[Updated] macOS Big Sur crashes & kernel panic reports still showing up after latest 11.3.1 update (workarounds inside)

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…

Original story (published on May 06, 2021) follows:

Apple has a vast user base for its iPhone, iPad, iMac, and MacBook series simply because of the smooth user experience.

Since a lot of people use the iMacs and MacBooks across the globe, they face issues which are either widespread or at an individual level but similar in nature.

Apple recently released the macOS Big Sur update version 11.3.1 with some security improvements.

However, users of the MacBook are facing an issue which seems to have been around for quite some time.

As per multiple reports from various online platforms, users are still facing the crashing and kernel panic issue.

I’ve been using MacBook Pro 16″ 2019 for over a year now. In the beginning I used to have more frequently those “Your computer has restarted due to a problem” messages/restarts. At some point I guess due to updates, these restarts stopped until last night. I put my Mac to sleep and this morning I found it crashed and restarted again.
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I’ve had 4 kernel panics in 2 months. While not excessive, it’s 4 more than I want, and it seems more frequent than I had with Intel.
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While it might appear that the issue can be specific to some users, the number of user reports suggest otherwise.

Also, it is unclear what is causing this issue as Apple has not made any announcements on the matter so far.

It is, however, evident that the crashing and kernel panic problem is still around even after macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 came out.

I was using my MBP 16 and suddenly freezes and shutdown. Just watching YouTube. Then the laptop goes into a loop, restarting itself, fan runs like crazy for a second then shutdown. Again and again.
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Anybody else getting kernel panics every week? Happens under low load just browing the web. It’s getting annoying. Never had a Macbook that was this bad.
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There can be a lot of explanations for the crashing issue including faulty hardware or software, unsupported peripherals, and more.

This is why affected users have been trying to figure out ways to get rid of the said problem once and for all.

For one user, downgrading the MacBook from macOS Big Sur to Catalina resolved the issue whereas some users with external displays tried switching to display port 1.2 to fix the said issue.

I had the same issues. Switching to DisplayPort1.2 fixed the Kernel Panics for me.
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So, if you are facing the crashing and kernel panic issue, you can try the workarounds given above and let us know if the issue gets resolved for you.

Hopefully, Apple looks into this problem and soon releases a permanent fix for the same as it has been causing a lot of inconvenience to users.

That said, we will be back with more details as and when new information becomes available so stay tuned.

IST 06:45 pm: More and more reports of macOS Big Sur crashing due and kernel panic are still pooling in from MacBook users which clearly indicates that the issue even more widespread. Also, there is still no word from Apple on the matter.

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