See why your Mac is slow.Then fix it in a minute.
Unslow names the app, the cache or the full disk behind every slowdown, with the reading to prove it.
For Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) on macOS 14 or later. Free for 14 days.
Home
Memory is getting tight
macOS is working to keep up. Google Chrome is using the most.
9.51 GB of caches · 2 unused apps · 7 updaters
Check up this MacUnslow so far Moved 31.4 GB to the Trash · freed 18.4 GB · gave back 8.98 GB of memory
2 slowdowns, both while Google Chrome was using the most memory.
Startup disk is 98% full
Fix first4.4 GB free · macOS needs about 24.5 GB
- Notarised by AppleSigned with a Developer ID
- Native Swift5 MB download. No Electron
- The app collects nothingNo analytics, no account
- 14-day refundsNo questions asked
Why Unslow
Built for the moment your Mac stalls
Answers in seconds, fixes in a click, and nothing running in the background that you didn’t choose.
Live pressure
The same reading macOS uses to decide when to slow down.
MemoryUnder pressure
64%
- Google Chrome3.53 GB
- Claude1.45 GB
Knows which app to quit
When memory runs short, it finds the apps you forgot about. Anything mid-task, in a call or likely to lose its tabs is left alone.
- FigmaUnused for 3 hr1.9 GB
- SlackUnused for 2 hr1.2 GB
- ZoomIn a call, left alone640 MB
- Google ChromeTabs may not reopen, left alone3.5 GB
Know the cost before you clear
Each cache says what it costs to get back. Only the free ones are ticked, and all of it goes to the Trash first.
- Xcode build dataMade again on this Mac8.14 GB
- Xcode device supportMade again on this Mac4.82 GB
- Homebrew downloadsNot needed anymore95 MB
- npm cacheDownloaded again when needed1.88 GB
Check up this Mac
One review of caches, idle apps and startup updaters. Only what’s free to get back is ticked.
- Caches13.06 GB, the free ones ticked
- Apps you haven’t usedUp to 2.1 GB of memory, ticked
- Startup updatersYours to choose, never ticked
Unslow so far
What it has done on this Mac, added up from what was measured at the time.
- moved to the Trash
- 31.4 GB
- the disk gained, measured
- 18.4 GB
- of memory given back
- 2.1 GB
Lives in your menu bar
A small mark that fills as memory does, and turns amber under pressure. Click it for memory, swap, free disk and the apps using the most, without opening anything.
- Alerts when pressure turns critical or the disk fills up
- A recent slowdown, named with the app behind it
- When memory runs short, the reason and the fix
Under pressure
macOS is working to keep up. You may notice slowdowns.
Memory pressure
0%
6.3 of 8 GB used
Swap
2.6 GB
Moving 3 MB/s
Disk free
19 GB
8% of 245 GB
Using the most memory
- Google Chrome3.53 GB
- FigmaUnused for 3 hr1.92 GB
- SlackUnused for 2 hr1.21 GB
- Claude962 MB
Why not a RAM cleaner
“Free up RAM” feels good.It doesn’t last.
It changes the number you see, not the one that makes your Mac slow. Try both below. What does work is quitting the apps you’ve forgotten about. Unslow finds them, leaves alone anything mid-task, and shows how much memory came back.
Free memory
1.6 GB
Memory pressure
64%
Free memory, 1 minute
- 1Throws away macOS's cache
- 2Apps read it back from disk
- 3Back where you started
Memory pressure
64%
Using the most
Chrome, 3.53 GB
Memory pressure, 1 minute
- 1Names what's using the memory
- 2You close or restart it
- 3Pressure stays down
Full RAM is normal
macOS fills spare memory with cache on purpose.
Pressure is the real signal
It's what macOS checks before it slows apps down.
Cleaning backfires
Whatever it flushes gets read back from disk.
How it works
From “why is it slow” to fixed, in four steps
One real Mac. Scroll to watch Unslow work on it.
01 Diagnose
It reads what the kernel reads
Pressure, swap and free disk, read from the same counters macOS uses. No made-up health score.
UnslowNeeds attentionMemory pressure
64%
Swapping 3.4 MB/s
Startup disk
4.4 GB free
of 245 GB
Recommendations
- Startup disk is 98% fullFix first› Why it mattersReview storage
- 2 Intel-only apps running under RosettaWorth fixing› Why it mattersLook for updates
- 7 auto-updaters are set to start with your MacWorth fixing› Why it mattersReview 7 updaters
- 19 third-party background items are installedFor your information› Why it matters
02 Explain
Every finding shows its working
Findings are ranked by impact. Why it matters opens to the reasoning and the raw readings behind it.
UnslowNeeds attentionMemory pressure
64%
Swapping 3.4 MB/s
Startup disk
4.4 GB free
of 245 GB
Startup disk is 98% fullFix first4.4 GB free · macOS needs about 24.5 GB
⌄ Why it matters
macOS moves memory onto this disk when RAM runs short. Below the space it needs, memory pressure stops meaning slower and starts meaning stalls.
How Unslow knows
capacity 245 GB available 4.4 GB swap used 2.6 GB swap out 3.4 MB/s headroom 24.5 GB
Review storage03 Fix
Fix what can actually be fixed
Each cache says what getting it back costs. Only what comes back for free is ticked, and everything goes to the Trash first.
UnslowImprovingMemory pressure
64%
Swapping 3.4 MB/s
Startup disk
17.5 GB free
of 245 GB
Clear 13.06 GBMade again on this Mac12.96 GBXcode build dataNext build slower once8.14 GBXcode device supportCopied again when you connect4.82 GBNot needed anymore95 MBHomebrew downloadsSoftware already installed95 MBDownloaded again when needed1.88 GBnpm cacheDownloads up to 1.88 GB again1.88 GB04 Watch
Then it gets out of the way
One small mark in the menu bar that fills as memory does. It speaks up only when pressure turns critical.
Illustrative: after clearing old videos and closing a heavy browser.
UnslowRunning smoothlyMemory pressure
31%
No swap traffic
Startup disk
41.4 GB free
of 245 GB
Wi-Fi31%Sat 09:40Memory pressure, last 2 minutes31%Only if pressure turns critical:
Memory is critically lownow
Google Chrome is using 5.1 GB. Quitting what you aren’t using gives memory back right away.
Memory pressure
64%
Swapping 3.4 MB/s
Startup disk
4.4 GB free
of 245 GB
Recommendations
- Startup disk is 98% fullFix first› Why it mattersReview storage
- 2 Intel-only apps running under RosettaWorth fixing› Why it mattersLook for updates
- 7 auto-updaters are set to start with your MacWorth fixing› Why it mattersReview 7 updaters
- 19 third-party background items are installedFor your information› Why it matters
Timeline
It stalled at 11:19 pm. Here’s why.
Unslow notes memory once a minute. When it runs out or spills onto the SSD, the timeline marks the moment and names the app behind it.
- 11:19 pm
Memory spilled onto the SSD
Google Chrome was the biggest app, using 6.65 GB after growing by 953 MB in the half hour before. macOS moved 1.32 GB of memory to the SSD to keep up.
Lasted 23 minPeak 71%1.32 GB to swap
- 10:05 pm
Memory spilled onto the SSD
Google Chrome was using 6.91 GB after growing by 1.59 GB in the half hour before. macOS moved 1.08 GB to the SSD.
Lasted 14 minPeak 70%1.08 GB to swap
- 9:01 am
Google Chrome grew fast
From 4.67 GB to 6.59 GB in 22 minutes. Window ▸ Task Manager in Chrome shows which tab.
+1.92 GB
Once a minute, on this Mac
The log never leaves it.
Only real stalls are marked
Pressure alone isn’t a slowdown.
Every event names a cause
The app, and how fast it grew.
A week of history
By day or by week, kept on this Mac.
System Data
“System Data” is one grey bar. Here’s what’s inside.
macOS lumps it into one number. Unslow names each part, sizes it, and tells you what removing it would cost, before anything is touched.
Part of what Unslow found on an 8 GB M1 MacBook Air. Nothing here was removed; each item says what would happen if it were.
- 13.3 GB
Chrome update copies
Rebuilds by itselfCopies Chrome makes of itself while updating, then leaves behind. Safe to clear while Chrome is closed.
- 8.1 GB
Xcode build data
Rebuilds by itselfIntermediate files from building apps. Xcode rebuilds them, so the next build is slower once.
- 7.9 GB
iOS simulator runtimes
Check firstiOS versions Xcode installed for testing. Remove the ones you don’t use from Xcode’s settings.
- 5.4 GB
Swap files
Check firstMemory that didn’t fit in RAM, written to the disk. Quitting unused apps lets macOS shrink it.
- 1.1 GB
Sleep image
KeepA copy of memory for waking from deep sleep. macOS manages it; leave it.
What else counts as System Data, and how to clear it yourself
Storage
A full disk is a memory problem
Swap lives on your startup disk. When it fills up, slowdowns turn into stalls. Try it:
Startup disk
4.4 GBfree of 245 GB
Tick what you want to move. Try it.
Large files, with when you last opened them
Your own files, largest first. Photo libraries and app data are never offered up in pieces.
- VID_20251105_143413.mp4Downloads, modified a month ago2.19 GB
- VID_20260321_085028.mp4Downloads, modified a month ago1.18 GB
- Screen Recording 2026-06-15.movDesktop, opened 3 months ago605 MB
1.9 million files measured in 18 seconds on an M1.
Apps, by the space they really take
Each app counted with the data it keeps, and when you last opened it. Anything untouched for 3 months is marked.
Uninstalling lists every file first. Everything goes to the Trash. Where apps leave files behind
- Google ChromeLast opened 8 minutes ago6.63 GB
- Visual Studio CodeLast opened 12 weeks ago3.63 GB
- WhatsAppLast opened 2 days ago745.7 MB
- Adobe XDNo record of being opened601.7 MB
- SketchNo record of being opened369.2 MB
Only free caches are ticked
Downloads and your own files wait for you.
Everything goes to the Trash
Put it back until you empty it.
Exact paths, exact sizes
No vague categories.
No “system junk”
Caches that rebuild in minutes aren’t worth it.
Cleaning, honestly
Know the cost before you clear
A big “13 GB freed” hides the catch: some of it downloads again tomorrow. Unslow says what each cache costs to get back, and only ticks what comes back for free.
- Ticked for you
Not needed anymore
Nothing uses it. No downside.
Homebrew downloads
Not needed: the software is already installed.
- Ticked for you
Made again on this Mac
No download. Slower once.
Xcode build data
Your next Xcode build of each project takes longer, once.
- Your call
Downloaded again when needed
Uses your data and time.
npm cache
Downloads again when a project needs it: up to 1.9 GB of internet data.
Everything goes to the Trash first, so it can be put back.
Audit
Specific causes, with the evidence
Every finding comes with the raw readings behind it. No guesses.
Apps stuck in Rosetta
Intel apps running translated when a native build is already installed.
What it costs you: Extra CPU, memory and launch time.
Background items
Launch agents grouped by the vendor that installed them. Each one reversible.
What it costs you: Login time and wakeups. Not memory, and the app says so.
Memory leaks
Apps whose memory climbs for hours and never comes back.
What it costs you: The growth, charted. Nothing guessed.
Swap traffic
How fast memory is spilling to disk. It's the beachball you feel.
What it costs you: Shows when the other findings are hurting you right now.
48 points of menu bar. Or 17.
One small mark that fills as memory does, and turns colour under pressure. The number is optional.
Principles
What it will and won't do
Each promise sits next to a refusal. The refusals are why you can trust the promises.
- MemoryWill: Show the pressure reading macOS itself acts onWon’t: Clean, purge or compress memory
- DiskWill: Warn when the disk is too full to swapWon’t: Delete anything outright, or tick your own files for you
- CachesWill: Find caches Unslow can clear, with exact pathsWon’t: Chase “system junk” that's back in minutes
- CostWill: Say what each cache costs to get back, before you clear itWon’t: Tick a cache that downloads again for you
- AppsWill: Name the app that's leaking, or stuck in RosettaWon’t: Force-quit apps or touch Apple's system agents
- Background itemsWill: Switch them off one at a time, saying what each doesWon’t: Turn them off in bulk
- NumbersWill: Show the raw reading behind every claimWon’t: Claim a saving it didn't measure
Pricing
Free for 14 days.$19 once to keep it.
$29 $19. Early price. It goes up as Unslow grows.
- Everything free for 14 days, no email
- Then pay once to keep it working
- Up to 3 Macs, no subscription
- 14-day refunds, no questions asked
Yes. Everything works free for 14 days from the first time you open it, with no email, account or card. After that, Unslow needs a $19 licence to keep working: once, for up to 3 Macs, with 14-day refunds.
No. Cleaners answer “what can I delete right now?”. Unslow answers why your Mac was slow and what keeps filling the disk, from the same figures macOS uses, and tells you what removing each item would cost before you touch it. It never deletes anything itself: what you choose to remove goes to the Trash.
Not just by running. It finds what's slowing your Mac (memory pressure, a full disk, a translated app, a leak, background clutter) and helps you fix each one. When memory runs short, it names the apps you've forgotten about, leaves alone anything mid-task or in a call, and shows how much memory came back, measured before and after.
Your Mac keeps working and nothing you made is lost, but not every cache costs the same to get back. Unslow sorts them into three groups: not needed anymore, made again on this Mac (slower once), and downloaded again when needed. Everything goes to the Trash first, and anything that downloads again is never ticked for you.
Because it doesn't work. RAM cleaners throw away cache that macOS then reads back from disk, usually within a minute. Unslow does the part that works: it finds the apps you've left unused and quits the ones you choose, so the memory they held really comes back.
A daily check for a new version of Unslow and, if you've bought a licence, a weekly check of it with Polar. If you choose Check for Updates in Apps, it also asks each app's own update server, or the App Store, for its latest version. Nothing about your files, apps or memory leaves your Mac, and there are no analytics.
No. Unslow needs a Mac with Apple silicon, M1 or later, running macOS 14 or later. You can check under Apple menu, About This Mac: the Chip line says M1, M2, M3 or newer.
Neither is needed for memory monitoring and the audits. Full Disk Access is optional and only makes storage totals complete.
Unslow your Mac
Try everything free for 14 days. Then $19 once to keep it.
For Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later), macOS 14 or later.