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Mac Task Manager Equivalent and How To Use It

Track system performance with ease.

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Last updated: September 19, 2024

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TL;DR

The Mac equivalent of Task Manager is called Activity Monitor. Here is how to open it:

  1. Press Command ⌘ + Space to open Spotlight.
  2. Type Activity Monitor.
  3. Click Activity Monitor from the search results to open it.

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.

If you want to check what’s going on inside your Mac, Activity Monitor is the tool you need. I’ve used it to understand my Mac’s performance, and in this post, I’ll show you how to use it to get all the key info about your system.

What Is the Mac Task Manager Equivalent?

The Mac equivalent of Task Manager is called Activity Monitor. It shows you all the apps and processes running on your Mac, just like Task Manager does on a Windows computer. You can use it to:

  • See which apps use the most CPU, memory, or energy.
  • Close apps or processes that aren’t responding.
  • Monitor network and disk activity.

How to Open the Task Manager on Mac

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Below, I’ve shared all the methods you can use to open Activity Monitor on your Mac.

1. From Spotlight

To open the Activity Monitor from Spotlight, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Command ⌘ + Space keys or click the magnifying icon in the menu bar to open Spotlight Search.
macbook air command space keys
  1. In the search bar that appears on your screen, type Activity Monitor.
type activity monitor in spotlight search
  1. As you type, Spotlight will start displaying search results. Look for the Activity Monitor application in the results list.
  2. Once you see the Activity Monitor app, click to open the utility.
click the activity monitor app in spotlight search

The Activity Monitor will launch, providing you with detailed information about the processes and resource usage on your Mac.

2. From Finder

To open the Activity Monitor from Finder, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open a new Finder window by clicking the Finder icon in the Dock.
click finder in your dock
  1. Click Applications in the left sidebar.
click applications in the left sidebar of finder
  1. Scroll down and find the Utilities folder.
open utilities in applications
  1. Navigate through the Utilities folder to find the Activity Monitor application.
open activity monitor in utilities

Once you find the Activity Monitor application, double-click to open the utility.

3. From Launchpad

To open the Activity Monitor from Launchpad, you can follow these steps:

  1. Click the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
click the launchpad icon in the dock
  1. The Launchpad will open, displaying a grid of application icons and a search bar on the top.
all apps in launchpad
  1. Type Activity Monitor in the search bar and it will display the Activity Monitor app icon.
  2. Click the Activity Monitor icon to launch the utility.
type activity monitor in the search bar and double click the app icon

This will launch the Activity Monitor app on your Mac.

How to Use Activity Monitor on Mac

Using the Activity Monitor is easy but you have to familiarize yourself with the interface and how to use its indicators. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Check CPU Usage on Mac

To check CPU usage on Mac using Activity Monitor, follow these steps:

  1. Open Activity Monitor. You can find it in the Applications folder, under Utilities, or use Spotlight Search (press Command ⌘ + Space and type Activity Monitor).
open activity monitor in utilities
  1. Once Activity Monitor is open, click the CPU tab at the top of the window. This will show you the CPU-related information.
  2. In the CPU pane, you’ll see a list of processes and applications, with their corresponding CPU usage percentages. The higher the percentage, the more CPU resources that process or application is consuming.
cpu usage by percentage in the cpu tab
  1. To sort the processes by CPU usage, click on the % CPU column header. This will arrange the list in descending order, making it easier to identify which processes are using the most CPU.
cpu percentage in activity monitor

2. Check RAM Usage on Mac

To check RAM usage on Mac using Activity Monitor, follow these steps:

  1. Open Activity Monitor by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities.
open activity monitor in utilities
  1. Once the Activity Monitor is open, click the Memory tab at the top of the window. This will show you the RAM-related information.
memory tab in activity monitor
  1. You’ll find a list of processes and applications, along with their corresponding memory usage. The Memory column displays the amount of RAM being used by each process.
memory usage column in activity monitor
  1. At the bottom of the RAM pane, you’ll see a summary of your Mac’s total physical memory, memory used, cached files, and swap used.
memory stats in the bottom pane

3. Check Energy Use on Mac

To check energy use on Mac using Activity Monitor, follow these steps:

  1. Open Activity Monitor by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities.
open activity monitor in utilities
  1. Once the Activity Monitor is open, click the Energy tab at the top of the window. This will display the energy-related information.
energy tab in activity monitor
  1. In the Energy pane, you’ll see a list of processes and applications, along with their corresponding energy impact. The higher the energy impact value, the more power the application is consuming.
energy impact column in activity monitor

Additionally, you can observe other metrics such as App Nap, 12 hr Power, and Preventing Sleep in the Energy pane to gain further insights into the energy usage of specific applications.

energy impact 12 hr power app nap preventing sleep column headers
  • App Nap: Shows if an app is saving energy by reducing power when not active or visible.
  • 12 hr Power: Displays the average energy impact of an app over the past 12 hours.
  • Preventing Sleep: Indicates if an app is stopping your Mac from going to sleep, increasing energy use.

4. Check Disk Activity on Mac

To check disk activity on Mac using Activity Monitor, follow these steps:

  1. Open Activity Monitor by typing Activity Monitor in the Spotlight Search. You can open Spotlight by pressing Command ⌘ + Space.
type activity monitor in spotlight search
  1. Once the Activity Monitor is open, click the Disk tab at the top of the window. This will display the disk-related information.
disk tab in activity monitor
  1. In the Disk pane, you’ll see a list of processes and applications, with their corresponding read and write data rates. The Bytes Written and Bytes Read columns show the amount of data being read from and written to the disk by each process.
bytes written bytes read columns
  1. You can also check the average disk usage at the bottom of the Disk pane in Data read/sec and Data written/sec options.
data read data written per sec

      5. Check Network Activity on Mac

      To check network activity on Mac using Activity Monitor, follow these steps:

      1. Open Activity Monitor using Spotlight Search. Press Command ⌘ + Space and type Activity Monitor.
      type activity monitor in spotlight search
      1. Once the Activity Monitor is open, click the Network tab at the top of the window. This will display the network-related information.
      network tab in activity monitor
      1. In the Network pane, you’ll see a list of processes and applications, along with their corresponding network usage. The Sent Bytes and Rcvd Bytes columns show the amount of data being sent and received by each process.
      sent bytes rcvd bytes columns

      You can also use the Network pane to monitor other network-related information such as the Sent Packets and Rcvd Packets column, which displays the number of packets being sent and received by each process.

      sent packets rcvd packets columns

      What Is the Control-Alt-Delete Shortcut for Mac?

      On a Mac, the equivalent to the Windows Control-Alt-Delete shortcut is Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Escape. However, this keyboard shortcut doesn’t open the Activity Monitor. Instead, it opens the Force Quit Applications window, which is like a mini version of Activity Monitor.

      force quit applications window

      Here’s how to force quit an app using Force Quit Applications on Mac:

      1. Press the Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Escape shortcut or click the Apple icon and select Force Quit.
      click the apple icon and select force quit
      1. The Force Quit Applications window will appear, displaying a list of currently running applications.
      apps currently open in force quit window
      1. Find the app you want to force quit from the list. If the application is unresponsive or frozen, its name may be highlighted in red.
      2. Select the application by clicking it once. Click the Force Quit button in the bottom-right corner of the window.
      force quit any processes that are causing problems
      1. A confirmation dialog will appear, asking if you want to force quit the selected application. Click Force Quit to proceed.
      confirm by clicking force quit
      1. The application will be forcefully terminated, closing all its associated processes.

      Please note that force quitting an application may result in any unsaved data being lost, so it’s recommended to save your work before proceeding with force quitting.

      Use Mac Task Manager Equivalent Like a Pro

      The Activity Monitor is a powerful tool for managing and understanding your Mac’s performance. Activity Monitor provides a comprehensive view of your Mac’s performance, from monitoring CPU and memory usage to tracking energy consumption.

      If you need more help, here are some more tips for you:

      Frequently Asked Questions

      How do I get to Task Manager on Mac?

      To access Task Manager on a Mac, open Activity Monitor. Press Command ⌘ + Space to open Spotlight search, type Activity Monitor and hit Enter. It provides detailed information about CPU, memory, energy, disk, network, and cache usage.

      Why can’t I open Task Manager on Mac?

      If you can’t open Activity Monitor (Task Manager on Mac), it may be due to restricted permissions or system issues. Try restarting your Mac, checking your user permissions, or running Disk Utility to check for disk errors. If problems persist, contact Apple Support.

      How to clear RAM Mac using Activity Monitor?

      To clear RAM on a Mac using Activity Monitor, open the application, click the Memory tab, select a process that’s consuming a lot of memory, and click the x button to quit the process. This can help free up RAM.

      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

      Hello! I'm Hashir, a seasoned tech journalist with a unique blend of academic expertise and hands-on experience. With a bachelor's in IT, a master's in cybersecurity, and over a decade in the industry, I've built a reputation for demystifying complex Apple hardware. My work has been featured in top tech outlets like MakeUseOf and MakeTechEasier. As the senior writer at MacBook Journal, I write guides that help you solve any issues you have with your mac.

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