m on version 8.4.1. I don’t know what the root cause is, but it’s pretty annoying. You can see on the graph that the CPU instantly spikes when I type.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@oski646 Thanks for looking into it and providing those charts! The next time it happens, it would help if you provided a debug log, as well as timestamps for when you ran into the issue. That might help us track it down.

For now, if you could tell us more about your computer's hardware, that would also be useful. Thanks!

[oski646]

@scottnonnenberg-signal I don't know exactly what or how I should collect debug logs. I have strong PCs, so I don't think it is caused by their poor performance. It occurs on my Windows machine and MacBook. I tried to reproduce it in different scenarios but couldn't find a clear way to do this. It is currently lagging only in the "Note to Self" chat, where I have many links (some with previews and some without) and a couple of very long messages.

[oski646]

@scottnonnenberg-signal found a way to gather debug logs. I think these are tied to my typing:

INFO  2026-04-05T16:54:05.340Z [markConversationRead] ([REDACTED]cd7 ([REDACTED]ae3)) {"markingReadBefore":{"sentAt":1774732213972,"receivedAt":1757355106247},"unreadMessages":0,"unreadReactions":0,"unreadPollVotes":0}
WARN  2026-04-05T16:54:07.424Z [createStore] ActionRateLogger: got 25 events since 1775408046533: NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP
WARN  2026-04-05T16:54:09.378Z [createStore] ActionRateLogger: got 25 events since 1775408048584: NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP
WARN  2026-04-05T16:54:10.227Z [createStore] ActionRateLogger: got 25 events since 1775408049378: NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP
WARN  2026-04-05T16:54:11.033Z [createStore] ActionRateLogger: got 25 events since 1775408050228: NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP
WARN  2026-04-05T16:54:11.733Z [createStore] ActionRateLogger: got 25 events since 1775408051033: NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP
WARN  2026-04-05T16:54:12.617Z [createStore] ActionRateLogger: got 25 events since 1775408051733: NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,CONVERSATIONS_UPDATED,linkPreviews/REMOVE_PREVIEW,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP,NOOP
INFO  2026-04-05T16:54:18.165Z [app/main] got fast theme-setting value system
INFO  2026-04-05T16:54:18.285Z [app/main] got fast theme-setting value system
INFO  2026-04-05T16:54:18.460Z Loaded this list of log files from logPath: app.log, app.log.1, main.log, main.log.1

[jamiebuilds-signal]

@oski646 Thank you, but in order to investigate this we'll need your entire debuglog. These logs do seem like they were from while you were typing, but nothing there seems like it would be the cause of any significant lag. Often with things lagging there may be other work happening in the background, so we'd need to look at what else was going on

You can either paste the URL of your debuglogs here, or you can email them to support@signal.org with a link to this GitHub issue

https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007318591-Debug-Logs-and-Crash-Reports

[oski646]

@jamiebuilds-signal emailed at support@signal.org. You should have all the logs.

[ctp9]

Text input is still lagging for me, I am on v8.5.0 now - CPU activity spikes the moment I begin typing. The lag/typing delay occurs when there are multiple applications open, and gets worse with higher RAM utilization. For example, the lag starts when one browser is running, but gets worse when two different browsers are open.

This did NOT used to occur prior to v8.0.0 - I could have multiple browsers and dozens of applications running concurrently/processing heavy tasks, and text input was buttery smooth and responsive in the Message box with no CPU spikes caused by typing.

[Susticle]

I can confirm laggy text input for a while now.

I'm using Signal 8.4.1 on NixOS (25.11.8919.d96b37bbeb98 (Xantusia)).

CPU load increases on my Lenovo laptops T14 and X270 by 70 percent when typing random characters very fast.

[nate-moo]

Looks like this issue might be fixed on v8.6.0, I pulled the newest version I could from nixpkgs-master (as unstable was still on 8.4.1 like stable), issue was present in 8.4.1, but not immediately present in v8.6.0

[ctp9]

Issue is not solved for me. Now on v8.7.0 - text input starts heavily lagging/stuttering when scrolling into view media such as photos/videos/GIFs in a long conversation. Once such media is scrolled into view (ie. scrolling upwards to find an older message in a convo that contains visual media) - the typing lag kicks in and memory starts overflowing, CPU spikes go as high as +30% and do not stop until the application is quit and restarted (thus, clearing its memory footprint).

Once again - this never used to occur prior to v8.0.0, so whatever changes to memory management, GPU rendering processes, libraries, binaries, etc. were made post-v8.0.0 are responsible for this reoccurring performance issue since.