Boost Your Mac's Performance with These 7 Simple Clean-Up Steps and Screenshots

Is your Mac running slow lately? It can be frustrating when your MacBook takes forever to open apps or load files, especially when you need it for studying or projects. The good news is you don’t need to be a tech expert or spend hours troubleshooting to speed things up. This post shares 7 safe and easy clean-up steps that anyone can follow to make their MacBook faster. Plus, you’ll find helpful screenshots to guide you through each step.

Storage management window on MacBook screen

1. Check Your Storage Space and Clear Junk Files

A full or nearly full hard drive slows down your Mac. Start by checking your storage:

• Click the Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage.

• Review how much space is used and what types of files take up the most room.

• Use the Manage button to find recommendations like emptying the trash, deleting large files, or removing unused apps.

  
  

Deleting old downloads, duplicates, and files you no longer need frees up space and improves speed.

2. Close Unnecessary Startup Programs

Many apps launch automatically when you turn on your Mac, which can slow startup and overall performance.

• Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.

• Select your user account and click the Login Items tab.

• Remove apps you don’t need to start automatically by selecting them and clicking the minus (-) button.

  
  

This reduces the load on your Mac right from the start.

3. Update macOS and Apps Regularly

Updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements. Running outdated software can cause your Mac to lag.

• Open System Preferences > Software Update to check for macOS updates.

• Open the App Store and click Updates to update your apps.

  
  

Keeping everything current helps your Mac run smoother and more securely.

4. Clear Browser Cache and History

Web browsers store cache and history to speed up browsing, but over time this data can slow your Mac.

• In Safari, click Safari > Clear History.

• Choose all history to remove everything.

• For Chrome or Firefox, go to settings and clear browsing data, including cache and cookies.

  
  

This step can free up memory and improve browser speed.

5. Manage Your Desktop Clutter

Having too many files and folders on your desktop can slow your Mac because it has to load all those icons every time it wakes up.

• Move files into folders or your Documents folder.

• Keep your desktop clean with only essential shortcuts.

  
  

6. Restart Your Mac Regularly

It sounds simple, but many people leave their Macs running for days or weeks. Restarting clears temporary files and refreshes system resources.

Try to restart your Mac at least once a week to keep it running efficiently.

7. Use Activity Monitor to Identify Resource Hogs

Activity Monitor shows which apps use the most CPU, memory, and energy.

• Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.

• Look at the CPU and Memory tabs.

• If you see apps using a lot of resources that you don’t need, quit them by selecting and clicking the X button.

  
  

This helps you spot and stop apps that slow your Mac down.

These steps are easy to follow and don’t require any technical skills or risky software. If you want a deeper clean-up or personalized help, consider a professional tune-up.

One-hour tune-up—what we do differently. We focus on safe, thorough cleaning and optimization tailored to your Mac’s needs. This includes removing hidden junk files, optimizing settings, and ensuring your Mac runs at its best without risking your data.