Speed up a sluggish MacBook

Steps

1. 01

   Open Activity Monitor

   • Press Command+Space to open Spotlight search, type 'Activity' and press Return
   • Or:Finder›Applications›Utilities›Activity Monitor

   Why?

   Activity Monitor is macOS' version of Task Manager — it lists every running app and what each one is using.

2. 02

   Find the process eating CPU

   • Click the '% CPU' column header to sort by usage, highest first
   • Leave it open for a minute or two rather than judging one instant — brief spikes are normal; a process pinned high continuously is your culprit
   • Select it and click the Stop button (ⓧ) in the upper-left of the Activity Monitor window → choose Quit; if that does nothing, choose Force Quit — force quitting loses any unsaved work in that app

   Why?

   Don't quit processes you don't recognise that belong to macOS itself (WindowServer and friends) — a high 'kernel_task' usually means the Mac is hot and throttling itself, not a rogue app.

   Also see: MacBook running hot with loud fans: cool it down

3. 03

   Remove apps you don't need at startup

   Sequoia or later

   • macOS Sequoia or later:System Settings›General›Login Items & Extensions. Under 'Open at Login', select an app and click − to remove it; under 'App Background Activity', switch off apps you don't need running in the background

   Ventura & Sonoma

   • macOS Ventura and Sonoma:System Settings›General›Login Items— remove apps you don't need under 'Open at Login', and switch off ones you don't need under 'Allow in the Background'

   Monterey or earlier

   • Monterey and earlier:System Preferences›Users & Groups›Login Items, then remove what you don't need at startup

   Why?

   Every app that launches at login eats memory and CPU for the whole session — on an older Mac that adds up fast. Switching off an app's background activity can stop it checking for updates or syncing, so only turn off apps you recognise and don't need.

4. 04

   Turn down the visual effects

   Ventura or later

   • macOS Ventura or later:Apple menu›System Settings›Accessibility›Display— switch on 'Reduce motion' and 'Reduce transparency'

   Monterey or earlier

   • Monterey and earlier:Apple menu›System Preferences›Accessibility›Display›Display tab, same two switches

   Why?

   These two settings cut the graphics work behind window animations and see-through menus — the difference is most noticeable on older MacBooks with integrated graphics, whether Intel or Apple Silicon.

5. 05

   Close the tabs you've been hoarding

   • In Safari or your browser, close every tab you haven't opened in a day — keep only what you're actively using
   • Need to come back later? Bookmark the important ones first (Safari:Bookmarks›Add Bookmark)

   Why?

   Each open tab is effectively a small running app with its own memory; dozens of them add up to real pressure on an older Mac.

6. 06

   Check free disk space

   • macOS Ventura or later:Apple menu›System Settings›General›Storage(Monterey and earlier:Apple menu›About This Mac›Storage tab)
   • Aim for at least about 10% of the drive free — a 256 GB Mac should keep roughly 25–30 GB clear

   Why?

   macOS needs headroom for swap (the overflow space it uses when memory runs out) and temporary files; below about 10% free, everything gets visibly slower.

   Also see: Free up disk space with Storage Management