Apple’s modern Mac lineup is one of the market’s most power-efficient and powerful range of computers, but it’s normal for older models to show signs of aging by slowing down. Like old age, it comes to us all eventually.
While the best remedy is to upgrade your Mac to a newer, more performant model, there are some other things you can do to help in the meantime. Here are 10 tweaks that can make your slowing Mac feel faster.
1Get Into the Habit of Restarting Your Mac
YourMac could slow down for numerous reasons, including memory usage, resource-heavy (or unresponsive) applications, minor software glitches, outdated versions of macOS, or hardware issues (including those related to the battery).
While it is difficult to pinpoint the issue from the get-go, you can start troubleshooting the problem with one of the oldest yet most effective ways: asoft reboot. When shutting down, macOS clears out all the active processes from memory, cuts power to the hardware, and reboots into a state where all thesystems are supposed to function with maximum efficiencyand speed.
To restart your Mac, click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and select Restart.
Unlike Windows users, many Mac users are used to just sleeping and waking their computers for weeks or months at a time without ever thinking about a reboot. Even though this is a valid way to use your computer, you could be leaving performance on the table.
Use this method for a quick performance boost whenever needed. However,developing a habit of restarting your Mactwice every week can help maintain healthy performance levels, especially if you’re using an older model.
2Limit Resource-Heavy Processes and Background Apps
Older Macs, especially the baseline variants,have only 8GB of RAM, which might be enough for light use. However, the lack of memory shows when youstart opening multiple apps or increasing the number of browser tabs.
After a while, as the number of active processes and background apps increases, the baseline Macs start lagging, an issue I’ve encountered several times on myM1 MacBook Air (8GB). To address this, consider closing resource-heavy processes and apps that are running in the background.
Sometimes, when you think you’ve closed an app, it keeps running in the background (denoted by the dot beneath the app’s icon in theDock). In this case, you’re able to right-click the app’s icon and select “Quit” from the context menu.
If the app isn’t responding, you canuse the Activity Monitor to close it. Use the Spotlight Search or Finder to open Activity Monitor, select the process name, and press the cross button in the upper-left corner.
Other apps live in the menu bar, in the top-right corner of the screen. You can click on these and select “Quit” or open the app fully and find the Quit option there instead.
3Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs
An effective tweak to make your Mac faster is toprune unwanted startup programs(the ones that load automatically upon booting up your Mac).
Whilestartup programs can be very convenientfor Mac owners who use the same set of apps as a routine, they occupy your Mac’s RAM right from when you log in. They can also take up a fair bit of processing power, as they all struggle to load at the same time, extending how long it takes for you to get to work.
Hence, it’s better to prune the startup programs. Go to Settings > General > Login Items, select the apps you can manage without, and press the minus sign at the bottom.
While in this menu, consider disabling the “Allow in the Background” feature. The feature allows apps to perform tasks such aschecking for updates or syncing data in the background, even when the app isn’t open, which occupies certain system resources.
4Optimize Browser Usage
Here’s another tweak to help you speed up your Mac: optimize your browser usage. If you’re using a baseline Mac with 8GB of RAM or less,consider switching to Safari, as it isoptimized to work with fewer resourcessince Apple tailors the browser to its own hardware.
If you already use Safari, use theTab Groups feature to organize related tabs. Once you’re done with the tabs, close the entire group to free up the system resources.
If you forget to close tabs manually, head to Safari > Settings > Tabs, and in the “Automatically close tabs” menu, select “after one day.” This way,Safari will remove tabs you haven’t used in a day, clearing up the RAM for other tasks.
5Reduce Transparency and Animations
Whether it is transparent UI elements or animations like the Genie that make minimizing a window look fun,such visual effects require some work from your Mac’s GPUand the CPU.
While newer Macs can handle the fancy visual effects without a flinch, older Macs with a less powerful chipset and fewer RAM might struggle to keep up with the effects and the active processes simultaneously. To end your Mac’s struggle, consider changing the following accessibility settings related to the display: enable “Reduce Motion,” “Reduce Transparency,” and disable “Auto-play animation images.”
This can help even on newer Macs by simply providing the illusion that your Mac is operating more smoothly.
6Reindex Spotlight for Smoother Search
Spotlight indexes all the files and data on your Mac, allowing it tolocate items quickly. However, with time, as you add, delete, and modify files, or due to software glitches or system crashes, the Spotlight index may get corrupted, leading to slower searches and higher CPU usage.
If you’re having problems with the Spotlight search (slow results or no responses),rebuilding the indexcan help solve the problem.
In a nutshell, you’ll have to go to the Siri & Spotlight menu, select Search Privacy (or Spotlight Privacy), drag a disk or folder into the privacy section, and then remove it for the reindexing to begin.
7Enable Automatic macOS Updates
Apple keeps pushing macOS updateswith bug fixes and performance-related improvements. More often than not, these updates also include security-related patches, which are even more critical.
Since it can be difficult to keep tabs on the releases, I’d advise you toenable automatic updates for your Mac. It’s a minor tweak but helps maintain your device’s performance.
To do so, head to Settings > General > Software Update, and click on the “i” button next to “Automatic updates.”
In the following menu, make sure that the following options are enabled: “Check for updates,” “Download new updates when available,” and “Install macOS updates.”
8Optimize Your Mac’s Storage
Everything you do on your Mac—storing files, installing and running apps, downloading updates, and all the temporary files associated with day-to-day tasks—requires free space. In theabsence of free storage, your Mac starts slowing down.
If your computer is running out of storage, freeing up some space (at least 10%) can restore the optimal performance. No method fits everyone; hence, you canadopt one of the many storage optimization techniques.
It stores all the files, photos, and messages in iCloud and keeps only the recent files on your Mac. Once uploaded, you canaccess the files on the go via iCloud Drive.
In the same menu, you can also review and enable the"Optimize Storage” option, which saves space by removing Apple TV movies and other TV shows you’ve already watched.
If you forget about cleaning the trash bin (like me), considerenabling “Empty Trash automatically.“The feature frees up storage space by permanently deleting items in the trash for over 30 days. You can also save space by enabling “Optimize Mac Storage” in the Photos app settings. The feature uploads the full-size images to iCloud while keeping a smaller, compressed version of the pictures on the device.
9Disable FileVault Encryption
Macs with Apple Silicon and those with the Apple T2 Security Chip havededicated hardware to facilitate the AES-XTS data encryption system, making the effect of FileVault encryption negligible.
However, on older devices, especially those with performance issues, disabling the feature can help free up valuable CPU resources, increase the read/write speed (otherwise going to encryption/decryption on the go), andresult in faster boot times.
This does come with the disadvantage of reduced security, but if you’re prioritizing performance, it can help. To disable FileVault, head to Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault, and select “Turn Off,” followed by “Turn off Encryption.”
10Replace Your MacBook’s Battery
This one applies to all the MacBook owners out there. If you’re experiencing significantly reducedbattery life, sudden or unexpected shutdowns, or even worse, it only works when plugged into the charger, consider contacting Apple support and replacing the battery.
you’re able to also check thebattery’s condition yourself. Go to Settings > Battery, and tap the “i” button beside Battery Health.
In the following menu, check the “Battery Condition” at the top. If there’s an issue with the battery, the field should read “Service recommended.” In this case, contact Apple support and schedule a replacement at your earliest convenience.
Hopefully you can put these tips to good use and speed up a sluggish Mac. If you’ve just purchased your computer, read about the10 hidden Mac features you should be using.
