The main reasons your MacBook may be slow include:
- Lack of free hard drive space: When the disk is nearly full, macOS has less room for temporary files and system processes, which slows performance. Deleting unnecessary files or using storage optimization can help.
- Too many apps or processes running in the background: These consume CPU and RAM, causing lag. Closing unused apps and managing startup items improves speed.
- Outdated macOS or app software: Updates often optimize performance and fix bugs.
- Insufficient RAM: Limited memory affects running multiple or intensive apps, causing slowdowns.
- Not restarting your Mac regularly: Restarting clears cached files and frees memory.
- Resource-intensive visual effects: Disabling transparency and motion in settings can improve speed.
- Potential malware: Though less common on Macs, malware can drain resources. Running antivirus scans is recommended.
Additional factors can include cluttered desktops, too many browser tabs and extensions, and hardware issues like a failing drive. Checking Activity Monitor can help identify apps consuming resources to close or uninstall. Freeing up disk space, updating software, reducing startup programs, and rebooting often will restore most MacBook speeds. Upgrading hardware such as RAM or switching to SSD can provide further boost if supported by the model.