How to fix the 'system has run out of application memory” Mac issue

Solutions to "Excess Application Memory" on Mac system prompts

Do you often see prompts for "System Applications Out of Memory" on your Mac? This is common, but confusing, because it seems to appear without warning. (Of course, not.) Let me share what I found to be causing this error and how to fix it.

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What does "systic application memory shortage" mean?

The Mac's operating system stores the data of the active process in RAM (random access memory). If there is insufficient RAM space, macOS starts storing data on the main drive and exchanging data between the RAM and the main drive if needed. If your Mac drive is overloaded, an application memory problem message will appear. Therefore, it is best to keep a portion of the hard disk space in case of emergencies. For ideal Mac performance, at least 10% of disk capacity should be available.

Now that we have figured out what application memory is, let's take a look at the four main reasons why the "System Application Out of Memory" error message appears on Mac:

1. Insufficient disk space. When all RAM is used and macOS creates swap files (taking up more and more hard disk space), disk space will be insufficient. At this time, the system will report that the Mac is about to run out of application memory.
2. Multitasking. Running multiple applications simultaneously may cause a prompt of "System application memory out of memory" and suggest closing several applications.
3. Browser stuttered. Opening a large number of tabs or installing a large number of extensions can cause problems with application memory on your Mac. Note that even if these extensions are not used, they will run with the browser and take up valuable memory space.
4. Application failure. Applications do take up quite a bit of space, but some applications can "take up" a lot of memory. Users report that Mail, Firefox, and Final Cut Pro consume not megabytes of application memory, but gigabytes.

While Unix-based macOS memory management is very powerful, it is not perfect and sometimes requires tweaking it.

How to check application memory on Mac

If you receive notifications for the application memory problem, the first thing you need to do is to find out the root cause of the problem. Being a detective and troubleshooter may not be easy, but there are some tools to help you. I have listed the built-in basic tools and third-party advanced applications. Choose according to your needs.

Check memory and stop process using Activity Monitor

To view a list of all current processes on your Mac based on the resources consumed by the current process, follow these steps:

1. Start Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities).
2. Click the Memory tab to view the process list, including memory-consuming applications and browser tabs.
3. Select a process or application and click the "X" symbol to close it.

In the Memory tab, there is also a chart showing an overview of the system's memory pressure. If the chart is green, you have enough disk space; if it is yellow or red, it means there is insufficient memory.

Get into the habit of checking activity monitors regularly, which allows you to better control your Mac's application memory and exit applications running without your knowledge.

Tip: Usually, information about Mac performance is expressed in numbers and percentages. But how do you know if 60% of CPU usage is normal, for example? What exactly do these numbers mean?

To understand this, try Novabench. It compares your Mac performance to baseline and hundreds of other Macs and explains the results in simple English.

Track application memory from the menu bar with iStat Menus

One of the most comprehensive Mac monitors to date is iStat Menus, a system data collector located in your menu bar and provides important information about key performance metrics.

Statistics about memory load are located behind a blue bar in the iStat metric. When expanded, it displays a list of applications that consume the most memory resources, a general partition of memory load, and the current pressure on Mac application memory.

Check and reduce CPU usage with App Tamer

If your goal is to significantly reduce CPU usage, you may need the help of App Tamer. It can discover idle applications that take up CPUs in the background and take steps to slow down or stop them to prevent application memory problems. App Tamer allows you to manually adjust the applications you want to control and how many CPUs they can use in the background. Here, I limit Chrome's CPU usage:

Tracking CPU from desktop using Usage

If you want to keep abreast of your Mac’s performance, Usage is perfect for you. The app can use the regular format (just open it to view the data).

But I recommend installing these simple and beautiful widgets on your desktop. They will display real-time information about the CPU, battery, etc.

How to fix "System Application Out of Memory"

If your Mac is running very slowly, or those annoying error messages keep bothering you, it's most likely because your Mac is about to run out of application memory. Here are some ideas on how to clear application memory on your Mac and get your computer back to normal speed.

Forced exit unused applications

Applications running in the background will take up a lot of virtual memory. If you are a multitasker, if your system application is out of memory, you should first try to exit the unused application.

To force exit the application on your Mac:

1. Press Option Command Esc Open the Force Exit menu.
2. Click Force Exit to close the currently unused program.

To make the force exit process more efficient, try Quit All, an app designed to speed up your Mac by quitting all unnecessary applications with one click, rather than processing them one by one. It has the convenient feature of viewing applications running in the background, so you can decide whether to turn them off or keep them at your own discretion.

Limit the memory used by Finder

Finder is your Mac file manager that searches all files as you browse files and stores the paths to all files in RAM. This process takes up a lot of RAM, limiting the memory used by Finder can be an excellent solution to all application memory problems.

To avoid loading all files when Finder opens:

1. Click Finder > Settings...
2. Click the drop-down list under General to select a folder and do not select All My Files or Recent Files as the location.
3. Control-click the Finder icon.
4. Select Restart.

The iStat Menus I mentioned earlier can automatically control how much memory is used by Finder or any other program. The application collects data about macOS performance and presents it in an easy to understand concise format. Additionally, it displays a list of applications that use the most memory at any given time, so you can fully understand what's inside your Mac.

Recover the application

One or more applications you open on your Mac now may have errors that cause them to consume a lot of memory. Check for updates available for applications that consume too much memory, or reset application settings using CleanMyMac X. It's easy:

Most importantly, CleanMyMac X will clean, optimize and protect your Mac so it can last for years. CleanMyMac X Uninstaller completely removes unnecessary applications and any associated files, while Updater allows you to keep useful applications up to date.

Restart your Mac regularly and keep your macOS updated

Restarting your Mac clears caches and other temporary files and frees up disk space used as virtual memory. This is also a temporary but feasible solution that can mitigate memory leak problems.

To check if there are any system updates available for your Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu > About this machine.
2. Select Software Update.
3. If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to install the update.

Regularly installing system updates ensures that your macOS is free of any errors, which may be the cause of memory problems with some Mac applications.

Manage and clean disk space

As mentioned earlier, the best way to prevent application memory problems is to retain at least 10% of disk space on your Mac.

To clean disk space with Apple Storage Management, follow these steps:

1. Go to System Settings > General.
2. Select the Storage tab.
3. Check out the suggestions and you will see a list of actions Apple recommends you to free up storage space.

Start here, decide what suggestions to take and follow the instructions. This is a practical method, but it's very time consuming because you need to find unwanted files and delete them one by one to free up space. Or, like me, the advice might boil down to "storing in iCloud." But there is an easier way.

Run CleanMyMac X's System Junk module periodically to free up application memory on your Mac and always keep as much disk space as possible. This tool can identify and delete various junk files, from temporary files that should have been deleted but not deleted to cached files and old logs. It seems impossible to free up several gigabytes of space with just a few clicks, but it is no longer the case!

Delete useless applications

Some applications take up several gigabytes of space on your Mac, such as Microsoft Word, which can take up to 2 GB! So if you don't use an app, it makes sense to delete or uninstall it.

To delete unused applications through Finder:

1. Find the application in Finder, or use Spotlight to find it.
2. Drag the application to the Trash, or select the application and select File > Move to Trash.
3. Select Empty Trash to delete the application.

Note: Uninstalling the application in this way may leave system junk. If you have a dedicated Mac cleaner, check it out-it may have an application uninstaller. Or use CleanMyMac X - it will delete all unnecessary remaining files with the application in seconds and will be available for a free trial of 7 days as part of Setapp.

Manage browser extensions

Too many or incorrect browser extensions can also be the reason why the "System Application Out of Memory" message pops up on your Mac. Check your current extensions and determine if they can be disabled or deleted.

To manage extensions in Safari, go to Safari > Settings > Extensions.

If you are using Chrome, type in the address bar chrome://extensions to access the extension.

While extensions are helpful assistants when browsing, too many useless or outdated extensions can cause application memory issues on your Mac.

Upgrade your Mac to a new Apple Silicon Mac

Apple always upgrades its products based on consumer reports, and the latest software is likely to not have the errors you encountered in older versions. If you have application memory issues on your Intel Mac, consider upgrading to a new Apple Silicon Mac using M1, M2, or M3 chips – this may solve the problem!

If Mac applications are out of memory, try these applications for free

As you know now, there are many reasons why the “System Application Out of Memory” message appears, but all of them point to the same thing—the lack of hard disk space. The easiest solution is to first free up more space with CleanMyMac X, force exit from all unused applications with Quit All, and then control system activity with iStat Menus, Usage, and App Tamer to enhance results.

All of these apps are available for free with the seven-day free trial of Setapp, a platform with over 240 top-notch macOS and iOS apps that can help you unlock your full potential of your Mac. Try each Setapp application for free now and see how fast your Mac can actually be.

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