How to get rid of “Your computer is low on memory” pop-up or error on Mac

What is “Your computer is low on memory” popup or error

You may experience Your computer is low on memory message on 2 different occasions. Number one is a legitimate alert presented by the Mac system when you are running out of RAM. The system will, therefore, ask you to close some apps to free up space. This is quite common, especially if you have lots of programs working in the background that upload the PC. Sometimes malware can secretly gobble up memory resources and result in significant productivity loss. The second reason is that your PC was infected with adware or browser hijackers that modified your browser settings. In this case, “Your computer is low on memory” popup is fabricated and forces users into clicking on the “Close” button. Whilst it may seem innocent, frauds usually hide invisible buttons that can initiate multiple other processes that allow extortionists to take control over your browser. On top of that, browser hijackers tend to alter your homepage and replace the default search engine. This is made to push irritating ads, banners, and coupons along browsing to damage your Mac with other infections. In this article, we have presented a list of solutions for both malware and memory issues.

How “Your computer is low on memory” appeared on your computer

As mentioned above, fake pop-ups are supported by Potentially Unwanted Applications that could inadvertently inflict your system. Unwanted Programs are usually promoted via repacks or other installation kits that are hosted across the web. Virus developers tend to bundle their software alongside legitimate programs. They capitalize on careless users that rush through installation processes and fail to check additional offers. This can, therefore, endanger devices with unintentional infiltrations by imposing deceptive advertisements right on the screen or display fake alerts like “Your computer is low on memory” in a browser. In both cases, you should scan your device for PUAs and eliminate them to prevent sudden data leaks. To do so, follow the instructions that we have prepared in the article below.

1. Scan your PC for malware

As mentioned, “Your computer is low on memory” popup can be displayed due to the presence of malware that modifies browser settings. Such manipulations can put your privacy under risk and have to be prevented by removing malware that prompts “Your computer is low on memory” popup. On top of that, this message may be related to the scarcity of RAM that can be eaten by third-parties programs. We recommend using CleanMyMac, which is a versatile utility that can both delete unwanted programs and maintain your PC by clearing up junk leftovers that may slow down your system.

2. Open Activity Monitor to see memory usage

Before doing any of the attached solutions, you should check how much RAM is currently being consumed by apps and other processes. This will help you get a clearer vision of what types of memory are used the most. Activity Monitor displays full information on processes that upload your system. This can be very useful for identifying which one slows down your system and therefore requires removal. To open Activity Monitor, follow the instructions below:

1. Find and open Finder on the dock.
2. Then choose Applications from the side menu of the window that appears.
3. In the Applications folder, select open the Utilities folder.
4. Now double-click on the Activity Monitor icon.

Ultimately, you can switch between multiple options like CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, and Network. To free up RAM space and boost up your device, go to the next steps mentioned below.

3. Disable Login Items/Hung Applications and Heavy Consumers

This method is simple, however, it can be very effective in reducing RAM usage. Most users do not realize that there might be a plenty of apps that are launched upon Mac startup and demand a lot of resources whilst running in the background. This is why disabling them, for the time being, may resolve the issue. To remove Login Items:

1. Firstly, open System Preferences on the dock and select Users & Groups.
2. Then select the User Account on the left.
3. Go to the Login Items tab.
4. Now check programs you don’t need to load on the startup.
5. Press the – (minus) sign below.

Finally, this will reduce some RAM pressure since we have removed a couple of processes to no longer encounter with that annoying pop-up.

You can also download CleanMyMac utility that provides managing Login Items and other memory-related options right in the program. To do so,

1. Open the app and go to the Optimization tab on the left pane.
2. Then check Login Items and disable the appeared list of apps that are opened when you start your Mac.

Another stalwart method to boost up your Mac is removing Hung Applications and Heavy Consumers. This can also be done in CleanMyMac utility.

1. Under the Launch Agents tab, locate Hung Applications and Heavy Consumers.
2. Once done, check all the processes and click Remove at the bottom.

4. Declutter your Desktop

Cluttered desktops can also become a reason for the lack of RAM. The system requires additional resources to display all the files stored on the desktop. Thus, deleting unnecessary files or sorting them into a folder will relieve some RAM space.

5. Clear cache

Although clearing cache does not always free up space significantly, it can be a great addition to the above-mentioned tips. You can maintain your pc by running a complex optimization via CleanMyMac or manually:

1. Find and open Finder on the dock.
2. From the Go menu, select Go to Folder.
3. Then type ~/Library/Caches in the box and press Go.
4. In the opened window, you will see all your cache files.
5. Press Command+A combination to select all files or delete files one by one.
6. Enter your username and password to confirm.

6. Free up RAM with CleanMyMac

If you already installed CleanMyMac, then you may consider using the “Free up RAM” feature that will automatically identify unnecessary processes that load up the system and remove them as a result. This feature is free of charge, meaning that you can apply it right after the installation. To run it, follow the steps below:

1. Open the app and go to the Maintenance tab on the left.
2. Then check the Free Up RAM option.
3. And press Run at the bottom.

7. Try closing Finder windows

In case your system tolerates a plenty of processes, then you can try to close RAM-consuming windows in Finder. And this is how:

1. Find and open Finder on the dock.
2. Then go to the Window tab located on top and choose Merge All Windows in the drop-down menu.
3. Now you can close unnecessary Finder windows to free up space on Mac.

RAM memory is highly-important for fast and smooth experience without lags and hiccups. Implementing the abovementioned steps will by far help you get additional RAM and hence remove the annoying “Your computer is low on memory” message. Furthermore, with the help of CleanMyMac and other system optimization utilities, maintaining your device has become easier than ever. You can set scheduled cleanups that will constantly sustain your system by eliminating junk leftovers like cache, duplicate files and external processes that tend to consume lots of memory.