How To Speed Up Your Mac: 16 Tips

2023 Author: Gordon Kinson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-06-04 23:58

Mac computers are fast, superbly optimized and have little or no user effort to keep it running. But there are always exceptions. An old Mac 5-7 years old on the most current firmware is unlikely to be able to please with factory performance in terms of operating speed. Before you get rid of your old car, we recommend that you follow the advice given in this material.

1. Perform system cleaning

Whatever one may say, but regular updates, installed software, manipulations with data lead to disk space clogging, the appearance of unnecessary files and slow down the speed of the system as a whole. In order to keep macOS in good shape, it is better to use specialized software like CleanMyMac 3, which we have already covered in detail in the full review. The utility competently uninstalls applications, removes unused localizations, temporary files and cache, induces a total marafet in the system and has a bunch of highly specialized functions. One Mac license costs € 39.95. The program is definitely worth it. At the initial stage, use the free version.

Download CleanMyMac 3 for Mac (official developer site).

2. Reduce the load on the processor

If you are not using CleanMyMac or other alternative solutions, open System Monitor (Finder → Programs → Utilities) and look in the CPU column (by clicking on the column, you can sort the list of tasks by the degree of workload). The most voracious tasks can be closed. Or it may be worth removing such programs altogether and replacing them with alternative less demanding options.

3. Reduce transparency and animation

Transition animations and transparency effects used in the latest versions of macOS can be quite stressful for older Macs. Disabling them can slightly improve computer performance. To do this, go to the menu  → System settings… → Universal access. In the left side menu, select the Monitor section and check the box next to the "Reduce transparency" item.

RELATED TO: Mac for Dummies: 10 Helpful MacOS Tips for Newbies.

4. Disable FileVault encryption

If your Mac is running OS X Yosemite or a later operating system, FileVault Disk Encryption will be enabled by default. Thanks to this great feature, even if your Mac is lost or stolen, the data on the disk will remain safe and your privacy will not be compromised.

Of course, the encryption process requires additional system resources. If you have a stationary Mac or data protection is far from the first place, then it makes sense to disable this option. This can be done by going to  → System Preferences… → Protection and Security → FileVault. To disable the option, you need an administrator password.

5. Block applications from autorun

Those who like to install a bunch of utilities that improve communication with a computer should not forget that they can work in the background and be added to the startup list. First of all, this slows down the Mac startup, and secondly, it loads the processor and takes up RAM. It is not necessary to go into the settings of each program to exclude it from startup, especially since not all developers integrate this setting item into their software. Go to  → System Preferences… → Users and Groups. In the left side menu, select your account, go to the Login Items tab and click on the padlock icon to make changes. The list contains all programs that run simultaneously with the start of the system.

To disable autorun, check the box next to the corresponding utility. In order to clear the list, select the program and click on the minus at the bottom of the window.

BY THEME: All Apple Laptops in 2018: Which MacBook to Choose? Comparison of all models (characteristics and prices).

6. Disable Spotlight Search Indexing

Operating system slowdown is possible when the file system is reindexed in the interest of Spotlight search. There is no option to disable this feature in the system settings. In order to disable indexing, open the Terminal (Finder → Programs → Utilities), enter the following command and press the Enter key:


sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

You will need to enter an administrator password.

To activate Spotlight indexing, re-enter the following command:


sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

7. Disable indexing in the Photos app

MacOS Sierra Photos app now features automatic face recognition and grouping. The option is certainly interesting, but not relevant for everyone, and if you also have an old car, then it will not be superfluous to turn it off altogether. Unfortunately, there is no such magic button, but if you have the Photos application running, you should exit it (the keyboard shortcut ⌘Command + Q) and end the “photos” process in System Monitor.

RELATED TO: How to Make Function F-Keys on Mac Truly Functional.

8. Free up disk space

A disk filled with a huge number of files will certainly slow down your computer. Users of modern Macs with SSD should also remember the golden rule - for the system to work properly, you need to have 15-20% of free space.

In order to clean up the system, you can use the new utility to free up space on Mac (first appeared on macOS Sierra). To do this, go to the menu  → About This Mac → Storage tab → Manage.

Use the side panel to choose a way to clean up the space. Removing applications and files is an effective measure in this matter.

9. Reset SMC

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) will resolve many minor system problems. This action allows you to organize the applications and tasks involved when your Mac starts up.

How do I reset SMC?

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Connect the power cable to your MacBook and make sure it charges the laptop.

3. Hold down the Shift (⇧) + Control (⌃) + Option (⎇) keys and press the Power button. Then release all keys.

The Mac will start up normally and the SMC will be reset.

BY THEME: Startup on Mac, or how to add (remove) programs to automatically start when macOS boots.

10. Remove Flash

Back in the day, Steve Jobs said that Flash technology was not promising. Adobe ended its support entirely last year. Safari and Chrome browsers block Flash by default. But you may have a Flash application installed on your Mac that will run in the background and automatically play videos from web pages. Use any convenient specialized application like AppCleaner to remove all Flash related components.

See also: How to uninstall Adobe Flash from Mac.

If you go to Activity Monitor and you find that "kernalkask" is the process that harasses most of your Mac, you may have a slight problem. You will find that you cannot actually exit the Kernaltask process. This is because Kernaltask is basically your operating system. And this error can be caused by unclear things.

So try to do what we talked about above. Reboot your Mac, reset SMC, uninstall Flash (this seems to fix the problem for some people), and try to remember if any unreliable third-party software has been installed recently - something like an app for your printer drivers. Try removing them and check if the problem is resolved.

11. Pay attention to Kernal Task

Look for the kernel_task task in System Monitor. This process can consume a huge amount of Mac resources (and this is not normal), but the problem is that it is systemic and cannot be closed. Therefore, be sure to heed the advice we talked about above (restart your Mac, reset SMC, uninstall Flash, and so on). Also try to remember if any questionable software from an unreliable developer has been installed recently (applications, drivers, etc.). Try uninstalling from and check if the problem persists.

BY THEME: How to view logins and passwords stored in Keychain Access on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

12. Use Safari and close unused browser tabs

The default Safari browser is optimized to the maximum for macOS. Any other third-party solution like Chrome or Opera will consume significantly more RAM and drain your MacBook battery faster. Make Safari your default browser and use the same Chrome when you need to use some third-party extensions or visit sites that do not open correctly in Safari.

Also, don't forget to close unused browser tabs (if there are more than 10).

13. Clean your desktop

An old trick that still works. Redrawing icons and folders on the macOS desktop may not be the most time consuming task, but it's a load that makes sense to get rid of. This is especially useful if, by occupation, you often have to work with windows and drag and drop various objects on the desktop.

A great way to automatically clean up (sort files) your Mac desktop is with the Declutter utility (overview).

14. Install SSD instead of HDD

If you're using an older non-Retina MacBook that can be easily dismantled, be sure to install an SSD drive. This will greatly improve the overall performance of your computer. Also increase the amount of RAM. In the MacBook Pro, starting from the 2012 model year, the drive and RAM are soldered on the motherboard and are changed only at a service center for a lot of money.

BY THEME: 2 ways to keep the applications you want in the Dock on Mac (macOS).

15. Reinstall macOS

How to reinstall macOS or restore Mac to factory settings

If the above methods do not help, reinstalling the operating system is an effective measure. The macOS recovery utility will automatically format your hard drive, reinstall the OS, and update to the latest version.

To reinstall macOS, turn on the computer while holding down the Command (⌘) + R keys. In the system menu, select "Reinstall macOS" (detailed instructions).

16. Buy a new Mac

If none of the suggested tips helped, then maybe it's time to send the old man to rest and think about purchasing a new car? A good reason to touch the modern solutions from Apple.