30 Ways To Fix A Slow Mac: How To Make a Mac Run Like New in 2026

We’ve all been in a situation when a Mac suddenly becomes slow, apps stop responding, your Mac freezes or you see the dreaded spinning beach ball.

A slow Mac can be caused by many things including low disk space, background processes, outdated software or apps consuming too many system resources.

The good news is that most problems can be fixed quickly without reinstalling macOS or replacing your Mac. They can also be fixed with free tools within macOS – there’s usually no need for third party software.

However, before trying any of the fixes below, we strongly recommend backing up your Mac with Time Machine in case you accidentally delete something important.

Quick Fixes If Your Mac Is Running Slow

If your Mac suddenly feels sluggish, try these quick fixes first.

1. Restart your Mac.
2. Make sure at least 10–20% of your storage is free.
3. Close apps using excessive CPU in Activity Monitor.
4. Close unused browser tabs and extensions.
5. Empty the Trash and Downloads folder.
6. Check for macOS updates.
7. Restart your web browser.

Common Slow Mac Problems (Quick Diagnosis)

This table aims to help you quickly identify the likely cause before trying more detailed fixes.

Symptom	Likely Cause	Quick Fix
Mac suddenly slow	Runaway app	Check Activity Monitor
Mac slow startup	Too many login items	Disable startup apps
Mac slow after update	Spotlight indexing	Wait or rebuild indexing
Mac slow with free storage	Low RAM usage	Check RAM usage of apps
Mac running hot and fans loud	CPU-heavy process	Quit or Force Quit the app

Why Is My Mac So Slow?

Before fixing the issue, it helps to understand what usually causes a Mac to run slowly.

The most common reasons include:

• Low disk space
• Too many startup apps
• Apps consuming excessive CPU or RAM
• Browser extensions or too many tabs
• Malware or adware
• Background syncing (iCloud, Photos)
• macOS updates performing background tasks

In many cases, simply identifying which app or process is using resources will reveal the problem.

If your Mac has suddenly started running slowly, try the steps below to get it running smoothly again.

1. Restart Your Mac First

This may sound obvious, but many people leave their Mac running for weeks or even months.

Over time, background processes, temporary files and memory usage can build up and slow things down.

Restarting your Mac:

• Clears temporary system caches
• Frees RAM used by stuck apps
• Stops runaway background processes

To restart:

1. Click the Apple menu
2. Select Restart

If your Mac hasn’t been restarted recently, this alone can noticeably improve performance.

2. Check Available Storage Space

One of the most common causes of a slow Mac is low disk space.

macOS needs free storage to create temporary files, virtual memory and system caches.

As a rule of thumb, try to keep at least 10–20% of your storage free.

To check storage:

1. Click Apple menu
2. Select About This Mac and click on More Info…
3. Click Storage

If your drive is nearly full, clearing space can dramatically improve performance.

3. Find Large Files Taking Up Space

Over time, large files can accumulate on your Mac without you realizing it.

These often include:

• Old video files
• Downloads
• Disk images (.DMG files)
• Duplicate photos
• iPhone backups

Recent versions of macOS also create system snapshots, which can consume significant space.

A disk analyzer can quickly reveal what’s taking up space. Tools like DaisyDisk provide a visual breakdown of storage so you can easily locate large files.

Just be cautious before deleting system snapshots or system files.

4. Use macOS Storage Optimization

Since macOS High Sierra, Apple has included built-in storage optimization tools.

To access them:

1. Click Apple menu
2. Select About This Mac and click on More Info…
3. Scroll down to Storage Settings… and click on it
4. Select Optimize… and macOS will automatically remove watched movies and TV shows

From here you can also:

• Empty the Trash automatically
• Store files in iCloud
• Remove large attachments

These tools make it easier to reclaim storage safely.

5. Close Apps Using Too Much CPU

Sometimes a single app can cause your Mac to slow down dramatically. When an application consumes excessive CPU or memory, it can cause:

• System slowdowns
• Loud fan noise
• Overheating
• The spinning beach ball

To check this:

1. Open Activity Monitor
2. Click the CPU tab
3. Sort by % CPU

If an app is using an unusually high percentage of CPU:

1. Double-click the process
2. Select Quit
3. Or choose Force Quit

You can also click the Disk tab in Activity Monitor to see if a process is constantly reading or writing to disk, which can slow your Mac.

If the app repeatedly causes problems, try updating or uninstalling and then reinstalling it.

For more help, check our guide on how to check which apps are slowing down a Mac.

6. Check Login Items

Many apps automatically launch when your Mac starts even if you didn’t specifically authorize them to. If your Mac feels slow immediately after logging in, background apps listed under App Background Activity may still be launching.

Too many startup apps can slow down your Mac significantly.

To review startup apps:

1. Open System Settings
2. Select General
3. Click Login Items

Disable any apps that don’t need to start automatically.

Below this, you can also review the apps listed in App Background Activity and deactivate any that are running in the background, even when you’re not using them.

This can noticeably improve startup speed and overall performance.

For more tips, check out our guide on how to stop apps launching on startup on a Mac.

7. Check for Malware

Although Macs are generally secure, malware and adware can still affect performance.

Malicious software may:

• Consume CPU resources
• Display ads
• Track browsing activity
• Install background processes

A good tool for detecting Mac malware is Malwarebytes for Mac, which scans for and removes known threats.

Running a quick scan can rule out malware as a cause of your slow Mac.

8. Update macOS

Outdated versions of macOS can contain bugs that affect performance.

Apple frequently releases updates that include:

• Performance improvements
• Security patches
• Bug fixes

To check for updates:

1. Open System Settings
2. Click General
3. Select Software Update

Installing updates can often resolve unexplained slowdowns.

For more help, check our guide on how to update a Mac.

9. Update Your Apps

Old apps that haven’t been optimized for modern versions of macOS can slow down your system.

This is especially true on Apple Silicon Macs.

Check for updates in:

• The Mac App Store and clicking on the Updates tab on the left
• The app’s built-in updater
• The developer’s website

Updating apps ensures they run efficiently on newer versions of macOS.

10. Reduce Desktop Clutter

Every file on your desktop must be loaded into memory when Finder starts.

If your desktop is filled with hundreds of files, it can slow down Finder.

Try:

• Moving files into folders
• Archiving old items
• Using the Stacks feature in Finder

This small change can improve the responsiveness of your Mac.

11. Move Large Files to an External Drive

If your Mac’s internal storage is nearly full, moving large files to an external drive can help.

This is particularly useful for:

• Photos
• Videos
• Archived projects
• Disk images

External SSDs especially Thunderbolt external drives or those connected by USB‑C are extremely fast and inexpensive.

Moving files off your main drive frees space and improves system performance.

12. Reduce Browser Extensions

Web browsers can slow down dramatically when too many extensions are installed.

This is especially true in Google Chrome and Safari.

Try:

• Removing unused extensions
• Closing unused tabs
• Restarting your browser

To add and remove extensions in Safari:

• Click on Safari in the top left of your screen and Safari Extensions…

To add and remove extensions in Google Chrome:

• Click on the three dots in the top right of the screen and select Extensions > Manage Extensions.

Browsers are one of the most common causes of Mac slowdowns.

13. Reset the SMC (Intel Macs Only)

On Intel-based Macs, the System Management Controller (SMC) controls:

• Power management
• Fans
• Thermal management

Resetting it can sometimes fix performance or overheating issues. To do this, it’s best to follow Apple’s official SMC reset instructions as they differ depending on the Mac you have.

Apple Silicon Macs do not require SMC resets, as the system manages this automatically.

14. Rebuild Spotlight Indexing

If your Mac is constantly using CPU or disk activity in the background, Spotlight indexing may be stuck or corrupted.

This can cause processes like mds or mdworker to run continuously, which may slow your Mac down.

You can rebuild the Spotlight index to fix this.

Option 1: Rebuild the Index in System Settings

1. Open System Settings
2. Click Spotlight
3. Scroll down and click on Search Privacy
4. Use the “+” symbol to add your main drive or home folder to the list and click Done.
5. Then go back in and use the “-” symbol to remove it again.

Spotlight will then automatically start rebuilding the index.

Option 2: Force a Reindex Using Terminal

If the option isn’t visible in System Settings, you can rebuild the index manually:

1. Open Terminal
2. Run the following command:

sudo mdutil -E /

Enter your Mac password when prompted.

This forces macOS to erase and rebuild the Spotlight index, which may take some time depending on the size of your drive.

During the reindexing process your Mac may temporarily use more CPU, but performance should return to normal once it finishes.

15. Check Your Mac’s Age

If your Mac is more than 6–8 years old, hardware limitations may be the cause.

Older Macs with traditional hard drives are particularly vulnerable to slowdowns.

To check the age of your Mac go to:

• Apple logo > About This Mac

The date of model year of the Mac will be listed under the model name of the Mac.

Upgrading to an SSD, using an external SSD for storage or replacing the machine may provide a huge performance boost.

16. Disable Unnecessary Visual Effects

macOS includes visual effects and animations that make the interface feel smoother, but they can also consume system resources.

If your Mac is older or struggling with performance, disabling some of these can help.

Try turning off:

• Dock magnification
• Window animation effects
• Automatic Dock hiding

You can adjust these settings in System Settings > Desktop & Dock.

Reducing graphical effects can make older Macs feel noticeably faster.

17. Check If iCloud Syncing Is Slowing Your Mac

If you store large files on your Desktop or Documents folders while using iCloud, macOS may constantly sync them to the cloud.

This can slow your Mac down, especially when:

• Uploading photos or videos
• Syncing large files across devices
• Downloading files from iCloud

You can manage your iCloud syncing by going to:

• System Settings > iCloud

To reduce slow down issues:

• Avoid storing very large files on the Desktop
• Pause large uploads
• Disable syncing for folders you don’t need

Large syncing jobs can temporarily use significant CPU, disk and network resources.

18. Is Your Mac Slow Because of Low RAM?

Another common cause of slow performance is running out of memory (RAM).

When your Mac runs out of RAM, macOS starts using disk space as virtual memory, which is much slower.

Signs this is happening include:

• Frequent spinning beach balls
• Apps taking a long time to switch
• Slow browser tabs
• Constant disk activity

You can check memory usage in Activity Monitor:

1. Open Activity Monitor
2. Click the Memory tab
3. Look at the Memory Pressure graph

If the graph is yellow or red, your Mac is running low on RAM.

Possible fixes include:

• Closing unused apps
• Reducing browser tabs
• Removing heavy browser extensions

19. Why Is My Mac So Slow Even With Plenty of Storage?

If your Mac has lots of free disk space but still feels slow, the problem is usually not storage but system resources.

Some of the most common causes include:

• Apps using excessive CPU or memory
• Too many browser tabs or extensions
• Background processes running constantly
• iCloud syncing large files
• Outdated apps that aren’t optimized for newer versions of macOS

You can quickly identify the cause by opening Activity Monitor and checking the CPU and Memory tabs (see above).

If an app is consuming large amounts of resources, try quitting or updating it.

Browsers like Google Chrome are particularly known for using large amounts of RAM when many tabs or extensions are open.

20. Fix a Mac That’s Slow After a macOS Update

Sometimes a Mac can feel slow immediately after updating to a new version of macOS.

This often happens because the system is still performing background tasks such as:

• Re-indexing files for Spotlight
• Rebuilding photo libraries
• Syncing iCloud data
• Updating system caches

These processes can temporarily use significant CPU and disk activity.

You can monitor this in Activity Monitor, where processes like mds or photoanalysisd may appear.

In most cases, performance returns to normal after several hours once macOS finishes these tasks.

If your Mac is still slow after a day or two:

• Restart the Mac
• Check for additional macOS updates
• Update all installed apps

Occasionally an update may also expose compatibility issues with older software.

21. How to Fix a Slow Mac Startup

If your Mac takes a long time to start up, the most likely cause is too many login items launching automatically.

These apps start every time your Mac boots and can slow the startup process.

To check them:

1. Open System Settings
2. Go to General
3. Click Login Items

Remove any apps that don’t need to launch at startup.

You should also check for background apps listed under Allow in Background, which may continue running even after login.

Reducing unnecessary startup programs can dramatically improve Mac startup speed.

22. Why Apple Silicon Macs (M-series) Sometimes Feel Slow

Newer Macs powered by Apple Silicon processors such as the M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 chips are generally extremely fast.

However, they can occasionally slow down due to software issues.

Common causes include:

• Apps running through Rosetta 2 translation
• Poorly optimized apps
• Browser tabs consuming large amounts of memory
• Background syncing tasks

If an app is running through Rosetta, it may not perform as well as a native Apple Silicon version.

To check this:

1. Open Activity Monitor
2. Enable the Kind column

Apps listed as Intel are running through Rosetta. Those listed as Apple are running natively on Apple Silicon and should perform better.

If possible, update these apps to a native Apple Silicon version.

23. Check If Your Mac’s Drive Is Failing

If your Mac has suddenly become extremely slow, the problem may be a failing storage drive.

Warning signs include:

• Apps taking a long time to open
• Files failing to save
• Frequent crashes
• The Mac freezing during startup

You can check your drive using Disk Utility:

1. Open Disk Utility
2. Select your main drive
3. Click First Aid along the top of Disk Utility

This scans for file system errors and attempts to repair them.

If serious errors are detected, you should back up your Mac immediately and consider replacing the drive.

24. Check Activity Monitor for Energy-Heavy Apps

Apps using high Energy Impact can slow laptops and cause thermal throttling.

Apps with high energy usage can drain battery and cause your Mac to run slower due to thermal throttling.

If your MacBook feels slow while running on battery, an app using excessive energy may be the cause.

To check:

1. Open Activity Monitor
2. Click the Energy tab
3. Sort by Energy Impact

25. If Your Mac Is Running Hot and Slow

If your Mac becomes hot and the fans run constantly, performance may drop because macOS slows the processor to prevent overheating.

Common causes include:

• CPU-heavy apps
• Too many browser tabs
• Video rendering or gaming
• Dust blocking ventilation

Closing heavy apps and allowing the Mac to cool down usually restores normal speed.

26. Why Is My Mac Slow After Waking From Sleep?

Sometimes a Mac may feel slow immediately after waking from sleep. This usually happens because macOS resumes background tasks that were paused while the computer was sleeping.

These may include:

• iCloud syncing
• Spotlight indexing
• Photo library processing
• App updates or background downloads

In most cases, performance returns to normal after a few minutes.

If the problem happens frequently, try:

• Restarting your Mac
• Updating macOS and apps
• Reducing the number of login items
• Closing apps before putting your Mac to sleep

27. If Finder Is Running Slowly

If Finder windows take a long time to open or files are slow to load, Finder itself may be the issue.

Common causes include:

• Too many files on the Desktop
• Problematic Finder extensions
• Network drives that are slow to respond
• iCloud Drive syncing large folders

Restarting Finder is especially useful when:

• Finder windows open slowly
• Files take time to appear
• Network drives hang
• Desktop icons lag

You can restart Finder to see if this fixes the problem:

Method 1

1. Press Command + Option + Escape
2. Select Finder
3. Click Relaunch

Method 2

Open Terminal and run:

killall Finder

Restarting Finder clears temporary issues and can restore normal performance.

28. Is Google Chrome Slowing Down Your Mac?

Web browsers are one of the biggest causes of slow Mac performance, particularly Google Chrome.

Chrome is powerful but can consume large amounts of RAM and CPU, especially if:

• Dozens of tabs are open
• Many extensions are installed
• Web apps are running in the background

To reduce slowdowns:

• Close unused tabs
• Remove unnecessary extensions
• Restart Chrome regularly
• Consider using a lighter browser such as Safari

You can also check Chrome’s resource usage in Activity Monitor.

29. Try a Clean Reinstall of macOS (Last Resort)

If your Mac has been used for many years without a reinstall, system files, caches and old libraries can accumulate and slow it down.

One way to restore performance is to reinstall macOS from scratch.

Steps include:

1. Back up your Mac with Time Machine
2. Boot into macOS Recovery
3. Erase the system drive
4. Reinstall macOS

This removes years of accumulated files and can sometimes make a Mac feel like new again.

However, this should only be done after trying other fixes first.

30. What to Do If Your Mac Is Still Slow

If you’ve tried all the fixes in this guide and your Mac is still running slow, consider these additional steps:

• Run Disk Utility First Aid to check for disk errors
• Rebuild Spotlight indexing
• Remove unused applications
• Reinstall macOS as a last resort

Most slow Mac issues are caused by storage, background apps, or outdated software, all of which can usually be fixed without replacing your Mac.

How to Keep Your Mac Running Fast

Once you’ve fixed a slow Mac, a few simple habits can keep it running smoothly:

• Keep at least 20% of storage free
• Restart your Mac occasionally
• Remove unused apps
• Avoid installing unnecessary browser extensions
• Update macOS regularly
• Move large files to external storage

Maintaining your Mac regularly prevents many performance problems before they start.

Conclusion

Although there can be various reasons, a slow Mac is usually caused by storage issues, background apps or outdated software.

In most cases, you can fix it by:

• Freeing disk space
• Closing resource-heavy apps
• Removing startup programs
• Updating macOS and apps
• Scanning for malware

Following the steps above should help your Mac return to running smoothly again.

FAQ

Why Is My Mac So Slow All of a Sudden?

If your Mac suddenly becomes slow, it’s usually caused by one of the following:

• A single app using too much CPU
• A macOS update running background tasks
• Low disk space
• Too many login items launching
• Browser tabs or extensions consuming RAM

Checking Activity Monitor is often the fastest way to identify the cause.

Why is my Mac slow even with lots of storage?

If your Mac has plenty of free disk space but still runs slowly, the issue is usually RAM usage or background apps rather than storage.

Why is my Mac slow after an update?

macOS may temporarily slow down while it re-indexes files, processes photos and syncs iCloud data.

How much free space should a Mac have?

Ideally 10–20% of your drive should remain free for optimal performance.