7 Fixes For Mac Running Slow After macOS Monterey Update

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Is your Mac running slow after upgrading to Monterey? There are a lot of fixes, like restarting, checking activity monitor, resetting NVRAM/SMC, and disabling startup items to speed up your system.

Let us look at it in detail for better options.

Key Takeaways:

• Restarting your Mac is the easiest first step to speed up a slow system after a Monterey update.
• Check the Activity Monitor to identify power-hungry apps to force quit and free up system resources.
• Reset NVRAM and SMC on Intel-based Macs to help resolve hardware-related performance issues.
• Disable startup items and optimize storage to free up disk space taken up by unused apps and already-viewed media files.
• Reinstalling Monterey is the last resort to completely refresh the OS if other fixes don’t work. Back up data first.

How To Fix Mac Running Slow After macOS Monterey Update

When your Mac starts acting slow after a macOS (operating system) Monterey update, the first thing to check is if you have enough disk space for the update.

Once you have ruled that out, start by disabling the startup items and free disk space as well, you can also stop power-hungry apps from running, such as Google Chrome, from the Activity Monitor.

Apart from this, there are more fixes to help you out. We’ve covered it in the upcoming sections. Another factor to consider is how you’ve downloaded the software. If it is not through the official Apple website, then that could be why your Mac is facing performance issues.

Fixes For Mac Running Slow After macOS Monterey Update

1. Restart Your System

If you have recently updated to Monterey, and the system is too slow to function, you might have to restart it once again.

That is the first and foremost thing that you need to do before we can move up to other aspects.

Here is how you can do it.

Click on the Apple menu icon on the top left. > Choose Restart.

Wait for the system to restart and check if everything is working fine.

2. Check Activity Monitor

You can check the activity monitor to figure out if there are any apps or software that are taking up too much energy or resources on your system. Here is how you can stop such apps and force quit them.

• Press the Space bar + Command to open Spotlight Search.
• Now, type Activity Monitor > open it.
• Select the app that you want to quit > double-click it.

• Choose Quit.

Once the app quits, you can restart the system and check if the problem still exists.

3. Disable Startup Items

Another method you can try is disabling some of the startup apps or software. It’s definitely easy to access some of the apps that open directly at startup, but too many of these can slow down your system even if you have updated to a new software.

You can choose to disable them by following the series of steps below.

• Click on the Apple menu on the top left of your desktop.
• Choose System Settings.
• Now, scroll down > click on General >  select Login Items.

• Under the Open at Login section, you can choose the app you want to disable.
• Click on – to remove them from the list.

You can also do this by making a two-finger tap on any of the apps in the dock and clicking on Open at login. This will do the job.

4. Reset SMC & NVRAM

If restarting the Mac does not work, you can try resetting SMC and NVRAM. This is mostly used when you face hardware issues that are not resolved by general methods.

This process works differently for M1 & M2-based Macs as compared to Intel-based.

Here is how to do it.

For M1 & M2 MacBooks:

There isn’t any option to do SMC or NVRAM reset in M1 & M2 based Macs. In fact, you don’t need one. With Apple’s Silicon chip, a simple restart might be enough to reset the system just like you would want.

For Intel Based MacBooks:

Here is what you can do if you are still on an Intel-based MacBook.

• Shut down your Mac.
• Press and hold the following keys.
  • Shift (Left Side) + Control (Left Side) + Option (Left Side) + Power Button.
• Hold all the keys for at least 10 seconds.
• Wait for a few seconds and restart your system again.

This works no matter what issue you face with your system, including slow-running performance.

5. Optimize Storage

The Optimize Storage feature on Mac allows you to have enough storage to run the system smoothly. Once you enable it, all your already-watched movies or TV shows will be removed from your Mac to save some space.

Here is how you can enable the Optimize Storage option.

• Click on the Apple icon on the top-left of your screen.
• Now, open System Settings.
• Go to General > open Storage.

• Now, click on Optimize beside Optimize Storage.

• To confirm, click on Optimize again.

That’s it! Now, all the movies and shows you’ve seen will be removed to save you space.

6. Run Disk Utility

Running disk utility allows you to scan your storage disks to check for any internal errors and fix them through First Aid. We will be trying out the same to check if there are any such issues your Mac might be facing that could be slowing it down.

• Open Spotlight search by pressing Command + Spacebar.
• Then, type Disk Utilities > double-click to open it.
• Now, choose any disk > press First Aid.

• On the dialog box, click on Run.

Wait for the system to check for any errors on your disk. If any errors are detected, the system will fix them. You can keep doing it for all the disks.

Once done, try restarting the system and see if the device is back to its normal speed.

7. Reinstall macOS

This is the last method you can try when nothing else works. Since the issue started after you updated your Mac, reinstalling the system might be the only way to fix this. It might take time, so ensure that your device is charged.

You can reinstall without losing any data. However, just to be on the safer side, it’s always good to create a backup of all your files and settings in case they get deleted by accident.

For Apple Silicon MacBooks:

For this method, make sure you’re connected to the internet.

• Go to the Recovery app.
• Click Reinstall macOS Monterey > click Continue.
• Follow the instructions that appear onscreen.

Note: When asked to select a disk, make sure you choose your current macOS disk.

For Intel Based MacBooks:

• Press and hold the power button on your Mac.
• Release the button.
• Press and hold the Command (⌘)  + R keys till you see the Apple logo.

Your Mac will now enter the Recovery Mode. From here, you can reinstall macOS.

• Choose Reinstall macOS Monterey.
• Now, follow the on-screen instructions to install Monterey again.

Wait for the system to restart after the process is complete. You might need to give some time for the system to set up everything to determine if it is running normally.

Worried about someone accessing your Mac remotely? Not sure how to fix it? Check out our easy guide for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

A slow Mac after updating to Monterey is frustrating but fixable. Start by restarting your device – this simple step often does the trick. If not, check the Activity Monitor to force quit resource-hogging apps. Resetting NVRAM/SMC, disabling startups, and optimizing storage can also help.

As a last resort, reinstall Monterey. While safe for your data, consider backing up as a precaution.

We hope these tips get your Mac speed back to normal. Let us know in the comments which method worked for you!

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