Start up faster
Get up and running in double quick time
IF YOUR MAC is slow to boot up when you first switch it on, there’s several things you can do to get started with more haste. To begin with, make sure your apps and OS are up to date; then, click the Apple icon in the top–left corner to see if updates are available. Then try these tricks.
DECLUTTER YOUR STARTUP DRIVE
Open a new Finder window (click on the Desktop and press Cmd+N). Click on the Applications folder in the left–hand sidebar. If you now click on the Size column, you can show your apps in order of size, with the smallest or the largest at the top; if it’s the smallest, click Size again. With your apps arranged in size order, it’s easy to spot what’s taking up the most room. Remove apps you no longer use, such as a game you completed or an art package you tried, but didn’t like.
To do this, download and use an uninstaller such as the free AppCleaner (https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner) — this gets rid of the application and all its associated files, unlike dragging it into the Trash which sometimes leaves files behind.
Of course, this arrange–by–size trick works elsewhere on your drive, not just your Applications folder. You can use it for documents and media too.
TAME LOGIN ITEMS
You can (and probably have) set up applications to open automatically when you first start up your Mac. These apps are known as Login Items. It’s a useful feature, but the more items you have here, the longer it takes to boot your Mac. To trim down the number of Login Items you have, open System Settings from the Apple menu. Click General in the left–hand sidebar, then click Login Items. Are there any you don’t need to open at the point of logging in? If so, click on it and then click the “–” sign at the bottom–left of the Open at Login window.
LOG IN WITH YOUR APPLE WATCH OR TOUCH ID
On a modern Mac, you can use Touch ID or your Apple Watch to log in without typing anything. Open System Settings, and this time click on Touch ID & Password in the left–hand sidebar. Under Touch ID, click the “+” icon and follow the on–screen instructions to record a fingerprint using your keyboard’s Touch ID key. You can then use this key to unlock your Mac, make purchases and more.
If you have an Apple Watch, in the Apple Watch section at the foot of the Touch ID & Password window, turn on the option to use it to unlock apps and your Mac. If one or both of these options are missing, you don’t have the necessary devices.