Finder cleanup: Open Finder → press Command + F → choose This Mac → click + → set filter to File Size is greater than (e.g., 100MB). Review large files and delete what you don’t need.
Empty Trash: Right-click the Trash icon → Empty Trash.
Apple menu → About This Mac → Storage → Manage… then use recommendations like Empty Trash Automatically and Reduce Clutter.
Open Disk Utility (Spotlight: Command + Space) → select your startup disk → First Aid → Run to check and repair disk errors.
Optional: tools like CleanMyMac X can remove junk/big files. Use any third-party cleaner carefully and review actions before applying.
If search is slow: System Settings → Siri & Spotlight → Spotlight Privacy. Add your drive to the list, then remove it to trigger a reindex.
System Settings → Users & Groups → Login Items. Remove apps that don’t need to start automatically.
System Settings → Software Update → install available updates for performance and security.
Open Terminal and run:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Enter your password if prompted.
For weird power/boot/battery behavior, reset SMC and PRAM/NVRAM. Steps vary by model — look up instructions for your exact Mac.
Drag unused apps from Applications to Trash or use Launchpad (click-hold an icon → click X).
Open Activity Monitor (Utilities) and check CPU/Memory/Energy tabs. Quit or remove apps that consistently hog resources.
System Settings → Battery / Energy Saver. Tune display sleep and related options to extend battery runtime.
Keep fewer tabs open, or use tab-suspender extensions to reduce memory usage in Safari/Chrome/Firefox.
Regularly clear cache/cookies/history via your browser’s privacy settings to free space and speed up browsing.
Dropbox/Google Drive/iCloud can churn in the background. Limit which folders sync or pause syncing during heavy work.
If your Mac is upgradable and feels sluggish under heavy workloads, adding RAM can be a big boost (video, design, VMs).
Lots of desktop items slow Finder. File things into Documents/Downloads and keep the desktop minimal.
Create Smart Folders to auto-collect files by type/date/tags without duplicating them — great for organization.
Use Time Machine or another backup solution consistently. It won’t speed things up, but it protects your data.
If it’s been years and performance is still rough: fully back up, then do a clean install of macOS for a fresh start.