Mac Running Slow? Try These 13 Simple Fixes to Speed Up

Written by

Ojash

Reviewed by

Hashir Ibrahim

Last updated: September 22, 2024

Expert verified

Recently, my Mac started slowing down, and the lag became impossible to ignore. I looked into it and found some simple fixes that worked. In this post, I’ll share the steps I used to speed up my Mac.

How to Fix a Mac Running Slow

Below, I’ve shared various troubleshooting steps to address the root causes of a slow Mac:

1. Restart Your Mac

Restarting your Mac clears memory and closes all running applications, boosting performance. You can restart your Mac by following these steps:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the menu bar.
2. Select Restart from the drop-down menu.

3. Click the Restart button on the pop-up window to confirm that you want to restart your Mac.

4. Your Mac will restart.

2. Manage Login Items on Startup

Reducing the number of apps that launch at startup can speed up your Mac’s boot time. Here’s how to remove your login items on Mac:

1. Click the Apple icon and select System Settings.

2. Click General and select Login Items.

3. Review the list of startup items and select the ones you don’t want to launch at startup.
4. Next, click the small minus (-) button to remove the selected login items from the list.

4. Close the window, and the changes will take effect the next time you restart your Mac.

3. Limit Background Processes

Limiting unnecessary background processes frees up CPU resources and improves performance. Follow these steps to limit the number of background processes on your Mac:

1. To access Activity Monitor, go to the Applications folder, locate the Utilities folder within it, and launch Activity Monitor by double-clicking it.

2. You’ll find different categories in the Activity Monitor window, including CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, Network, and Cache.

3. Click the CPU tab and pay attention to processes utilizing a significant portion of system resources, such as those with high CPU usage.

3. Choose a process consuming a significant amount of resources, and you’ll find comprehensive details about it in the lower section of the Activity Monitor window.

4. If the process has a significant CPU load, you can quit by clicking the x button in the top toolbar.

5. Click the Quit button on the confirmation dialog to terminate the selected process.

6. After quitting a resource-hungry process, you will notice some improvement in your Mac’s performance.

4. Clean Up Your Hard Drive

Clearing unnecessary files from your hard drive creates space and enhances performance. Below, I’ve shared simple steps to clean up your Mac’s hard drive:

1. First, identify which files you no longer need and can safely delete.
2. Next, select these files, right-click them, and choose Move to Bin from the menu.

3. Moving files to the Bin removes them from the folder but still uses disk space. To permanently delete them, right-click the Bin icon in the Dock and select Empty Bin.

5. Clear Cache Files on Mac

Removing cache files can free up space and resolve performance issues caused by outdated or corrupted data. Here are the steps to manually clear the cache files on your Mac:

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window.

2. In the menu bar, click Go and then Go to Folder.

3. In the Go to Folder window, type the following path and press Enter:

~/Library/Caches

4. Find the folder for the application you want to clear the cache for. Look for folders with the same name as the app.
5. Right-click the folder and select Move to Bin from the menu.

6. Click Empty Bin to delete the folder permanently.

7. Restart your Mac to see if its speed improves.

6. Declutter Your Desktop

A cluttered desktop can slow down your Mac by consuming system resources. Keeping your desktop organized not only boosts performance but also makes it easier to find files quickly. Here are simple steps to clean up your desktop:

1. Reduce desktop files and folders to improve performance.
2. Group similar items into folders.
3. Delete unnecessary files by moving them to the Bin.
4. Use the Dock for frequently accessed apps.
5. Enable Stacks to auto-sort your desktop files.

7. Uninstall Unused Apps

Removing unused apps frees up space and improves overall system performance. Follow these simple steps to use Launchpad to uninstall apps on your Mac:

1. Open Launchpad by clicking the Launchpad icon in the Dock or using the Mac keyboard shortcut key: F4.

2. Navigate through the list of apps in Launchpad until you locate the app you wish to uninstall.

3. Click and hold the app icon until it starts shaking, and an X icon appears on the top-left corner of the app icon. Click the X icon to initiate app deletion.

4. A confirmation pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm the deletion. Click the Delete button to confirm, and the app will be moved to the Bin in the Dock.

5. After deleting the app, right-click the Bin icon in the Dock and select Empty Bin.

6. Restart your Mac to ensure that all changes are applied.

8. Check for macOS Updates

Updating macOS ensures your Mac benefits from the latest performance improvements and bug fixes. If you want to update macOS on your Mac to speed up Mac running slow, here are the steps to follow:

1. Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.

2. Click General and select Software Update to open the updates menu.

3. Your Mac will automatically scan for updates. If it is already running the latest macOS version, it will display its current system version. However, if an update is available, you can simply click the Update Now button.

9. Free Up RAM on Your Mac

Freeing up RAM improves your Mac’s speed, especially during memory-intensive tasks. Here’s how you can free up RAM on your Mac using Activity Monitor:

1. Go to the Applications folder, open the Utilities folder, and double-click Activity Monitor to launch it.

2. In the Activity Monitor window, click the Memory tab to view a list of processes and their corresponding memory usage.

3. The processes are sorted by the amount of memory they use, with the highest at the top. You can also sort them in your desired order by clicking the Memory filter.

4. If you notice any unresponsive applications that are not closing through normal means, select the process and click the X button in the top toolbar.

5. Click the Quit button on the pop-up window to terminate it.

Once you have quit memory-intensive applications, restart your Mac. Restarting clears out the RAM and improves performance.

10. Update All Apps

Keeping your apps updated fixes bugs and ensures they run efficiently. Follow these steps to update apps on Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and select App Store.

2. Click the Updates tab in the App Store window.

3. If updates are available, you will see a list of apps that can be updated.

4. Click the Update button next to each app that has an update available.

This will update the selected app. Repeat the same steps for all apps.

11. Run a Virus Scan on Your Mac

Scanning for malware removes harmful software that can slow down your Mac. Here’s how you can run a virus scan on your Mac using MacKeeper:

1. Download and install MacKeeper.
2. Launch MacKeeper and navigate to the Antivirus tab in the left sidebar.

3. Initiate an instant virus scan by clicking the Start Scan button.

4. If viruses are detected during the scan, click the Fix Items button to resolve the issues.
5. If your system is threat-free, you’ll see a No threats found message. You can tap the Restart button to run the scan again.

6. Enable real-time antivirus protection to safeguard your Mac from future threats by clicking the Enable button.

After you have configured your security settings, MacKeeper will continue to operate in the background, diligently scanning for threats and actively blocking any malicious activity.

12. Close Extra Browser Tabs

Closing unused browser tabs helps free up memory and improve your Mac’s performance. Follow these steps:

1. Look for tabs you aren’t using or those that are using more resources, like video streams or complex apps.
2. Click the small x on the left side of the tab.
3. Or, press Command ⌘ + W to close the active tab.

13. Reset the SMC

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) can help resolve issues like slow performance, power, and battery problems on your Mac. It restores default settings for hardware components, which can fix performance slowdowns. The steps vary by Mac model but are simple to follow.

For more detailed steps, refer to my full guide on resetting the SMC.

Mac Running Slow? Never Again!

By following the tips I shared in this guide, you can make sure never to have a sluggish Mac again. However, if you need more help, here are a few tips to optimize your Mac’s performance:

• If issues persist, try clearing your Mac’s system data.
• Regularly clear your browser cache to maintain good performance.
• Always empty the trash to delete files and free up space permanently.

Frequently Asked Questions