Mac Lagging? 10 Proven Methods to Accelerate Your Device
By: RebootPoint_employee | Published: February 9, 2024
Photo by Domenico Loia
Mac computers are not cheap since they are made with high-quality components that are trademarked with Apple’s name and can last for many years. However, even newer Macs might slow down from time to time, which can be rather unpleasant. Fortunately, the issue may be resolved by altering a few settings and removing a few items. We’ve compiled a list of items that may help your Mac run faster.
1. Check the activity monitor
It can be difficult to keep track of which apps are currently operating and which apps consume the most power on your Mac. Knowing these things can assist you in understanding how to boost the speed, which is possible with the help of the activity monitor. You can easily open the activity monitor by searching “Activity monitor” in the Spotlight tool, which you can access by pressing “Command” and the spacebar at the same moment. You may also access the Activity monitor from the Launchpad shortcuts, where you can locate most apps.
2. Close background apps
Did you know that tapping the X in the top right corner of an app does not totally close it down and that the app may still be operating and using power? When you close an app, it normally freezes or continues to operate in the background, which might deplete your internet connection, battery, and overall processing. There are several ways to turn it off completely.
You can stop a process or program via the Activity Monitor, which will fully stop the application’s activity. There is also a method for shutting down an app from the taskbar by right-clicking it and selecting “Force Quit.”
3. Free up storage
Some Mac computers have 256 GB of internal storage, which may not be adequate for some users. Having full storage will be terrible not only for storage space but also for your Mac’s performance and processing power, as having more than 90% of storage space taken is usually the cause of your Mac being slow.
That is why you should consider purchasing a Mac with a large quantity of storage space or SSD storage, as these options give greater storage and performance for your Mac.
4. Remove login programs
You might notice that your MacBook takes a long time to boot up every time you turn it on. Having this problem doesn’t necessarily mean that your laptop isn’t powerful, but it can be caused by login programs, which turn on automatically at boot time.
On your screen, click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner. Select “System Preferences” from the list of options. There will then be a window appearing with some apps. Choose “Users & Groups” and choose the account you wish to change.
There are two headers which are “Password” and “Login Items” and you will want to press on the latter one. Then you can see all the apps and functions that start up while you are logging in and you can add or remove these apps and more by pressing the + and – signs on the bottom left of the window and you’re all set.
5. Check the WiFi router
Sometimes the problem is not totally with your Mac, but rather with an external source, most commonly your WiFi connection. When it comes to internet problems, the most typical issues are placing your router in an inconvenient location or just having a lousy connection due to the price you’re paying. However, there are techniques to improve your internet connection. You can acquire a WiFi repeater, update your WiFi router, relocate your router, or connect your Mac to the internet through an ethernet cable if possible.
6. Remove stuff on your home screen
Files, programs, and widgets are examples of items that may appear on your home screen. Having these items on your home screen can cause your computer to slow down because they use GPU power. Some information, such as weather forecasts, should be presented, but most of the widgets you have probably waste performance because you don’t pay attention to them.
7. Reduce animations
When you launch or dismiss an app, animations occur. These animations are useless because they just slow down your Mac to make things look more smoothly. If you don’t mind having a more static approach to opening apps and other tasks, then removing animations can be highly beneficial for improving Mac performance.
Open up the Apple menu by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left corner. Click on System Preferences → Accessibility → Display and turn on “Reduce Motion.” Reduce Motion disables some features and animations, which helps make the Mac go faster.
8. Your Mac might be infected
In some cases, slow computers are caused by viruses or malware downloaded by mistake. In order to gain access to your device, malware disguises itself as another app. You may not notice your computer has been affected by a virus until it is too late, but do not worry because there are ways to prevent and fix it.
Cleanmymac X
Keeping your Mac computer clean on the outside will make it more appealing to the eyes, but you must also ensure that the software inside is clean so that it can last for many years. With Cleanmymac X, you can remove unnecessary files and applications and search for malware and viruses that may slow down your computer.
9. Download the latest updates
If you want to speed up your Macbook, you can do so by downloading the recommended updates and patches that Apple reminds you about. Usually, these downloads are meant to fix bugs and increase your system’s processing power so that you can work faster, better, and safer.
In the app “Software Update,” you can find the updates you have missed or have not downloaded. In the top left corner of your desktop, you will find two options for accessing “Software Update.” First, select System Settings → General, and then click Software Update on the right. The second option is to click on “System Preferences” and then choose “Software Update” in the window.
10. Increase the RAM memory
“Random Access Memory” is a type of memory that is used to retrieve data quickly and the more you have, the faster your computer will be. In order to speed up your mac, you should consider upgrading its RAM if it is expandable or replaceable. Multitasking on your laptop will be improved if you have more RAM. You can also improve the overall performance of your laptop by expanding your RAM, since RAM allows it to run most of the tasks it performs every day, such as browsing the web, loading programs, etc.
