If you’re like me, you like to try and keep your devices up-to-date. As a lifelong Apple user (including several iPhones and two MacBook Airs), I get excited about updates that can make my devices run smoother and do a bit more for me.
That doesn’t always go as planned.
I downloaded MacOS Sonoma on my personal computer, a 2019 Intel MacBook Air, about a month after it was released. I was looking forward to the new features, like desktop widgets, slow-motion screensavers that transition to your desktop background and impressive upgrades to Safari. It didn’t go so well.
To be fair to Sonoma, my computer is approaching the end of its lifespan. My Intel Mac saw me through four years of college, and these days, I’m used to some issues with performance. I understand that a few MacOS Sonoma features, like Game Mode or Presenter Overlay, require a Mac with Apple silicon.
That said, this update felt different. My Mac was freezing, crashing and running absurdly hot. As it turns out, I’m not alone in my experience. Some users in r/MacOS, a subreddit discussing MacOS releases and fixes, had similar experiences.
If your Intel Mac is straining with Sonoma, you’re probably going to want to see what you can do, unless you plan on upgrading to one of Apple’s M1, M2 or M3 laptop computers. Read on to find out which settings you might want to consider tweaking and other tips to keep your computer running smoothly.
For more, here are the Sonoma features that equalize your iPhone and your Mac and how Safari just got a bit better.
Keep an eye on storage space and memory use
Apple doesn’t have specific guidance on what to do if your Intel Mac is straining under Sonoma. It does have general tips that could help speed up your computer.
For example, Apple recommends either deleting files or transferring them to an external storage device to free up space and avoid apps that use up too much memory. You can check Activity Monitor to see how much memory your Mac and apps are…
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