Why is My Mac So Slow? Here’s How to Speed it Up

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As a Mac device ages its possible you may experience a drop in performance, this can be frustrating for those who need them for work, school, entertainment and more.

In this guide, the gadget experts at Protect Your Bubble explore the different reasons a Mac might become slower over time, and offer helpful advice on how to maintain the performance of a Mac and even increase its speed.

Protect Your Bubble does not guarantee that any steps detailed in this guide will fix your device(s). Any steps followed are done so at your own risk; Protect Your Bubble is not liable for any damages arising from any action or decision taken from reading this content. Damage or breakdown occurring before a MacBook insurance policy start date is not covered.

bored man looking at laptop in his kitchen

How to Speed Up a Mac Laptop or Desktop

If you’re looking to speed up your Mac without diving into technical hardware and software fixes, try these at-home solutions:

• Restart Your Computer: Restarting your computer can clear RAM by ending application sessions and processes. It also resets system resources to prevent your Mac from becoming sluggish.

• Limit Open Apps: Open the activity monitor to identify resource-intensive apps. Close any that are non-essential, to free up memory space.

• Update MacOS: Keeping your operating system updated can improve Mac performance. To check if you have the latest updates, go to System Preference > Software Update.

• Limit Open Tabs: Reducing the number of tabs you have open lowers the active memory required to run applications in the background.

• Reduce Visual Effects: Disable unnecessary system animations by going to System Preferences > Accessibility > Display and selecting ‘reduce motion’.

• Manage Startup Items: Go to Systems > Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items. Remove any unnecessary applications that launch on startup.

How Do I Clean Up My Mac to Make It Run Faster? 

If your Mac device is still loading and running slowly, consider these additional troubleshooting tips to help it run faster:

• Clear Cache Files: Go to your Mac’s cache folder and delete cache files. Once this is done, open your browser and do the same to your browser cache. This should speed up your computer. This can be done easily by opening the Finder, then pressing Command + Shift + G, and typing ‘~/Library/Caches’

• Free Up Storage Space: Free storage space by deleting unused files and applications and emptying trash. This can be done by going to About This Mac > Storage.

• Run Disk Utility: Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities and use ‘First Aid’ to repair your disk.

• Upgrade Your Memory: If all else fails, increasing the memory of your Mac allows it to have a larger reserve from which to perform tasks simultaneously.

How To Check Mac Performance

The speed and performance of a Mac can be checked through the ‘Activity Monitor’ window. This application can be found in the ‘Utilities’ folder.

Simply click ‘Open Finder’, then select ‘Applications’ in the sidebar. Next, scroll down and open the ‘Utilities’ folder.

The activity monitor allows users to monitor the CPU, memory, energy consumption, disk space and network usage in real-time. 

Alternatively check ‘About This Mac’ under the Apple menu, to find an overview of your Mac’s hardware specifications and storage status.

Gadget Insurance with Protect Your Bubble

Protect Your Bubble gadget insurance – and MacBook insurance – covers your devices if they become unusable from breakdown* (outside of the manufacturer’s warranty). Protect Your Bubble insurance offers unlimited repairs and up to two replacements a year.

Our gadget insurance includes accidental damage, mechanical breakdown and liquid damage as standard. You can insure a MacBook Air 13-inch M2 256GB worth £1149 for £11.49p/m** including theft cover. Loss cover is not available for laptops, MacBooks, desktop PCs or PC monitors

* Underwriter Assurant General Insurance Limited. Gadget age restrictions, T&Cs and excesses apply. Customer UK 18+.
**Prices are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

FAQ's
To clear a Mac cache, open Finder and press ‘Command + Shift + G’, then type ‘~/Library/Caches’ and delete the contents of this folder. Once this is done, restart your Mac so the changes can take effect and your device hopefully runs faster. Browser cache data must be cleared separately.
MacBook's can last several years before performance may start to slow, it depends on a number of factors including how often it is used and how well it’s maintained. Factors like software updates, hardware quality and how well the MacBook is cared for can also influence its lifespan. Batteries are likely the first component to decline and may need replacing.
To check the running memory of a Mac, select the Apple menu in the top left corner, then select ‘About This Mac’. Then click on the ‘Memory’ tab to view RAM usage details. Another method would be to open ‘Activity Monitor’ from the utilities folder for real-time memory statistics.