Mac: How to Speed Up Your Mac
- LaLine Ray
- Margaret Winward
Does it feel like your Mac is running slower than usual? Try these tips to get some speed back.
Instructions
Login items - if you have any apps that open automatically when your Mac boots up or when you wake it up, consider shutting them down so they don't open automatically and bog down your RAM.
Software Updates - If a specific app seems much slower, check for updates or if updates are already running. Also watch for Microsoft updates running in the background.
Browsers -
Check for updates.
Clear your cache and cookies.
Disable or remove any extensions or plugins you don't actively use. (Ublock Origin is an ad blocker and actually speeds up your browser, so leave that one on.)
Limit the tabs/windows you use to the fewest number you need for what you are working on. Each tab (especially if you are using Chrome) uses a similar amount of bandwidth as a full instance of the app and can use up your bandwidth very quickly.
Use an ad blocker extension (we use Ublock Origin for library computers) to limit the videos/animations that play on websites.
Desktop - Declutter your desktop. If you must have documents on your desktop, save them in your documents folder and use a shortcut (alias) on your desktop instead. Anything saved on your desktop has to be graphically rendered and updated constantly on your machine and uses more RAM than if you keep things in your Documents folder.
Applications - Close any applications you aren't actively using. (For those new to Mac, a dot under an app in the dock means it is still running even if you have closed all the active windows.)
Power - Your computer may have been on too long - If you let it sleep instead of shutting it down at the end of the day, background processes can build up, causing your Mac to slow down. Remember to shut it down on a regular basis.
Hard drive - Declutter your hard drive. Your hard drive acts as secondary RAM, so if it is full, it can't process things as quickly.
Uninstall old apps you don't use anymore.
Delete files you don't need and/or move what you can into Box.
Empty your trash.
Clear out your Downloads folder.
Other Applications - Be aware of any third-party or open source software you might have and how it uses system resources. Use Activity Monitor to see what is using the CPU and, more importantly, the RAM.
OS Updates - make sure you install any security updates that show up in System Preferences. Along with being more secure, they also include minor bug fixes which can help improve processing speed.
Network status - Many apps use a network connection for some of their processes. If your network is slow or unstable it will slow down those apps. If you are working remotely, keep an eye on your network speed.