In this article, we can help you keep your Mac running smooth. Learn 7 important macbook maintenance tips to keep your mac healthy, safe, and happy.
Mac users, beware—Macs are now twice as likely to get infected by adware than other personal computers!
In fact, it’s not just adware (a type of malware in advertisement form) that you need to beware of. Malicious file detections on Macs have gone up by almost 230% from 2018 to 2019. Back in 2018, there was only an average of 4.8 detections, which then jumped to 11 in 2019.
That said, now’s the best time to implement the best MacBook maintenance tips on your gear. Otherwise, you—and your sensitive info—may end up getting hijacked by malware. Besides, malware can also cause indirect physical damage to your Mac.
Ready to learn all about proper maintenance for Macs? Then let’s dive right into it!
1. Automate Software Updates
Outdated software and missing patches account for up to 20% of high-risk cyber issues. Meaning, if you don’t use the latest software version, your Mac is at risk of getting infected with malware.
This is why keeping your software updated is the most crucial part of proper Mac maintenance. Apple, for instance, rolls out bug fixes and patches with every OS update. These updates help boost app functionality while also helping protect users from cybercrime.
To ensure that your apps are always up-to-date, be sure to enable the “Automatic Updates” feature. Open the App Store on your mac then click on the “App Store” option on the upper left. Choose “Preferences” and then tick the box for “Automatic Updates.”
2. Install Malware Protection
Macs do have their own firewall, which you should keep enabled at all times. However, you should also get one that offers more comprehensive malware protection. This way, you can scan your Mac anytime for potential threats, and then get rid of them as soon as you discover them.
3. Use a Second Monitor
One of the main culprits behind a lagging Mac (or computer, for that matter) is running too many apps at the same time.
Indeed, Google says you can open as many Chrome tabs as you want. That’s if you have unlimited RAM, seeing as Chrome now uses even more—between 10% and 13% more. This increased memory usage is a side-effect of the browser being more secure.
Still, that’s a lot, especially since Chrome has already been a big user of RAM even before.
Your Mac isn’t the only one affected by this though—you are, as well. Regardless of how great a multitasker you are, the brain can’t handle all that jampacked info. That’s why some say that it’s best to stick to just nine tabs at any given time.
To avoid overworking your Mac (as well as your eyes and brain) with too many apps, consider using a second “display.” You don’t need an actual second huge monitor—you can make do with your iPad! Thanks to the Sidecar feature that modern Macs now have, you can set up your Apple tablet to act as a second screen.
This will help divide the RAM you use across two devices, which then helps keep your Mac running smooth. The reduced strain on your Mac also helps speed it up. Moreover, this can boost your productivity, since you can concentrate on just two apps.
4. Go for a “Third” Screen
Need at least three apps open all at the same time? Then you should take advantage of the “Split View” feature on Mac.
With this, you can have your Mac display two apps simultaneously on either side of the screen. You can then use Sidecar as your third display.
The Split View functionality helps you reduce your tab-switching and toggling activities. The fewer tasks you make your Mac do, the less strain you put on it.
BTW, there are apps which can do more than split view. once such app is Split Screen Ultimate.
To turn this on, hover your cursor over the green button on the upper left portion of one app. Choose which side (left or right) you want this to appear in. Choose the opposite side for the other app.
To turn off split screen on Mac once you want to resume normal mode, hover your cursor over the top left area of one app. Choose the “Exit Full Screen” to get out of the Split View.
5. Routinely Review Apps (And Delete Those You Don’t Need)
Speaking of apps, rogue programs may have found their way into your Mac. They can be malware or potentially unwanted apps (PUAs). They may also be legit software, but so long as you don’t need them, then you don’t want them to stay in your Mac.
Either way, all these unused and unwanted apps can eat a lot of your physical memory and RAM. This, in turn, can cause your Mac to slow and glitch out. All that extra strain can also cause your Mac to overheat.
As such, one of the best ways on how to keep your Mac clean is to rid it of these apps.
Open Finder then hit on the “Applications” tab on the left. Go through the list to see if you have unfamiliar apps or PUAs there. If you find any, move them to your Trash folder.
Make sure you completely delete them by clicking the “Empty” option to the right side of the Trash folder.
6. Limit Your Startup Items
Another key MacBook Air or MacBook Pro maintenance step is to keep your startup items at a minimum. These are the apps that load and launch as soon as your Mac boots. As such, they put on an additional burden on your gear’s boot process.
Unless you turn them off, these start-up items will continue to run in the background. Meaning, they’ll carry on eating up space and RAM. So, the more startup items you have, the slower your Mac will get.
To disable as many of these programs as you can, head over to your System Preferences. Click “Users & Groups”, highlight your username, then click “Login Items.” Highlight the apps you want to disable, then click the “-” at the bottom of the window.
7. Don’t Keep All Your Files in Your Mac
The more files you have stored in your Mac, the less speedy it will become. This reduced efficiency and performance will affect all areas of your Mac use. That’s why you should move some of your files to other storage locations.
The best practice is to use an external hard drive together with cloud storage. Apple offers 5GB of iCloud storage for free, so take advantage of this. You can also get 15GB of free Google Drive space.
Follow These Essential MacBook Maintenance Tips Now
There you have it, your ultimate list of MacBook maintenance tips to follow ASAP! The more of these hacks you do, the better your Mac will perform. Most importantly, they can help keep your Mac healthy and secure from malware.
Ready for more techy tips like this to make the most out of your electronics? Then be sure to head over to this site’s Technology & Trends section!
