Is your MacBook running slower than it used to?
Maybe apps are taking longer to open, websites are loading slowly, or you keep seeing the spinning beach ball when you try to do something. A MacBook can slow down over time for several reasons, but in many cases, you can improve its performance without installing any third-party cleaning software.
Low storage, too many apps running in the background, high memory usage, unnecessary startup items, and browser clutter are some common reasons why a MacBook may feel slow.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to speed up a MacBook step by step using simple tools and settings already available in macOS.
Common Reasons That Slow Down a MacBook
Before trying different solutions, it helps to understand what may be causing the slowdown.
| Common reason | What happens |
|---|---|
| Low storage space | A nearly full startup disk can affect overall system performance. |
| Too many apps running | Multiple applications can use your Mac’s CPU and memory at the same time. |
| High memory usage | Large applications and many browser tabs can create memory pressure. |
| Too many startup apps | Unnecessary applications automatically launch when you sign in. |
| High CPU usage | A resource-heavy or malfunctioning application may use excessive processing power. |
| Too many browser tabs | Multiple tabs can consume a significant amount of memory. |
| Browser extensions | Unnecessary extensions can use system resources or cause browser problems. |
| Background activity | Cloud syncing, updates, and other processes can continue running in the background. |
| Outdated software | Older software can sometimes cause bugs, compatibility issues, or performance problems. |
| Hardware limitations | Older Macs or Macs with limited memory may struggle with demanding applications. |
The good news is that many of these problems can be identified and fixed using built-in macOS tools.
1. Check Your MacBook’s Storage
One of the first things you should check when your MacBook becomes slow is available storage.
When your startup disk is almost full, macOS has less free space available for temporary files and normal system operations.
How to check storage on MacBook
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
- Select System Settings.
- Click General.
- Select Storage.
- Wait for macOS to calculate your storage usage.
You will see how your storage is divided between applications, documents, photos, system data, and other categories.
Look for files and applications you no longer need.
What can you safely clean?
Start with personal files such as:
- Old downloads
- Large videos
- Unused applications
- Old installers
- Duplicate files
- Large documents
- Files you have already backed up elsewhere
After deleting unnecessary files, empty the Trash.
Important: Don’t randomly delete files from macOS system folders just to free up space. If you aren’t sure what a file does, leave it alone.
2. Check Memory Usage
If your MacBook becomes slow when several applications are open, memory usage could be contributing to the problem.
macOS includes Activity Monitor, which lets you see how much memory different applications are using.
How to check memory usage
- Open Finder.
- Click Applications.
- Open Utilities.
- Select Activity Monitor.
- Click the Memory tab.
Look at Memory Pressure near the bottom of the Activity Monitor window.
You can also click the Memory column to see which applications are using the most memory.
If you find an application using a large amount of memory and you aren’t using it, try closing it.
Remember that seeing an application use RAM doesn’t automatically mean there is a problem. macOS manages memory automatically. Memory Pressure is a more useful indicator of whether your Mac is struggling with memory.
3. Quit Apps You Are Not Using
It’s easy to open several applications and forget about them.
Applications running in the background continue to use system resources, particularly if they are performing tasks such as syncing or processing files.
How to quit an application completely
- Click the application you want to close.
- Press Command + Q.
You can also click the application’s name in the menu bar and select Quit.
This is different from simply closing an application’s window.
If you’re finished using a resource-heavy application such as a video editor, image editor, virtual machine, or another demanding program, completely quitting it can free up system resources.
4. Remove Unnecessary Startup Apps
Some applications automatically launch whenever you log in to your Mac.
If you have accumulated many startup applications, they can make your Mac take longer to become ready after startup and may continue running in the background.
How to remove startup apps
- Open the Apple menu.
- Select System Settings.
- Click General.
- Select Login Items & Extensions.
- Look under Open at Login.
- Select an application you don’t need to start automatically.
- Remove it from the list.
You can also review applications that are allowed to perform activities in the background.
Don’t disable something if you don’t know what it does. Some background items are required for certain applications and services to work correctly.
5. Find Apps Using Too Much CPU
Sometimes one application can make your entire MacBook feel slow by using an unusually large amount of CPU.
Activity Monitor can help you identify these applications.
How to check CPU usage
- Open Activity Monitor.
- Click the CPU tab.
- Click the % CPU column.
- Look at the applications near the top of the list.
- Check whether an application is continuously using unusually high CPU.
If an application is using a lot of CPU while you aren’t doing anything demanding, try quitting it.
If the same application repeatedly causes high CPU usage, check whether an update is available or look for troubleshooting information from the application’s developer.
6. Reduce Browser Tabs
Your browser can have a major effect on MacBook performance.
If you regularly keep dozens of tabs open, those tabs can consume memory and other system resources.
You don’t need to close every tab. Start by closing tabs you no longer need.
Simple browser cleanup
- Close unused tabs.
- Close websites that you no longer need.
- Remove extensions you don’t use.
- Restart your browser.
- Check whether your MacBook feels faster.
If your Mac becomes slow mainly when your browser is open, the browser, extensions, or one of your open websites could be contributing to the problem.
7. Remove Unnecessary Browser Extensions
Browser extensions can be useful, but having too many installed can create unnecessary background activity.
Go through your browser’s extensions and remove anything you don’t use.
What to look for
Check for:
- Extensions you installed once but forgot about
- Duplicate extensions
- Old shopping extensions
- Unused productivity extensions
- Extensions you don’t recognize
If you aren’t sure about an extension, search for its name before removing it.
After cleaning your extensions, restart the browser and check its performance.
8. Reduce Background Activity
Some applications continue running even when you aren’t actively using them.
For example, cloud storage applications may continuously synchronize files, while other applications may check for updates or perform background tasks.
How to check background activity
- Open System Settings.
- Select General.
- Click Login Items & Extensions.
- Review the applications listed under background activity.
- Turn off activity that you don’t need.
Be careful when changing these settings. If you don’t know what a background process does, it’s better to leave it enabled.
9. Update macOS and Your Apps
Keeping macOS and your important applications updated can help prevent software bugs and compatibility problems.
How to check for macOS updates
- Click the Apple menu.
- Open System Settings.
- Select General.
- Click Software Update.
- Check whether an update is available.
- Install the update if appropriate.
You should also update applications that you regularly use.
However, if you depend on older professional software, plugins, or other specialized applications, check their compatibility before installing a major macOS upgrade.
10. Restart Your MacBook
If your MacBook has been running for a long time, a simple restart can sometimes resolve temporary performance problems.
Restarting closes running applications and processes and gives macOS a fresh start.
How to restart your MacBook
- Save your work.
- Click the Apple menu.
- Select Restart.
- Wait for the MacBook to restart.
- Open only the applications you need.
If the Mac feels noticeably faster after restarting, a temporary process or application may have been contributing to the slowdown.
11. Don’t Randomly Delete System Files
You may find online guides recommending that you delete caches, logs, system folders, or other files to make your Mac faster.
Be careful with these methods.
macOS manages many temporary files and caches automatically. Manually deleting system files without understanding what they are can cause problems instead of improving performance.
Instead, focus on things you can safely identify:
- Personal files
- Unused applications
- Downloads
- Browser extensions
- Startup applications
- Unnecessary background activity
This is a much safer approach to Mac maintenance.
12. Try Safe Mode If Your Mac Is Still Slow
If you’ve tried the basic steps and your MacBook is still unusually slow, you can use Safe Mode as a troubleshooting step.
Safe Mode starts your Mac in a way that helps determine whether software that loads during startup is causing the problem.
The steps are different for Macs with Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs.
If your Mac performs normally in Safe Mode but becomes slow during a normal startup, a startup application or other software may be contributing to the problem.
Safe Mode isn’t something you need to use regularly. It’s mainly useful for diagnosing persistent problems.
Quick MacBook Speed-Up Checklist
Use this checklist after working through the guide.
| Task | Where to do it |
| Check available storage | System Settings → General → Storage |
| Delete unnecessary files | Downloads, Documents, and other personal folders |
| Empty the Trash | Trash → Empty Trash |
| Check Memory Pressure | Activity Monitor → Memory |
| Check CPU usage | Activity Monitor → CPU |
| Quit apps you aren’t using | Press Command + Q |
| Remove unnecessary startup apps | System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions |
| Review background activity | System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions |
| Close unused browser tabs | Your web browser |
| Remove unused extensions | Browser extension settings |
| Update macOS | System Settings → General → Software Update |
| Update important applications | Individual app settings or App Store |
| Restart your MacBook | Apple menu → Restart |
| Try Safe Mode if needed | macOS startup options |
When Should You Get Your MacBook Checked?
If your MacBook is still extremely slow after trying these steps, the problem may be more than unnecessary files or background applications.
Persistent performance problems can sometimes be related to:
- Hardware limitations
- Insufficient memory for your workload
- Storage problems
- Overheating
- Battery or power-related issues
- A malfunctioning application
- macOS problems
If the slowdown continues even when you have plenty of free storage and very few applications running, it’s worth investigating the specific cause instead of repeatedly cleaning your Mac.
Final Thoughts
Speeding up a MacBook doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start by checking your storage and Activity Monitor. Then remove applications you don’t need, reduce startup and background activity, clean up your browser, update your software, and restart your Mac.
You don’t need to install a third-party cleaner or delete random system files to keep your MacBook running well.
The best approach is to find what is actually using your Mac’s resources and fix that specific problem.
Follow the steps in this guide one by one, and you should have a much clearer idea of what’s slowing down your MacBook and what you can do about it.