macOS

Mac is running slow

Spinning beach ball, loud fan at idle and apps that take seconds to respond. Usually storage, login items or a runaway process.

Easy20–30 min6 steps

Read before you start

Back up before any clean-up. Removing caches and running "optimiser" apps can delete files you cannot replace, and a nearly full drive can fail part-way through a large delete.

This guide is for you if

  • Beach ball appearing constantly
  • Fan loud during simple tasks
  • Finder and Safari slow to respond

Step by step

Work top to bottom

0 of 6 steps done

  1. Check storage and memory

    System Settings → General → Storage, then Activity Monitor → Memory. Keep at least 10–15% of the startup disk free — macOS slows sharply when it fills.

  2. Clear the login items

    System Settings → General → Login Items: remove anything that opens by itself. Then restart properly instead of closing the lid for days.

    Uptime of several weeks is a common cause of creeping slowdown on a Mac.

  3. Update and restart

    Install pending macOS updates and restart. Check the version under Apple menu → About This Mac.

  4. Find the runaway process

    Activity Monitor, sorted by % CPU. A single process above 100% for minutes is your problem — quit it and see whether the machine recovers.

  5. Free space and tidy the Desktop

    Move large media to an external drive and clear the Desktop — macOS redraws every icon. Empty the Trash afterwards.

  6. Run a hardware check

    Intel Macs: hold D at startup for Apple Diagnostics. Apple silicon: use Apple's built-in support check. A worn battery or failing drive shows up as throttling long before it fails.