How to Fix a Slow Mac After Updating to macOS Sequoia

So, you recently updated to macOS Sequoia, and now your Mac feels sluggish and unresponsive? Well, you’re not alone.

Plenty of users have been complaining about screen freezes, delayed window responses, and overall slow performance. In this post, we’re going to explore why this might be happening and go over some steps you can take to get your Mac back up to speed.

Why is macOS Sequoia Slowing Things Down?

If you’re like me, wondering whether the slowness is because of macOS Sequoia or if it’s just your Mac acting up, here’s what I’ve noticed after updating a few of my Macs to the latest macOS.

Technically, macOS Sequoia isn’t supposed to slow down your Mac. But after testing it on different machines, I’ve noticed that older models, like the iMac Pro (2017) and MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020), seem to struggle more with the update.

On the flip side, newer devices like the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) run Sequoia without any issues.

What’s likely happening is that macOS Sequoia is using more of your Mac’s resources, which means there’s less left over for the apps you’re running.

This resource-heavy behavior can make things feel slower, especially if you’re on older hardware.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Mac’s Performance

If your Mac is feeling a bit sluggish, don’t worry – there are a few things you can try to get it running smoothly. These tweaks can help free up resources, ease the load on your CPU and GPU, and generally make your Mac more efficient.

1. Restart Your Mac

Yes, that’s right. It might sound too simple, but a quick restart can solve a lot of problems – especially after a big update like macOS Sequoia.

Restarting clears out temporary files, resets system processes, and can fix those little glitches that pop up when things don’t load quite right after an update.

Let your Mac restart and see if that helps speed things up.

To restart, do the following:

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select Restart from the drop-down menu.



3. Click Restart again to confirm.

2. Check Your Mac’s Storage Space

Like any other operating system, for it to run efficiently, it needs enough free storage space. If your drive is nearly full, it can lead to performance issues or cause apps to hang.

So, it’s a good idea to check how much free space you have and what’s taking up the most room.

To check your Mac’s storage space:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click on General, then select Storage.



3. See how much space is available and take note of what’s using up the most space.

If you’re running low on storage, here are some options to consider:

• Delete old or unused files – things like large downloads or outdated documents.
• Move your media files (photos, videos, etc.) to an external drive or cloud storage.
• Empty the Trash to fully remove the files you’ve deleted.
• Uninstall apps you no longer use by dragging them to the Trash.

3. Clear Your Mac’s Cache

And while we’re on the topic of storage space, you’d be surprised how much space your cache files can take up over time. These temporary files pile up, and if not cleared regularly, they can eat into your storage.

How to Clear Cache on Your Mac:

1. Open Finder and click on Go in the menu bar.
2. Select Go to Folder…, then type ~/Library/Caches and press Enter.



3. In the Caches folder, you’ll see different folders for apps and system services. Go through and delete the contents of folders you no longer need, but be careful not to delete important files.
4. Once done, empty the Trash to free up the space completely.

Note: Some apps will rebuild cache files after you clear them – that’s totally normal and part of how they work.

4. Update Your Apps

Keeping your apps up to date is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly. Outdated apps might not work well with the new OS, which can lead to crashes, slowdowns, or other annoying issues. Developers usually release updates to fix bugs, improve performance, and ensure compatibility with the latest macOS version.

So, updating your apps is essential after a major OS update.

How to Update Your Apps:

1. Open the App Store on your Mac.
2. Click on the Updates tab in the sidebar.
3. If any updates are available, click Update All to install the latest versions of your apps.

Note: For apps that weren’t downloaded from the App Store, open each one and check for updates in the app’s settings or help menu.

5. Disable Effects You Don’t Need

macOS comes packed with cool visual effects like animations, transparency, and motion effects, which make interacting with the UI look smooth and visually appealing.

However, these effects can also put a strain on your Mac’s CPU and GPU – especially if you’re using older or less powerful hardware.

By turning off some of these effects, you can free up resources and help your Mac run faster, especially if you’ve noticed some lag after upgrading to macOS Sequoia. So, disabling these effects might actually give your Mac a helpful speed boost.

How to Disable Visual Effects:

1. Open System Settings and click on Accessibility.



2. Under Display, toggle on Reduce Motion to cut down on animations.
3. Enable Reduce Transparency to turn off background transparency effects in windows and menus.



4. You can also go to Desktop & Dock in System Settings and uncheck Animate opening applications for a smoother, less resource-heavy experience when launching apps.

By disabling these effects, you can lighten the load on your Mac’s processor and help it run more smoothly.

6. Manage Your Startup Settings

Your Mac’s startup settings control which apps and services automatically launch when you turn on your computer. If too many apps are set to start up, it can slow down both your Mac’s boot time and its overall performance. Adjusting these settings can help your Mac start faster and run more efficiently.

How to Manage Startup Apps:

1. Open System Settings and click on General.
2. Select Login Items & Extensions from the sidebar.



3. Here, you’ll see a list of apps that open automatically when you start your Mac.



4. To remove an app, just click the minus (-) button next to it.
5. If you want an app to start at login, click the plus (+) button and choose the app you want to add.

By limiting how many apps open at startup, you can reduce the load on your Mac’s resources and speed up its boot time.

7. Activity Monitor Is Your Friend

Activity Monitor is a great built-in tool that helps you keep an eye on your Mac’s performance. It shows real-time data about how much of your CPU, memory, disk, network, and energy each app is using.

If your Mac is running slow, Activity Monitor can help you figure out which apps or processes are hogging resources so you can deal with them.

How to Access Activity Monitor:

1. Open Finder and click on Applications.
2. Go to the Utilities folder and select Activity Monitor, or use Spotlight (Cmd + Space) to search for it.

Once you’ve opened Activity Monitor, here’s what to do:

• Check the CPU tab to see which apps or processes are using the most processing power. If something is hogging too much, select it and click the Stop (X) button to force it to quit.
• Look at the Memory tab to see if any apps are using too much RAM. If your Mac is low on memory, it can slow down, so closing high-memory apps might help.
• If you’re using a MacBook, check the Energy tab to spot any apps that are draining your battery.

With Activity Monitor, you can quickly identify resource-heavy apps and processes, making it easier to manage and improve your Mac’s performance.

Boost Your Mac’s Performance with Apps

While the methods above require manually adjusting different settings, there are actually Mac apps that can make the whole process a lot easier.

These apps help clean up your system, optimize performance, free up resources, and more – all with just a few clicks under one simple interface. Here’s a list of some popular Mac apps that can help clean up your Mac and improve its performance.

CleanMyMac X

This all-in-one tool is excellent for clearing out junk files, uninstalling unused apps, and managing large files that take up valuable space. It also includes optimization tools to speed up your system, protect against malware, and monitor overall performance.

CleanMyMac X offers a free 7-day trial, and its subscription plan starts at $39.95 per year.

Also, check out our post on 20 CleanMyMac X features you should know.

DaisyDisk

DaisyDisk provides a visual breakdown of your disk space, making it easy to identify large files and folders that are hogging space. You can quickly delete unnecessary items and free up storage.

DaisyDisk offers a free trial, or you can purchase it for a one-time payment of $9.99.

MacKeeper

MacKeeper includes a range of tools to keep your Mac in top condition. It has a memory cleaner, junk file remover, and anti-malware protection, and it can also identify and fix issues that might be slowing down your Mac.

MacKeeper costs approximately $5.95 per month for one Mac.

Disk Doctor

Disk Doctor scans your system for temporary files, old logs, and other clutter that might be taking up space. With just a few clicks, you can remove these files and recover valuable storage.

Disk Doctor is a paid app that costs $2.99 as a one-time payment.

If All Else Fails: Revert Back to the Previous macOS

If none of the tips above seem to do the trick and macOS Sequoia is still slow or laggy, and upgrading to a new machine isn’t in the budget, there’s one more option – reverting back to your previous macOS version.

This can be a solid solution if Sequoia just isn’t playing nice with your Mac.

How to Revert Back to a Previous macOS:

1. First things first-make sure you have a backup. Use Time Machine to back up all your important files and settings, just in case something goes wrong.
2. Restart your Mac and hold down Command + R as it starts up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. In the Recovery Mode menu, you’ll see options to either Reinstall macOS or restore from a Time Machine Backup. If you have a backup from your previous macOS version, select that to restore your system.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Your Mac will revert to the previous macOS version, and you can restore your data from your backup once it’s done.

By rolling back to the previous macOS, you might regain better performance while you wait for Apple to release updates or fixes for macOS Sequoia.