Macs are known to be speedy, effortless, and fluid machines. That’s true in a lot of cases, especially as the devices are new. Just like anything, else, though, Macs are prone to slow down as we use them and bog them down with applications and programs.

If you’re wondering how to speed up a mac, fortunately, there are some ways for you to do just that without spending a great deal of money on a new device.

We’re going to discuss ways that you can speed up your device quickly without spending any money.

Let’s get started:

How to Speed Up a Mac on Your Own

A big part of the reason that your mac might be slowing down is the result of something called “planned obsolescence.”

This is an insidious little trick that big tech companies and many manufacturers play on consumers (and the environment, for that matter). Planned obsolescence is the process of creating products in a way that will cause them to degrade over time.

That way, by the time the next big product rolls out, your device will be slowing down and you’ll have a great reason to run out and buy another thing. The same goes for computers, but the nice thing is that computers are built in such a way that we can keep them well-oiled and functioning.

The first way to do this is to get a feel for your activity monitor and how to use it.

Check on Your Activity Monitor

Use your search function to type “activity monitor” and click on it. You can also use the “Go” tab and mouse down to “utilities,” where you’ll find a link for the activity monitor.

Once you get to the monitor, you’ll see your most recent and active applications as well as how much power they’re using, their energy usage, memory, and more. You might find that there are a lot of programs running which you had no idea about.

In some cases, these are behind-the-scenes processes that need to be used in order to keep things running smoothly. In other cases, you might be running programs that play no part in how you use your computer. These are applications that can be shut off, and your computer will have more free space to function.

Getting rid of all of your unnecessary programs will speed your mac up a good deal.

Manage Your Storage

The more storage space you have, the faster your computer should run. Over time, we tend to have a lot of buildup in the storage department. There are a lot of things we do online that require us to download and store things that we don’t need a short time later.

Click the Apple logo on the top left of your screen and scroll down to the first option, “About This Mac.” You’ll then see the options of overview, displays, storage, support, and service.

Go ahead and click on “storage” and wait for the system to identify how your storage is distributed. You’ll see a simple breakdown of how much storage you have used and where that memory is being used.

For example, you might see that your trash bin takes up 15% of your storage, so it’s a no-brainer to go ahead and delete it and free up some space. Click the “manage” button and you’ll see that you have a couple of options.

The Mac allows you to optimize storage, which essentially cuts back on the Itunes and Apple products purchased that aren’t in use. You can also move to store a number of items in the iCloud, and this will free up a lot of your space.

Further, you have the option to reduce clutter and immediately empty your trash. These factors, though they seem small, will have a really big impact on your computer’s lifespan.

How These Things Keep Your Computer Running

Generally speaking, the more bogged-down your computer’s storage system is, the harder it is working.

When things are slow, that means the computer is working a lot harder than it otherwise would be. When you’re breezing through the different functions of your computer, that means you’re saving energy and everything is working well.

So, as you start to use your computer during its slow decline into sluggishness, you’re working its features too hard. It’s just like running a car without enough oil. Things will start to break down, and those breakdowns will cause imbalances in other areas.

Managing your storage and activity will keep your computer free from that kind of stress. That means its lifespan will extend and you’ll experience far fewer issues with speed or repairs as a result.

Speeding Up Internet Usage

When it comes to using web browsers, your computer’s software definitely plays a part but a lot of it has to do with the data stored on the browser itself. You might be wondering “why is chrome so slow,” for example.

In these cases, it’s important to take a look at your cookies. You accumulate a cache of hundreds of cookies, passwords, preferences, and more over time. All of these factors contribute to the speed and usability of the browser that you’re using.

Different browsers have different methods of deleting caches and storing your data. It’s likely that you’re either using Safari or Google Chrome. It’s important to delete your cookies every now and then when you’re using Safari.

When it comes to Chrome, do your best to explore the browser’s options on how your data is stored. There may be features available to you that let you store your data in the cloud or another area of Google that doesn’t impact your ability to browse quickly.

Is Your Computer Slowing Down?

Hopefully, you have a little better understanding of how to speed up a mac than you did before this article. If the ideas above aren’t working to speed things up, though, we’re here to help you.

Explore our site for more ideas and insights into Apple products that might help you bring your computer back to its former glory.