Mac running slow: how to speed it up

Apps take a long time to open, the spinning wheel keeps appearing, or typing lags on your Mac. Work from quick checks to the settings that most often cause it, and nothing is deleted unless you choose to delete it.

Before you start

A slow Mac usually has one of a few causes: the disk is almost full, one app is using far more than its share, too many apps open at startup, or the software is out of date. Each fix below takes about 2 to 5 minutes. Stop as soon as the Mac feels normal again.

The steps use the names in macOS Ventura and later, where the settings app is called System Settings. On macOS Monterey and earlier it is called System Preferences, and some items sit in different places. Use the search box in the settings window if you cannot find one.

Try these fixes in order

Fix 1: Restart the Mac

A restart clears memory and stops background tasks that have gone wrong. It takes about 2 minutes.

1. Save your work in every open app.
2. Choose Apple menu then Restart.
3. If a box asks whether to reopen windows, clear that option for a cleaner start, then click Restart.
4. Wait for the login window, sign in, and use the Mac for a few minutes.

Fix 2: Check how full the disk is

Apple lists low free space on the startup disk as a common cause of slowness. Aim for plenty of free room rather than a nearly full disk.

1. Choose Apple menu then System Settings then General then Storage. You may need to scroll the sidebar to find General.
2. Wait for the colored bar to finish calculating. It shows how much space is free.
3. Click the storage recommendations you want to use, then follow the prompts.
4. Move large photos, videos and old downloads to an external drive, then delete what you no longer need.

On macOS Monterey and earlier, choose Apple menu then About This Mac then Storage then Manage. For a full walk-through, see what to do when your Mac storage is full.

Fix 3: Find the app that is using the most

Activity Monitor is the Mac's built-in list of everything that is running. It shows which app is slowing you down.

1. Open Finder, choose Go then Utilities, and double-click Activity Monitor. Or press Command + Space, type Activity Monitor and press Return.
2. Click the CPU tab, then click the % CPU column heading to sort. The busiest item moves to the top.
3. Click the Memory tab and sort by Memory in the same way.
4. Look for an app near the top that you recognize and are not using. Quit it normally from its own menu first.
5. If it will not quit, select it in Activity Monitor, click the X button in the toolbar, then click Quit. Use Force Quit only if Quit does nothing.

Browser tabs are a frequent culprit, so close tabs you are not using. Apple also advises quitting apps that your Mac does not support. If an app keeps freezing, see how to force quit a frozen app.

Fix 4: Stop apps opening at startup

Every app that opens at login uses memory and slows the first minutes after you sign in.

1. Choose Apple menu then System Settings then General then Login Items & Extensions. You may need to scroll to find it.
2. Under the list of items that open at login, select an app you do not need immediately.
3. Click the Remove button (a minus sign) below the list.

This does not uninstall the app. You can still open it by hand. On macOS Monterey and earlier, open System Preferences then Users & Groups then Login Items. Windows users can read the matching guide on startup programs and slow boot.

Fix 5: Install updates

1. Choose Apple menu then System Settings then General then Software Update.
2. If an update is listed, click Update Now and keep the Mac plugged in while it installs.
3. Also open the App Store from the Dock and install updates for your apps.

The Mac can be slower for a while after an update because it does extra work in the background. Give it some time before judging.

Fix 6: Check the disk with Disk Utility

Apple suggests running Disk Utility if you have disk problems. First Aid checks the disk and tries to fix problems it finds. It cannot repair a failing drive.

1. Back up your Mac first if you can.
2. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
3. Select your startup volume in the sidebar. It is usually named Macintosh HD.
4. Click First Aid, then click Run and follow the prompts.

If it still feels slow

• Check that the slowness is not your internet connection rather than the Mac. If only websites are slow, see Mac Wi-Fi problems.
• Pop-ups claiming your Mac is infected, or cleaner programs that promise a speed boost, are a common trick. Never install one. See what to do about a fake virus pop-up.
• If you are worried about unwanted software, see how to run a malware scan.
• Starting in safe mode can show whether software that loads at startup is the cause. See Mac safe mode and resetting NVRAM or SMC.
• A very old Mac may be too old for the current macOS and for modern websites. Check Apple's compatibility list for your model before upgrading.

Frequently asked questions