Memory management is a crucial aspect of maintaining system performance and stability, especially on macOS. Effective memory management ensures that applications run smoothly without exhausting system resources, leading to a more responsive and efficient computing experience. In this article, we will explore various techniques and tools available on macOS for managing memory, including Activity Monitor, Terminal commands, and system settings.

Examples:

1. Using Activity Monitor: Activity Monitor is a built-in utility on macOS that provides a real-time view of system resource usage, including memory. Here’s how to use it:

   • Open Activity Monitor from the Applications > Utilities folder.
   • Click on the "Memory" tab to view detailed information about memory usage by each process.
   • Look for processes consuming excessive memory and consider quitting them if they are not essential.

2. Using Terminal Commands: The Terminal provides powerful commands to monitor and manage memory. Here are a few useful commands:

   • vm_stat: This command provides a summary of virtual memory statistics.

     vm_stat

     Output will include pages free, pages active, pages inactive, and more.

   • top: This command displays a dynamic view of system processes, including memory usage.

     top -o MEM

     The -o MEM option sorts processes by memory usage.

   • purge: This command can be used to free up inactive memory.

     sudo purge

     Note: Use this command with caution as it forces the system to clear out memory caches.

3. Adjusting System Settings:

   • Reduce Memory Usage by Applications:

     • Close unused applications.
     • Limit the number of startup items by going to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items.

   • Optimize Storage:

     • Use the "Optimize Storage" feature in macOS to manage disk space and indirectly improve memory management.
     • Go to Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage.

4. Using Third-Party Tools:

   • CleanMyMac X: This tool offers comprehensive system cleanup, including memory management features.
   • Memory Clean 2: This tool provides a simple interface to manually free up memory.