Oh, Windows? We like it too
CleanMyMac X is only for Mac but here’s its Windows cousin, CleanMy® PC. It has made millions of PCs around the world speedier. If yours is slow and often crashes, check CleanMy® PC out.
Go to CleanMy® PC page
You enjoy holidays. We'll care for the Macs
It's raining discounts!
Get 30% OffClose

5 things to do when Mac runs slow

When your Mac takes forever to load anything and you’re tired of asking yourself, “Why is my Mac running slow?” then it’s probably time to get it back into shape. How? First, let’s look at the reasons why your Mac is slow, and then how to make it faster.

Remove unnecessary files

Those piles of ancient folders you keep forgetting to delete have finally gotten to you. A full hard drive takes much more time to respond, to load, and to display objects. And it results in a slow running Mac.

Never keep large files on your Desktop — they are the ones that slow Mac the most. Find files over 10GB on your Mac and move them to cloud storage or an external drive. Simply sort your documents by size.

Disable background items

Some apps may keep a low profile and still eat up memory. For example, an unseen app keeps itself updated or scans your Mac in the background.

There's a whole class of small applications called Launch Agents — they live in the Library folder of the same name. See if you can find anything unusual here:

Finder > Go (in the top menu) > Go to Folder.
Type in: ~/Library/Launch Agents.

If you’ve found a suspicious launch agent — check the main app it belongs to and delete if necessary.

Get rid of malware

The number of Mac viruses is rising year by year. If your Mac is running slow as if something’s hogging your processor, you might have accidentally installed a malicious app.

If you know which app on your Mac is malicious, you’re half-way through the problem:

  1. Go to your Applications folder and drag the suspicious app to the Trash.
  2. Go to your ~/Library folder and look in the Application support folder for any files related to the app and drag those to the Trash.
  3. Check out Applications > Activity Monitor. If you click on the Memory column, you may find potential malware processes that eat up RAM.

If you’ve run through the steps above and are still having problems, update the system software. Chances are, you haven’t installed an important security update.

Free up RAM

When you run out of RAM, your system starts using virtual memory instead. And since the latter relies on the hard drive to store info, your Mac’s running horribly slow.

Take a close look at the apps that are running currently. Close the ones you don't use, relaunch the rest. Quit and reload web browsers, since some websites consume memory even when already closed.

P.S. Don't keep a hundred tabs open.

Use CleanMyMac X

If you don't feel like spending the next several hours trying to get your Mac in shape manually, there is a great solution. Download CleanMyMac X and let it do the job for you. It's a simple and powerful utility to speed up your Mac. CleanMyMac has all the tools to solve the issues we’ve talked above, and even more. Plus, it’s super proactive — it alerts you before your Mac gets slow and runs into system risks.

Why is CleanMyMac X great for speeding up your Mac?

  • Cleans your hard drive from useless files in under 5 minutes
  • Safely removes outdated cache files
  • Uninstalls unneeded apps and malware
  • Manages hung apps and login items
  • Frees up RAM in a click
Since you're on mobile, here's the download link for your Mac
Share to…
Copy Link
Link copied to clipboard
Send to My Email
30-day money back guarantee
Easy subscription cancellation
Secure payment encryption

Not sure if you want to use an app? Let’s challenge your concerns.

“Cleaning apps will slow down your Mac to look like they are working. Or they can even delete your personal stuff!”

There are some notorious cleaning apps out there. We're not fans of them, either. CleanMyMac X is different in approaching Mac maintenance. You will always know how much and what you deleted with regular updates on your dashboard. Also, CleanMyMac X never deletes files randomly. We have a proprietary Safety Database that ensures user safety.

“Cleaning apps aren’t safe to use on Macs.”

Some Mac optimization tools raise questions. But there are a few ways to distinguish between a good and a bad app.

  1. Can you find the app on the Mac App Store?
    If yes, then the app is safe as Apple has strict rules about the security of all software distributed on their platform.
  2. What reviewing platforms and media says about the app?
    It’s very unlikely that Trustpilot or MacStories would publish a positive review if the app is a scam. No money can buy a good reputation. 
  3. Does the app developer have customer support? How good is it?
    The company that cares about their customers cares during the whole path. Not just at the dating advertising stage. 
  4. Finally, is there a safe way to delete it?
    Knowing when to let it go is a mature thing, both for humans and apps.

“There is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party apps on your Mac. They don't need it, especially the new ones.”

Hmm…does your Mac crash when you open multiple applications at a time? Does it take longer for your computer to boot or for apps to open? Do you receive any alarming messages, such as the one telling you that you’re out of storage? If you have a positive answer to at least one of the questions above, you may need to give your Mac some cleanup. Download CleanMyMac X and let it do the job for you.

Notarized by Apple
24/7 customer support
Easy to cancel and uninstall
"Excellent" Trustpilot score
Since you're on mobile, here's the download link for your Mac
Share to…
Copy Link
Link copied to clipboard
Send to My Email
MacPaw uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy. Click here to learn more.