Over time when your Mac computer starts showing sluggish performance, then it’s time to optimize it using built-in features. Here, you can use these features to move data to iCloud, optimize storage space, empty trash items, and reduce clutter. This quick tweak in settings helps you recover valuable space while optimizing your system for better performance.
In addition to built-in features, you can also try to use third-party Mac cleaner tools that help you boost your Mac performance. While CleanMyMac is one of the leading Mac cleaner tools, there are other tools similar to CleanMyMac that helps you optimize your Mac to speed up its performance.
How to Optimize Your Mac for Better Performance
If you are working on macOS Sierra or later, then you can try this simple built-in option to optimize your Mac drive. Using this feature, you can move your photos, videos, files, email attachments, and other files to cloud and access it automatically when needed. It is a quick feature to recover valuable disk space when needed. To use this option, follow these steps.
- Go to Apple menu > About This Mac.
- Now select Storage option.
- Here, it will display you an overview of occupied space by different documents, apps, files, and photos.
Click on the “Manage” button. Here, you will see multiple recommendations displayed in front of. Remember Manage option will not be available on systems older than macOS Sierra. It may display fewer options if certain recommendations turn on already.
These recommendations include:
- Store in iCloud
- Optimize Storage\
- Empty Trash Automatically
- Reduce Clutter
Store in iCloud:
Under this option, you will find below-mentioned options to select from.
Desktop and Documents:
You can select files from these two locations to store in iCloud Drive. Here, only the files that are opened recently by you are kept on your Mac to help you work easily offline. The files that are stored in iCloud display download icon next to it. You can double click on this download icon to download the original file. To store desktop and document files in iCloud, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud. Here, tap on Options button given next to iCloud Drive. Once you select Store in iCloud it will turn on the Desktop & Documents Folders. You can deselect iCloud Drive to turn off iCloud Drive completely.
Photos:
You can store all your photos and videos in iCloud Photos. Here, only optimized versions of photos are kept on Mac. If you want to download the original photo or video file, you simply need to open it. To store photos in iCloud, go to Photos > Preferences > iCloud. From Store in iCloud select iCloud Photos.
Messages:
Here, you can store all your messages and attachments in iCloud. It keeps only recently opened messages and attachments on Mac for easy access. To store messages in iCloud, go to Messages > Preferences > iMessage. Here, select Enable Messages in iCloud.
Optimize Storage:
You can follow this option to automatically remove watched TV shows and iTunes movies, download only recent attachments and stop automatically downloading attachments. To optimize storage in iTunes, go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced. Now choose “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows” option. For Mail, go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts. Now set the Download Attachments option to either Recent or None.
Empty Trash Automatically:
This feature will permanently delete files from Trash after 30 days. To empty Trash, go to Finder > Preferences > Advanced. Select “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days” option.
Reduce Clutter:
This feature allows you to find and delete all unnecessary files from your Mac. Here, it helps you clean documents, apps, iOS files, Trash items, iTunes items, GarageBand, and more.
So, this was a quick review on how to optimize your Mac for better performance using the built-in feature. Additionally, you can also try third-party tools for instant and effective results. If you know more such tricks to optimize Mac, then feel free to share in the comments below.
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Mac offers various built-in features to help you optimize your Mac drive for better performance. Let’s discuss more it here.