How to Speed Up Your Mac
It is absolutely normal to feel that your Mac has gotten considerably slower compared to the day when you first powered it on. This happens because the operating system and all sorts of software store cache files, run additional tasks, and perform loads of operations that may not be necessary. If you are feeling like your Mac is performing worse than it should, then we have some tips on how to speed up your Mac. These are beginner-friendly, so they are easy and safe to apply!
Table of Contents
Check for Heavy Processes
Many people forget that the hardware resources of their Mac are limited, and they cannot run ten times simultaneously, expecting all of them to run fine. You should regularly check the 'Activity Monitor' (accessible through Applications -> Utilities) to see if there are any processes consuming excessive CPU, RAM, or disk. If you find such apps and you are not using them, you should close them. Furthermore, if a program seems to be using an abnormally high of resources without doing anything, then restarting it is recommended.
Reduce Startup Items
Having all of your software readily available is great, but keeping Spotify, iTunes, Netflix, Skype, Telegram, uTorrent, Chrome, and dozens of other apps in the background may greatly hinder your Mac's performance. Close apps when you are done using them, and reduce the items that startup automatically whenever you boot up the computer. Shortly put, you can manage them through System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Login Items. For a more detailed guide, check out our post on How to Manage Mac Startup Programs.
Tone Down Visual Effects
The user interface (UI) of Macs looks magnificent, but every animation, shadow, and effect you see will drain power and battery. If you wish to trade off some of the fancier effects for better performance, then you can turn them down by going to System Preferences -> Dock and Menu Bar. Once there:
- Turn off 'Animate opening applications'.
- Turn off 'Automatically hide and show the Dock'.
- Set 'Minimize windows using:' to 'Scale Effect.'
Uninstall Unused Apps
Head to Finder -> Applications and check for any apps that you no longer need – remove them by using our quick guide on How to Uninstall Apps on Mac.
