It doesn’t matter if you own an iMac or a MacBook; if you do not take proper care of it, it will become slow over time and begin to underperform.
Thus it is important to know about the technical details of the devices you own and often use, not only how to turn on the computer and send an email. If you have invested in a Mac computer, you need to know how to handle it right to your advantage. You can approve iPhone on iCloud from Mac or other iOS.
Therefore, to enhance the efficiency of the Mac you are using, we are going to share eight macOS tips that will improve the way you use your Mac and how fast it performs.
Tip #1: Run More Than One OS at a Time
Did you know that it is possible to run two operating systems on a Mac at the same time? Sure, it is not the easiest thing to do, but if you have the newest macOS Big Sur and some outdated software is incompatible with the new OS, you might want to switch to an older version from time to time.
To do that, you would have to perform a disk partition and learn the differences between exfat vs mac os extended files systems so that you choose the best fit for your needs and requirements of your device.
Tip #2: Have 10% of Free Disk Space
If you want to have a fast and well-performing Mac, you need to make sure that your computer has at least 10% of free disk space at all times. Once it becomes less than 10%, your Mac will become noticeably slower.
To learn how much free storage space you currently have, click the Apple icon from the upper menu, go to the option About This Mac, and open the Storage tab. You might have to wait a couple of minutes until the data is calculated and displayed to you.
Tip #3: Use macOS Suggestions to Optimise Storage
While you are still in the Storage menu, you can click on the Manage option. When you do so, you will see a list of macOS suggestions that can help you free up some disk space.
These suggestions include storing files in iCloud, automatically removing movies and tv shows after you have watched them, emptying the Trash Bin after 30 days of file deletion, and reducing clutter by removing some large files from your Mac.
Tip #4: Remove Apps You Do Not Use
In the Manage Storage menu, you can see a white column on the left side of the window that shows you how much space on your computer is taken up by certain types of files, including apps. Most likely, you will notice that apps take a whole lot of space.
This often happens for two reasons. First of all, people tend to experiment with new apps and forget about them really fast. Secondly, when downloading an app, people often can’t imagine how big the app actually is. Thus remind yourself to uninstall the unneeded apps from time to time.
Tip #5: Clean up the Downloads Folder
If you want to quickly find more large unneeded files to delete, check your Downloads folder. The folder stores all the files you download from the internet, including leaflets, PDF ebooks, movies, music, large installation files, and whatnot.
Therefore, if you have had your Mac for a while now and never got the chance to clean up the Downloads folder, you might find many one-time use files there that you no longer need.
More to it, to avoid downloading movies and tv shows to your computer, subscribe to streaming services such as Netflix instead.
Tip #6: Shorten the List of Startup Items
A slow startup can really waste your time and patience. Most likely, your Mac is taking so long to boot because you have too many login items, which are apps that launch right after you start your computer.
If those apps are not the ones you would launch every time you use your computer, then remove them from the login items list. To do so, click the Apple icon from the top left corner of the screen, go to the System Preferences, choose Users & Groups, Login Items, highlight the apps you want to remove from the list, and click the red minus button.
Tip #7: Update the Operating System Regularly
If you want your Mac to be efficient and perform well, you need to remind yourself to update the macOS and its apps regularly. It will help improve your Mac’s speed and the entire performance because the updates often include these enhancements.
More to it, updates also often come with security improvements, which are very important nowadays because new viruses and malware are being created and spread constantly.
Tip #8: Invest in a Cooling Pad
Low disk space and malware are not the only reasons that could cause the slow performance of your computer. Overheating can also slow down your Mac and have a negative impact on the battery life of your computer.
Therefore, if you spend a lot of time in a hot environment and do not have control over the temperature, consider investing in a cooling pad for your Mac.