Few things are as annoying as a computer that takes time to respond. And although they often tell us that if we add some RAM, or if we change the disk for an SSD, we can solve this question, let’s be honest: this is not always the case. So here we are going to explain how to speed up a Mac, starting from the simplest to the most complex way.
Apple‘s operating system is very good at “optimizing itself”, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some good tricks out there to get you a little more speed.
Update your Mac software
First things first: Make sure your Mac is up to date. The latest security patches are essential to keep your Mac running well, and Apple is pretty good at optimizing new releases for better performance.
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen and select App Store .
Step 2: Select Updates in the left column and press Update all .
Use the “Optimize” function
From macOS Sierra, users have a new option called Optimize storage, which can be used to free up space and improve speed … if you know where to find it, of course.
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner and select About This Mac from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Click on the Storage tab in the next pop-up window.
Step 3: Press the Manage button .
This will give you a number of useful tools, including ways to store all files in iCloud and detect any clutter that you can eliminate (keep the window open when trying other tips). However, the most useful at this time is the Optimize storage option. This allows you to do useful things like remove TV shows you’ve watched, download recent attachments, etc. Try this tool, especially if you are one of those who watch many series and movies on your Mac.
Do a quick malfunction scan
The whole thing about “Macs don’t have viruses” is a myth. While it is true that macOS does have certain security advantages – since the vast majority of malicious programs target Windows users – Mac is still prone to occasional intruders. In fact, Mac malware is on the rise.
Fortunately, there are plenty of free options designed to keep you safe, from scanners to specific tools.
If you don’t know what to choose, Malwarebytes for Mac offers a free scan that captures and removes the most common malware found on the platform. It is also quick to do so.
Disable login items
If your Mac takes forever to start, chances are you have too many applications starting along with your system. Disabling these login items will not only speed up the boot process, but will also (potentially) free up resources and speed up the entire system.
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon located in the upper left corner and select System Preferences from the drop down menu.
Step 2: Select Users and Groups in the next window.
Step 3: Click Login Items.
If you see an application that you don’t need to start when you turn on your computer (Spotify, for example), select it from the list and click the “less” button at the bottom of the screen.
Turn off transparency
The macOS visual effects have been implemented since Yosemite, but some of them do not participate in the speed team precisely. Transparency is the biggest culprit. Everything is transparent now, so the menu bar takes some of the colors of your wallpaper, among other things. While El Captain really reduced the impact of these effects on performance, you can still get a productivity gain by turning them off, even in their latest updates.
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon located in the upper left corner and select System Preferences from the drop down menu.
Step 2: Select the Accessibility icon in the popup window.
Step 3: click on Screen and then check the option Reduce transparency –
User interfaces will stop using the transparency effect once disabled and everything will run much faster.
Clear your cache
If you regularly use your computer, chances are it’s accumulating all sorts of caches over time. This takes up space on your hard drive, and could also be slowing down applications.
Web browsers, with their accumulation of history and massive caches, are famous for this, so it is a good idea to clear your cache from time to time. But they are not the only programs that create caches and other files over time, so we recommend that you use CCleaner for Mac.
This free application can simultaneously erase the caches of your browsers and the caches that your system accumulates over time. Please note that the company also offers a premium version of the software on its site, but the free version is more than enough for most users.
Uninstall apps you don’t use
Freeing up space on your boot drive can increase performance, especially if your drive is nearly full (this is especially true for older Macs, without SSDs). An easy way to save “a lot” of space is to remove applications you no longer use. If you’re the type of person who installs apps that are only used once and then forgets about them, it’s time to take a count.
Step 1: With the Finder open, click Go in the menu bar and select Applications from the drop-down menu.
This is the best way to ensure that an application you do not want. You can also use Activity Monitor to search for applications that consume a lot of RAM.
Find and delete unnecessary files
And speaking of just this: it is likely that the applications are not the ones that take up most of your disk space. They are your files. But wich ones? The free Grand Perspective app gives you a panoramic view of your files, with the largest taking larger shapes as well. Explore this and see if there are any large files that you want to delete or move to an external hard drive for long-term storage.
Clean your desk
Here’s a quick tip: if your desktop is full of icons, clean it up. Your desktop is a window like any other, so if it’s so crowded that it’s hard for you to even find the files you’re looking for, it probably slows down your system as well. Even if you put your entire desktop in one folder it will help, if you are too overwhelmed to put it all in order.
Disable the Dashboard
If you are running an older version of macOS, you can disable the Dashboard. It was useful and fun in 2005, but a full-screen collection of widgets amounts to unnecessary clutter in 2020.
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner and select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Select Mission Control from the popup window.
Step 3: Select Disabled from the drop-down menu next to the panel to disable this feature.
Note : Dashboard is automatically disabled in macOS Mojave. Apple removed it entirely with the arrival of macOS Catalina.
Close the applications … but really
Don’t be embarrassed if you didn’t know (a lot of people don’t know): when you click on the red circle with the “x” or the dot in the upper left corner of the window you were seeing … the application doesn’t close. It actually keeps it running, and so there’s a bright spot underneath the app in the dock.
To successfully close an application, right-click on the icon and select “Exit”. You can also close the applications using the keyboard shortcut “CMD” + “Tab” + “Q”, which closes any application. Having too many applications open at once seriously slows down your system, so closing (and good) applications should be a priority.
Turn to OnyX if things don’t work
Did none of this work? Well maybe it’s OnyX time. It is a free application that runs all kinds of optimizations focused on Mac. Download the appropriate version for your system, install it and start. It is a powerful user tool, although it should probably not be used by someone who is not comfortable with it.
For starters, the application will check your hard drive, which is already quite useful. Assuming everything is fine, then go to the “Maintenance” tab and then to the “Scripts” section.
From here, you can force the regular Mac maintenance script to run. After that, go to “Rebuild” to force macOS to rebuild a number of different caches; this can potentially resolve slowdowns. The “Cleaning” section can also help, but it works a lot like the CCleaner we talked about earlier. As for the other configuration tools, feel free to explore, although for the most part, they are not intended to improve performance.