How to breathe new life into your Mac: tricks to maximize performance

If you own a Mac, you surely know that it is known for its impressive performance. However, this does not mean that you never experience slowdowns and freezes. This kind of suboptimal performance can be frustrating, but there are many things you can do to speed up your Mac and get it back in shape.

1. Upgrade your Mac.

The first thing you need to do to speed up your Mac is to make sure you have the latest version of the operating system and apps. Updates include fixes for problems that slow down your Mac, as well as major security improvements and new features.

Here’s how to update your Mac:

1. Open System Settings from the Dock or select the apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen and choose “System Preferences.”
2. Go to the “General” section and select “Software Update.” Your Mac will check for updates.
3. If your Mac is up to date, you will see a message indicating that your Mac is up to date. If not, follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the updates.
4. Open the App Store from the Dock and select “Updates” in the left sidebar. If there are apps ready to update, select “Update All” to install them or select “Update” next to each app to update them individually.
5. You can also use a third-party app such as MacUpdater to check for and install app updates. This app can scan ALL your apps, while the App Store checks only those downloaded through Apple’s App Store. MacUpdater is free, but also offers a paid version with extra features.

Be sure to keep your Mac updated to enjoy the latest features and performance improvements.

2. Shut down and reboot

If you have a MacBook, it may be tempting to simply close the lid at the end of the day and put it into sleep mode instead of shutting it down properly. However, this can cause problems that eventually slow down your Mac.

When you shut down or restart your Mac, various cached items are deleted and memory used by apps is freed up. If you’ve ever woken up in the morning feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep, that’s basically what happens to your Mac after a proper shutdown.

So instead of simply closing the lid for the umpteenth time, turn it off instead. You might actually notice the difference the next day.

3. Test Apple’s storage recommendations.

If your Mac ‘s storage space is nearly full, this can affect your computer’s performance. Freeing up space can be simple, and macOS has some useful ideas you can try.

Here’s how to go about it:

1. Open System Settings and go to the “General” section and select “Storage.” Under the “Recommendations” header, you may see a few options.
2. The choices range from storing files on iCloud to regularly emptying the recycle bin to automatically deleting movies and TV shows once you’ve watched them. To enable any of the options, click the button on the right side (such as “Enable” or “Optimize”).

By following these recommendations, you can free up storage space on your Mac and improve overall performance.

4. Scan your Mac for malware

In general, Macs are somewhat safer than Windows PCs, but that doesn’t mean they are immune to viruses and other malware. If your Mac is infected, you risk slow performance (as well as putting your personal and financial data at risk).

Running a quick antivirus scan can help, but you will need to download a third-party scanning program to do so.

Here’s how to go about it:

1. Download one of the best antivirus programs for Mac to get started.
2. Follow the app’s instructions and allow it to run a scan. This may take some time, so be patient.
3. Once the scan is complete, follow the antivirus app’s recommendations to eliminate the malware.

Regularly scanning your Mac for malware is a good practice to keep your computer safe and performance at its peak.

5. Disable access elements.

Login elements are apps and processes that run when your Mac starts up. This can include apps that start automatically when you log in, which can save you from manually opening them each time. However, the more you use your Mac, the more it fills up with unnecessary login items that can slow it down.

Here’s how to go about disabling login items:

1. Open System Settings and select “General > Access” in the left sidebar.
2. Under the “Open at startup” header, select the apps you no longer want to run at login and click the “minus” (-) button to remove them from the list.
3. Under that section, check the list under the “Allow in Background” header. If you do not want any app to run in the background, disable the toggle next to the app name to disable it.

By disabling unneeded access items, you can start your Mac faster and eliminate potential slowdowns.

6. Monitor what is hogging your Mac’s resources.

The ActivityMonitor app is a good way to keep an eye on the apps and processes running on your Mac, and you can use it to spot any resource-intensive users.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Command+Space on your Mac to open the Spotlight search bar, type “Activity Monitor” and press Enter to open it.
2. Once Activity Monitor loads, it will show you an overview of all the apps and processes running on your Mac. Select the “CPU” tab at the top, then sort the items by CPU usage by selecting the “% CPU” column.
3. Check to see if there are any apps that are using an excessive amount of system resources. You may want to close or uninstall these apps if they are not needed.

Using the Activity Monitor, you can identify the apps hogging your Mac’s resources and take appropriate actions to improve performance.

7. Clear your Mac’s cache

Your Mac ‘s cache is a collection of temporary files used by apps and the operating system to improve performance and reduce load times. However, over time, the cache can accumulate and cause slowdowns.

Here’s how to clear your Mac’s cache:

1. Open the Finder and select “Go” in the top menu bar. Select “Go to Folder” in the drop-down menu.
2. Type “~/Library/Caches” in the window that opens and press Enter. Your user’s caches folder will be opened.
3. Select all the files in the caches folder and move them to the trash. You can also press Shift+Command+Delete to delete files permanently without going through the recycle bin.
4. Next, empty the Trash by right-clicking on the Trash icon on the Dock and selecting “Empty Trash.”

Emptying your Mac’s cache periodically can help improve overall system performance.

8. Uninstall unnecessary apps.

There may be apps installed on your Mac that you no longer use or need. These apps take up storage space and may also run background processes that slow down your Mac.

Here’s how to uninstall unnecessary apps:

1. Open the “Applications” folder on your Mac. You can do this by selecting “Go > Applications” in the Finder or by clicking the “Applications” icon in the Dock.
2. Select the app you want to uninstall and drag it to the Trash. You can also right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash.”
3. Next, empty the trash by right-clicking on the trash icon on the Dock and selecting “Empty Trash.”

Uninstalling unnecessary apps can free up storage space and improve your Mac’s performance.

9. Find other large files

In addition to apps, you may have large files on your Mac that take up storage space for no reason. Finding and removing these files can free up space and improve performance.

Here’s how to find large files on your Mac:

1. Open a Finder window and select “Go” in the top menu bar. Select “Go to folder” in the drop-down menu.
2. Type “/” in the window that opens and press Enter. Your Mac’s root folder will open.
3. Use the Finder’s search function to search for large files. You can do this by selecting “File > Find” in the Finder menu bar and specifying the size of the files you wish to search for.
4. Once large files are found, you can delete them or move them to an external storage drive to free up space on your Mac.

Getting rid of unused large files can be an effective way to free up storage space and improve performance.

10. Tidy up your desktop

A cluttered desktop with lots of files and icons can slow down your Mac. When you access your desktop, the operating system has to load all the icons and files displayed, which can take time and resources.

Here are some ways to get your desktop in order:

1. Reduce the number of files and icons on your desktop, moving them to other folders or deleting them if they are no longer needed.
2. Use the desktop organization features offered by your operating system. For example, on macOS, you can automatically group icons into stacks or organize them by file type.
3. Use smart folders to organize files on your desktop by specific criteria, such as file extension or creation date.

Tidying up your desktop can improve performance and make it easier to find the files you need.

11. Reduce visual effects.

Your Mac may have visual effects turned on that can reduce performance. Reducing or disabling these effects can improve your Mac’s performance.

Here’s how to reduce visual effects on your Mac:

1. Open System Settings and select “Accessibility.”
2. In the left sidebar, select “Display” and go to the “Display” tab.
3. Reduce window transparency by unchecking the “Transparency” option.
4. Disable motion effects by selecting “Reduce motion.”
5. Reduce window effects by selecting “Grayscale.”
6. You can also disable pop-up window effects by selecting “Disable pop-up windows.”

By reducing visual effects, you can free up system resources and improve the overall performance of your Mac.

12. Reinstall macOS

If you have tried all the previous solutions and your Mac continues to be slow, you might consider reinstalling macOS. This is a drastic step, so be sure to make a full backup of your data before proceeding.

Here’s how to reinstall macOS on your Mac:

1. Start your Mac by simultaneously holding down the “Option+Command+R” keys during startup.
2. Select “Reinstall macOS” from the restore utility.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reinstallation process.

Reinstalling macOS can fix deeper problems that may cause slowdowns and improve the overall performance of your Mac.