10 Proven Hacks to Instantly Boost Your MacBook's Speed

10 Proven Hacks to Instantly Boost Your MacBook's Speed

MacBook users know how important speed is for work, pleasure, and daily duties. Once smooth, your MacBook may slow down owing to bloated programs, obsolete software, or wear and tear. Fortunately, a few changes and improvements may soon return your MacBook to its full capacity. 

Our blog post will discuss 10 proven methods to speed up your MacBook to like new. These tips optimize your MacBook Air or Pro.  

1. Clear Out Unnecessary Startup Items

Some apps and processes start automatically when you switch on your MacBook. Some are necessary, while others squander system resources. Adding apps increases this list and MacBook startup time.  

How to Disable Startup Items:

1. Click Apple Menu in the top-left corner.
2. Choose System Preferences.
3. Select Users & Groups.
4. Select Login Items.
5. The following applications debut at startup. Select the unwanted ones and click the minus (-) button.

Starting with superfluous starting applications disabled may greatly speed up boot time and save up system resources. 

2. Free Up Storage Space

Since MacBooks have limited storage, full drives hinder performance. More data slows your MacBook. Remove old files, applications, and documents to improve performance.  

How to Free Up Storage:

1. Select Apple Menu > About This Mac in Finder.
2. The Storage page shows your storage use and location.
3. Use Optimized Storage (Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage) to delete old data, move to iCloud, and optimize storage. 

Third-party apps like CleanMyMac and DaisyDisk may bulk-remove large files. Delete files carefully to avoid losing important data.  

3. Reduce Visual Effects

MacOS's window animations may make your MacBook seem elegant, but they demand system resources. Remove these effects to speed up your MacBook. 

How to Reduce Visual Effects:

1. Access system preferences.
2. Visit Accessibility.
3. Check Reduce motion and transparency under Display.

This will lessen GPU pressure, making your MacBook more responsive, particularly while multitasking or switching programs. 

4. Update macOS and Apps Regularly

Old software might delay your MacBook due to compatibility difficulties or glitches. Updated macOS and applications provide the latest performance and security updates. 

How to Check for Updates:

1. Select Apple > System Preferences.
2. Software Update checks macOS updates.
3. Click Updates in the Mac App Store to see which applications need updating. 

Regular updates keep your MacBook running smoothly and securely.  

5. Optimize Energy Settings

MacBook battery settings affect performance and battery life. By altering energy settings, you may balance performance and efficiency for ideal speed. 

How to Optimize Energy Settings:

1. Use system preferences.
2. Switch to Energy Saver (or Battery for newer MacBooks).
3. Change settings to enable "High Performance" mode while connected in or reduce background processes when on battery.

Optimizing energy settings lets your MacBook tackle more demanding activities without overusing its resources. 

6. Close Unnecessary Background Apps

Many apps consume CPU and RAM in the background without your intervention. Closing unneeded applications saves resources and improves performance.  

How to Check Running Apps:

1. Launch Spotlight with Command + Space, then enter Activity Monitor and Enter.
2. Find all active processes in Activity Monitor. Find resource-intensive apps.
3. Click the upper-left X button to force-quit a CPU-hogging application. 

By minimizing load, this will boost MacBook performance.  

7. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)

The SMC controls MacBook power, temperature, and performance. A SMC reset may address slow performance and restore normal operation.  

How to Reset SMC:

1. Turn off the MacBook. 
2. For MacBooks with a T2 chip: Hold Control + Option (Alt) + Shift (left side) for 7 seconds, then press and hold the power button for 7 seconds.
3. Shut down older MacBooks and hold Shift + Control + Option (left side) and the power button for 10 seconds.

The SMC reset should speed up your MacBook's power and thermal management. 

8. Clean Out System Cache Files

Cache files slow down your MacBook. The purpose of these files is to improve app performance, but too many may hamper it. 

How to Clean Cache Files:

1. Menu > Go in Finder.
2. Select Library using Option.
3. Remove non-essential app directories from Caches. System caches should be deleted carefully.

A third-party program like CleanMyMac can securely erase cache files without affecting system data. 

9. Run Disk Utility to Repair Your Hard Drive

Your MacBook may slow down due to faulty sectors or damaged data. Disk Utility on macOS may solve these issues and boost speed. 

How to Run Disk Utility:

1. Use Applications > Utility.
2. Run Disk Utility.
3. Select "Macintosh HD"—your MacBook's main hard drive—and First Aid.
4. Click Run to scan and fix your HDD. 

Working Disk Utility regularly keeps your MacBook working smoothly.  

10. Upgrade Your RAM and SSD

These methods may boost performance, but boosting your MacBook's RAM and SSD is preferable.  

1. RAM upgrades allow your MacBook to run more applications smoothly. RAM upgrades are one of the fastest ways to speed up older MacBooks.
2. Install an SSD: Older MacBooks with HDDs may operate better. SSDs speed software launches, file transfers, and booting. 

How to Upgrade:

More recent MacBooks may not enable hardware upgrades without technical competence. Install previous models at an Apple Authorized Service Provider or third-party dealer.