9 Things That Might Have Your Mac Running Slow

Technology juggernaut Apple, Inc. reported recently that revenue for its fiscal third quarter, which ended June 27, 2020, totaled nearly $60 billion — $59.7 is the exact figure. Strong earnings should come as no surprise, as the most recent iteration of MacBooks is garnering positive reviews, especially in comparison to the older Air and Pro models with their troublesome butterfly keyboards. In addition to the laptop sector, iPads, iPhones, wearable tech such as Apple Watches, and other products and services are all performing well.

If you’re unable to upgrade, however, you may find your aging Mac running slow. That’s why we’ve compiled these tips and tricks to help boost its sluggish performance and make it feel a little more like a brand-new machine.

1. What’s Your OS?

One reason your Mac might be crawling when it’s supposed to be sprinting? An outdated OS. There’s really no reason not to be using the most current operating system, since they are released regularly by Apple as free upgrades. Each new MacOS provides enhanced performance and improved security.

2. Have You Tried Turning It…

All together now: “…off and then back on again?”

At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, this is still a valid question to ask. Sometimes a quick reboot is the kick-in-the-pants that your computer needs to start behaving again.

Note that we’re talking about actually powering down, not restarting. So go ahead and give that a whirl — bookmark this page first so you can come back to it if you need more tips on

3. Monitor Your Mac’s Activity

Knowing what is causing your Mac to run so slowly is important, since otherwise you’ll be at a bit of a loss to help it gain speed. Do a Spotlight search for your Activity Monitor, then sort the items by CPU%. Watch the fluctuations for a while to get a sense of which apps are using more than their fair share. Then you can address them one by one.

Check for upgrades; often, an app that’s out of date can cause the system to crawl. You may also simply need to uninstall an app and find an alternative.

4. Chrome Could Be to Blame

When you fire up your laptop in the morning and go about your digital routine — catching up on Facebook, IG, or Twitter, checking your emails, or reading the news — what browser do you use?

Google makes it awfully convenient for people to choose Chrome, especially if they use any other apps in the G-Suite, such as Gmail or Google Docs. Others steer clear of it for that very reason, loathe to give Apple any more information about and control over their information and web browsing than it already has.

Regardless of whether you have welcomed our new Google overlords or are still  fighting the good fight to maintain a modicum of privacy, Chrome might not be the best choice for people who are logging on with a MacBook.

Both Safari and Firefox are neck-and-neck in the competition for Best Browser, and there are several open-source options, like Opera and Brave, that are lesser known but still contenders. Which is the right browser for you depends on your computing habits, level of concern about security and privacy, and personal preference. It’s worthwhile to give Chrome a break and see how another browser stacks up.

5. Editing Apps

While we’re on the topic of how you use your Mac, remember that certain apps simply gobble up more resources and storage than others. This is particularly true for apps and programs that allow you to edit video, audio, or images.

If you routinely use Garage Band, iMovie, Photoshop, or similar, you may just have to grin and bear it — or opt for a more powerful  machine the next time you purchase a new computer.

6. Media Storage Snags

Similarly, even just storing a lot of videos, audio files, or photos on your Mac may be causing the sluggishness you see. If you sync photos from your iPhone, the hard drive on your MacBook is going to fill up fast. Take some time to sort through all of those old selfies and snaps of your restaurant meals and delete what you don’t want to keep. Then turn your attention to videos and music.

Another way to free up space is to move these items to an external hard drive or back them up to the cloud. It’s probably a good idea to keep copies in your possession, rather than rely solely on cloud storage, but it’s not necessary to have them on your internal drive.

7. Win the Storage Wars

Sometimes, all your MacBook needs is a data cleanup. The more crowded its SSD becomes, the slower it will run. You can check out how much free space remains on your MacBook’s drive by clicking the Apple logo in the top left, select About This Mac and then click the Storage tab. If you are approaching maximum capacity, click the Manage button to free up some space. Here, you’ll see four recommendations for reclaiming free drive space. 

8. Perform Some First Aid

It can be dangerous to go behind the scenes or your Mac and start poking around. Unless you’re a very experienced user, don’t try to DIY your computer disk utility, clean up, or other first aid actions. Luckily, there are tools that will take care of cleanup and maintenance chores for you. Some of these, like Disk Utility, are built into the MacOS; others are free to download and run. They will clean out duplicate files, unused apps and widgets, and any other clutter that’s impacting your computer’s speed and performance.

9. Starting Up May Be Slowing You Down

Let’s say you do power down occasionally, and it seems that each time you try to boot up again, it takes longer and longer for your Mac to come alive. That may very well be due to mac startup programs. Here’s how to investigate these potential culprits:

Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups. Click on the Login Items tab, which is where you’ll find a list of all apps that automatically open at startup. From there, it’s an easy job to remove unnecessary ones.

Mac Running Slow? Don’t Despair!

As you can see, there are plenty of tips and tricks to try before giving your current Mac the ol’ heave-ho. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to speed things up without much time of effort, so you can get back to work!

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