A MacBook Pro that feels slow has plenty of chip, so the cause is usually the disk, the memory or one heavy process, and Apple's article lists them: a nearly full startup disk, an app that needs more memory than is free, an app that is not compatible with the Mac, too many open apps or a disk problem. On a Pro, memory pressure shows first: Apple's specs list 16 or 24 GB on the base 14-inch M4 and up to 128 GB on the Max chips, and memory is unified and soldered, so a configuration bought too small cannot be corrected later. Use Activity Monitor's Memory and CPU tabs, check System Settings, General, Storage, and quit what you are not using.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch is running very slowly”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A nearly full startup disk
What separates it Slowness begins as free space falls under a few gigabytes
How to confirm Apple says the startup disk may not have enough free space; check System Settings, General, Storage
- 2
Memory pressure from many large apps
What separates it Video, design and virtual machines are open together and the Pro stutters
How to confirm Apple says an app may require more memory than is easily available; check Activity Monitor's Memory tab
- 3
An app not suited to the Mac
What separates it One app is slow or crashes while others are fine
How to confirm Apple says an app may require a different processor or graphics card; check its system requirements
- 4
Too many open apps and browser tabs
What separates it The Pro speeds up when you quit apps because of too many open apps and browser tabs
How to confirm Apple says to quit any apps you are not using
- 5
A disk problem
What separates it The Mac is slow and shows errors when opening files, even small ones
How to confirm Apple says to verify and repair the disk with Disk Utility
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which MacBook Pro you have (14 or 16 inch, chip, memory and SSD size)
- Which apps are slow and the top memory and CPU users in Activity Monitor
- Whether the slowness began after an update, a migration or installing an app
- Whether the fans are loud and whether the battery drains fast
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck free space
ReversibleOpen System Settings, General, Storage and free space if the disk is nearly full, since macOS slows badly without room to work.
Open Activity Monitor
ReversibleSort by CPU and Memory and note what uses most and whether memory pressure is in the red.
Quit unused apps
ReversibleApple says to quit apps you are not using; close extra browser tabs and virtual machines.
Check app compatibility
ReversibleRead the app's system requirements and compare them with your Mac under General, About, to see whether the Mac is too old for it.
Restart
ReversibleRestart the Pro, to clear stuck processes, and then test the speed again, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Update macOS and apps
ReversibleInstall updates for your apps, because an old app version can be slow or unstable on a newer macOS.
Verify the disk
ReversibleUse Disk Utility's First Aid on the startup disk if problems continue, which checks the volume and repairs errors it finds.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Memory and storage by model
- 14-inch M4: 16 or 24 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB. M4 Pro and Max: 24 GB to 128 GB, 512 GB to 4 TB. M3 Pro and Max: 18 GB to 128 GB, 512 GB to 8 TB. Per Apple's tech specs.
- Chips
- M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max, M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max. Memory bandwidth ranges from 120GB/s on the M4 to 410GB/s on the M4 Max, per Apple's tech specs.
- Part numbers
- No part number is involved. Memory and storage are part of the logic board assembly, identified by model and serial number.
- Tools and supplies
- The Storage screen, Activity Monitor and Disk Utility, a known-good charger and a dry towel for the desk. No screwdriver; the Pro should not be opened at home.
- Repair cost
- Memory and SSD cannot be upgraded. iFixit's table lists Apple's US estimate for a MacBook Pro battery at $249; a logic-board repair is quoted by Apple.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 family), MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 family).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the Pro is slow with plenty of free space and no busy process after a restart, run First Aid in Disk Utility and contact Apple
- !If slowness comes with Disk Utility errors, back up at once and contact Apple
- !If slowness comes with loud fans at idle or a Service Recommended battery, see the heat and battery pages
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Free disk space, memory, incompatible apps, quitting apps and Disk Utility.
Storage settings, recommendations and what fills a startup disk.
72.4-watt-hour battery, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, 24 hours video, Center Stage camera and display support.
100-watt-hour battery, 140W adapter, Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC and ProMotion.
Apple silicon MacBook Pro history: 14-inch and 16-inch generations, ports, displays and fans.
Exact questions
Common questions
How much memory does the Pro have?+
Apple lists 16 or 24 GB on the 14-inch M4, 24 GB up to 128 GB on M4 Pro and Max chips and 18 GB to 128 GB on the M3 Pro and Max, all unified memory.
Is the Pro slow when the battery is low?+
Apple's power articles note some Macs reduce performance on battery; check whether the slowness follows the power source before suspecting anything else.