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How to Kill Background Processes on Your Mac: 2 Best Methods

Easily kill background tasks and speed up your Mac.

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Last updated: September 8, 2024

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TL;DR

To kill background processes on your Mac:

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Finder > Applications > Utilities.
  2. Find the process and click the X button at the top.
  3. Choose Quit or Force Quit to terminate the process.

Tried and Tested ✅: The methods and steps mentioned in this article have been tried and tested firsthand by Ojash Yadav on his MacBook Pro M3 and rechecked for errors on Hashir’s MacBook Air M2.

Has your Mac suddenly slowed down for no clear reason? I’ve experienced that too, and it turned out that background processes were quietly taking up resources. Here’s what I did to stop them and get my Mac running smoothly again.

How to Kill Background Processes on Your Mac

Why You Can Trust MacBook Journal verify badge We always conduct first-hand research and verify every method or solution we present, ensuring you receive reliable and effective advice. Learn more about our process.

I’ve outlined the 2 most effective ways to kill background processes on your Mac:

1. Using Activity Monitor

Activity Monitor offers detailed system insights and allows you to terminate background processes that are consuming excessive resources. Here’s how to use Activity Monitor to kill background processes on your Mac:

  1. Open Activity Monitor by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.
open activity monitor in utilities
  1. Once Activity Monitor is open, you’ll see a list of active processes displayed in the main window, sorted by their usage of system resources such as CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, Network, or Cache.
  2. Identify the background process you want to terminate by browsing the list or using the search box at the top-right corner.
activity monitor search bar
  1. Select the process you want to terminate to highlight it and click the X button in the top toolbar.
click x in the top bar to close a program
  1. A confirmation window will appear, asking if you want to Quit or Force Quit the process.
  2. Click the Quit button in the confirmation window to terminate the selected process.
click quit on the activity monitor pop up

2. Using a Terminal

The Terminal provides direct control over system processes, allowing you to manually kill background processes using commands. Here’s how to use the Terminal to kill background processes:

  1. Launch Terminal by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal, or use Spotlight search by pressing Command ⌘ + Space and typing Terminal.
type terminal in spotlight search
  1. Type the following command in Terminal and press Enter:
top
type top in terminal
  1. It will display a list of running processes and their corresponding process IDs (PIDs).
running processes and their process ids in terminal
  1. Locate a process using excessive system resources and note its PID. It’s written to the left of the process name.
pids in terminal
  1. Next, use the following command to kill the process and press Enter:
kill -9 <PID number>
type kill 9 pid number command in terminal

For example, if the PID is 12345, type kill -9 12345 and press Enter.

It’s essential to exercise caution, as terminating critical system processes can lead to data loss or system instability. Ensure you’re targeting the correct process by verifying its name and PID before executing any kill commands.

How to Kill Unresponsive Processes

The Force Quit feature is a built-in tool on your Mac that allows you to forcibly terminate unresponsive or unwanted applications, including background processes. Here is how to use the Force Quit feature on Mac:

  1. Press the Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Escape keys simultaneously.
macbook pro option command esc
  1. A window will appear, displaying a list of active applications.
force quit applications window
  1. Select the application you want to terminate from the list.
  2. Click the Force Quit button at the bottom of the window.
force quit any processes that are causing problems
  1. Confirm that you want to force quit the application, and it will be terminated.
uconfirm by clicking force quit

Please note that force quitting an application may result in unsaved data being lost, so use this feature carefully and only when necessary.

Prevent Unnecessary Background Processes

To stop unwanted apps from launching at startup, remove unnecessary startup items. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > General > Login Items. You can also use MacKeeper to easily scan and remove these items for smoother startup performance.

Avoid Background Processes Overloading Your Mac

Background processes can make your Mac slow. Now that you know how to kill background processes on your Mac, you can preserve your system resources for other useful functions.

Here are some more tips for you to optimize your Mac’s performance:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can killing background processes cause any harm to my Mac?

Killing background processes can cause harm to your Mac if you’re not careful. It can lead to data loss if you close applications without saving your work or cause system instability if you terminate essential system processes. Make sure you know what processes you’re terminating and why.

What’s the difference between quitting and force-quitting a process on Mac?

Quitting and force-quitting a process on Mac are two different things. Quitting a process attempts to close it gracefully, allowing it to save any unsaved data and perform any necessary cleanup. On the other hand, force-quitting abruptly terminates the process without giving it a chance to perform these actions, which can lead to data loss.

How do I know which background processes are safe to kill on Mac?

To know which background processes are safe to kill on Mac, check the process name in the Activity Monitor. Generally, processes linked to user-installed applications are safe to terminate. Avoid stopping processes related to macOS or system services unless you’re certain they’re causing issues.

Is it necessary to kill background processes on Mac regularly?

No, it’s not necessary to kill background processes on Mac regularly. Macs are designed to handle multiple background processes efficiently. However, if you notice performance issues, killing some background processes may be a good idea to free up system resources.

Ojash

Author

Hi there! I'm Ojash, a tech journalist with over a decade of experience in the industry. I've had the privilege of contributing to some of the world's largest tech publications, making my mark as a respected Mac expert. My passion lies in exploring, using, and writing about MacBooks, and I enjoy sharing my expertise to help others make informed decisions and get the most out of their MacBook experience. Join me as we delve into the fascinating world of MacBooks together!

Hashir Ibrahim

Reviewer

I'm Hashir, a tech journalist with a decade of experience. My work has been featured in some of the top tech publications like MakeUseOf and MakeTechEasier. I have a bachelor's degree in IT, a master's in cybersecurity, and extensive knowledge of Apple hardware, specifically MacBooks. As the senior writer at MacBook Journal, I write in depth guides that help you solve any issues you have with your mac and unbiased reviews that help you make the right buying decisions.

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