The Tool Desk
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Open Activity Monitor and choose the right view
Open Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor, or use Spotlight to search for “Activity Monitor.” Its panes show different kinds of resource use; begin with the one most closely related to what you notice.
| What you notice | Where to look | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Apps feel slow, fans are busy, or the Mac is working hard | CPU | Processor use by macOS and apps, idle capacity, and activity over time |
| Apps reload, stall, or memory use seems high | Memory | Memory Pressure and details such as memory used, compression, cached files, and swap |
| Files take a long time to open or save | Disk | Disk activity and the amount of data read or written |
| Network tasks seem unusually active | Network | Network activity by process |
| You want to understand power use or graphics activity | Energy or GPU | Energy use or graphics-related activity |
Activity Monitor also includes a Cache view. Available details and labels can vary between macOS releases; Apple’s [Activity Monitor User Guide] documents the utility and its views.
Check CPU activity without mistaking a spike for a fault
In the CPU pane, Apple separates processor use into System (macOS), User (apps and their processes), and Idle (unused capacity). You can examine current usage or activity over time, including recent CPU history, and display a CPU graph in the Dock. A high reading is a reason to investigate, not proof that an app or the Mac is broken.
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Sort the process list by CPU use and look for activity that stays high while the slowdown occurs. A brief burst may be normal for a task; a process that continues to consume substantial CPU during the problem is a more useful lead. Apple explains the CPU indicators and history in its [CPU activity guide].
Use Memory Pressure, not just Memory Used
The Memory pane’s Memory Pressure graph is Apple’s indicator of how efficiently memory is serving processing needs. Apple says it reflects free memory, swap rate, wired memory, and file-cached memory. Check the graph alongside the figures for physical memory, memory used, app memory, wired memory, compressed memory, cached files, and swap used.
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Memory Used alone does not establish a problem. macOS can keep files in cache to make them quicker to reopen, and it can compress inactive memory. Consider the overall pressure and whether the Mac’s symptoms coincide with persistent memory demand rather than treating a large total as a diagnosis. See Apple’s [Memory pane guidance] for the reported values.
Find the process behind the activity
Activity Monitor lists apps, macOS system apps, and background processes that may not have a visible window. Search for a process name, sort the list by the resource column relevant to the symptom, or inspect a selected process. You can choose which columns appear and group processes, including hierarchically to show parent-and-child relationships. The default list refresh interval is five seconds.
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- Match the pane to the symptom. Choose CPU, Memory, Disk, Network, Energy, or GPU as appropriate.
- Sort or search the process list. Find which processes account for the activity you are investigating.
- Inspect before acting. Use process details and grouping to understand what is running; an unfamiliar name alone does not establish that a process is harmful or safe to stop.
- Recheck while the symptom occurs. Activity Monitor updates its list periodically, so compare the process activity with the slowdown rather than relying on a single moment.
Apple describes process searching, sorting, inspection, columns, grouping, and refresh behavior in its [processes guide].
Investigate disk and network activity
Disk
Use the Disk pane when file access or saving appears slow. It reports disk access and data read or written, with options to show disk activity in the Dock. Sort or inspect process activity to see which processes are generating the activity. The pane shows activity, not by itself the cause of a delay. Apple documents its [Disk pane].
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- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
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Network
When a network task seems responsible for the Mac’s workload, use the Network pane to look at activity by process. This can help distinguish which running process is associated with network use; it does not, on its own, explain whether that activity is expected.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to force quit—and when not to
Apple positions force quitting as an option for troublesome apps or processes when the Mac is sluggish or unresponsive. First identify the process as far as you can and consider whether you may lose unsaved work. Do not force quit an unfamiliar system or background process simply because its name is unclear or its resource use is high; the reading alone does not tell you what will happen if it stops.
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- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
If a known app is unresponsive or clearly causing trouble, force quitting may be appropriate. Menu names and locations can differ by macOS release. Apple’s [Activity Monitor guide] describes the utility’s handling of troublesome processes.
Create a diagnostic report for a persistent problem
If the issue continues or Apple Support needs more information, Activity Monitor can generate several kinds of report:
- Sample Process: samples a selected process for three seconds.
- Spindump: gathers information for unresponsive apps terminated using force quit.
- System Diagnostics: uses Mac logs; Apple says this report can be saved and sent to Apple Support.
- Spotlight Diagnostics: is based on running processes.
Choose the report that fits the situation and follow the prompts in your macOS version. Apple’s [diagnostic report instructions] explain these options.
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