When you update the OS version of your device, you expect it to operate fast and smooth. Though, macOS Sierra users complain that the system sometimes suddenly freezes or work slow. Scolding the company and waiting for another patch is not the best option, so below we prepared a list of possible solutions to the issues with Mac performance.
Take your time
Often after updating the operating system, your computer needs some time to fully update all its services. The system performs re-indexing of the hard drive for Siri and Spotlight. To put it simply, it removes thousands of files to replace them with new ones. This procedure may last from several minutes on powerful devices to a couple of hours on the weaker ones. So don’t panic if your device doesn’t work at full capacity at first and do not interrupt the process of re-indexing.
Check the activity
MacOS has a special utility where you can see what tasks are currently running in the background. For that, open Launchpad, go to the Others section and select Activity Monitor. It clearly shows what tasks the system is occupied with. If you see that the application takes up a lot of resources of the computer processor and you almost do not use it, just close the app. There also might be some cases when you have no idea that the service is running, but it consumes too many resources from the system.
Make sure there is enough space available
Sometimes the program may require more storage than is available on the computer. In order to find out how much memory your computer has, select Apple menu and go to About This Mac. The amount of memory is displayed in the Overview pane. Check the help for the program to find out its requirements for the computer.
For information how to increase the amount of memory on your computer, go to the Apple menu proceed to About This Mac, select Memory, and then, in the lower right corner, Memory Upgrade Instructions in the lower right corner. Note: this option is not available for all Mac computers.
Close apps that are not compatible with your device
We recommend you to quit all the apps that are incompatible with your computer. For example, a program may require a different graphics card or processor. First of all, check the documentation for the program to find out its requirements for the device.
- To check the processor of your device, find Apple menu, go to About This Mac and then click on Overview.
- To find out what graphics card is installed on your computer, find Apple menu, go to About This Mac and then click on Displays. You will see its name in the middle of the opened window.
Check free storage of your boot disk
One of the reasons for the possible slowdown of your computer may be lack of free space on the computer’s boot disk. The solution is simple: perform macOS Sierra clean up by moving files to another disk and deleting unnecessary files on the boot drive.
Clean the desktop
It seems like a trifle but experts highlight the opposite: if the desktop is too cluttered, your Mac will eventually slow down. So group all your two hundred screenshots into folders and stick to this habit in the future. There are several ways how to delete all the junk files and organize your Mac’s desktop. First of all, just group files piling up on your device into separate folders, as follows:
- Press Control and select the items that you wish to group.
- Right-click on any of the selected files and then select the option New Folder with Selection.
Pay attention to GIFs in iMessages
If you are constantly using the iMessages app, note that eye candy stickers, screenshots, and GIF animations might significantly load the processor and, thus, slow down your computer. To reduce the load, we recommend checking the status of Messages in the Activity Monitor sections and clearing the chat dialog after the conversation.
Use your iCloud storage to the fullest
iCloud allows you to store documents, photos, music, applications and other useful information safely on a remote cloud server, as well as to keep them up to date on all your devices. All Apple users are provided with 5GB of iCloud space for free, so make the most use of them. Move your files to iCloud and enjoy extra storage.
Use advanced features
You have resorted to everything, and the system continues to glitch? There is one more solution. In System Preferences, find the Accessibility section, go to Display and check Increase contrast, Reduce transparency and Reduce motion. Those simple manipulations will save the resources of the video card.
If nothing helps, you may try reinstalling the whole operating system or rolling back to OS X El Capitan. Nevertheless, always be sure of the update you wish to install, watch for the free disk space and do not allow various garbage to pile up. Thus, your Mac will serve you faithfully for years. Good luck!