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VOV.VN - Macbooks frequently experience slowness and lag, which may be due to one of the following reasons. Let's explore solutions for each problem.
One of the advantages of MacBook is its speed. MacBooks are renowned for their lightning-fast performance even as they age. However, like any other computer product, Macs can gradually slow down over time. They may lag, freeze, overheat, or take too long to boot. This can be frustrating and inefficient for users, but there are some things you can do to make your computer run faster.
The first and most common solution is to restart the device. It will clear all background activities that overload the CPU, causing delays. Simply click on the Apple icon in the top left of the menu bar, then select Restart. If your device is still slow afterwards, you may need to try other troubleshooting measures.
Running Too Many Battery-Draining Applications
Running too many applications simultaneously slows down your computer. Another way to make your Mac run faster is to close all unused applications. The simplest way to do this is through the Dock on your screen. All running applications will be displayed in the Dock with a glowing dot below their icon. To close an open application, right-click on its icon and select Quit.
Identifying Another Culprit for Macbook Sluggishness
Macbooks often run into sluggishness due to background applications. MacOS is equipped with an application called Activity Monitor that allows users to track and manage these processes or activities. Similar to its name, Activity Monitor monitors all activities running on your Mac and provides in-depth reports on how they affect your computer's performance. You can access this feature through Utilities in the Applications folder or by simultaneously pressing Cmd + Space and typing 'Activity Monitor' into the search bar.
Running Out of Disk Space
For your computer to operate optimally, your hard drive must have sufficient capacity. Therefore, insufficient memory can significantly slow down a Mac. Check your available storage capacity by clicking the Apple icon in the top left of the menu bar and opening About This Mac > Storage, and you'll see “Available Space,” “Used Space,” as well as which file categories are taking up the most space in memory.
Click on the Manage option if you need to free up disk space. Then, you can choose one of four options: Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Automatically Empty Trash, and Reduce Clutter. If none of these options suit you, you can move files to an external drive or delete system cache on your computer. You can also reduce the load of all unused applications by opening the Applications folder from Finder, then clicking the grid icon and sorting applications by “Recently Opened” to easily find less-used apps. Select any software of your choice to uninstall, then drag them to the Trash and empty it.
Computer Clutter
Part of the boot process involves loading and listing all existing items on your computer, the more items the longer it takes. If the issue with your Macbook is slow booting, you should tidy up or rearrange your desktop background. Delete duplicate files and move large files to an external hard drive or to a different folder.
If you still have many items on your Desktop after these steps, use Apple's Stacks tool. This is an automatic organizing tool that groups files on your main screen by type, date, or tag. No matter how cluttered your screen is, you can use Stack to organize your files into categories. Right-click on a file or folder and select “Use Stack” to automatically sort them. If you want to change the sorting criteria, right-click on the folder and select “Group Stack by” and choose the desired option.
Your MacOS is Outdated
Apple releases macOS updates annually, and each upgrade includes advanced features and other enhancements for your system. It's important to regularly update your Mac to keep up with software developments and ensure your device operates at its best. If your computer is running an older version of macOS, your device may experience glitches and become sluggish.
To update macOS, plug your computer into a power source, then back up your data to avoid losing any important files in case of mishaps. Then, click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and go to About This Mac > Overview > Software Update. If an update is available, you'll see the text “Update Now,” click on it and the updating process will commence.
