In this article, we explain What is Mac Task Manager and How to Use It. We are all informed about the percentage of people from all over the globe who use Microsoft Windows. The rate is too high that meets the probability aspect as well where it is possible that Mac users have used WindowOS in his/her life but not vice versa. So there are chances while you’re using your mac, you accidentally give your system the wrong command.
We all know that for WindowOS, we utilize the (ctrl + alt + delete) command for launching the Task Manager, the same can’t be done for Mac. We all have had the experience of placing in Windows commands on Mac utilizing trying to access the Activity Monitor and felt embarrassed about it. So there is nothing new aside from the fact how diversified your Mac Task Manager can be.
What Do You Mean this Mac Task Manager?
Mac Task Manager is the ultimate place you go when every manual effort has gone haywire. It is more like a one-stop solution to keep your system flawless and away from the frozen or unresponsive apps or programs. And since many of us are very familiar with Windows Task Manager to kill programs that freeze out of nowhere, on Mac further, we should be aware of such functionality.
Though everyone (including the manufacturer) believes that Mac does not need an Activity Monitor or Task Manager (thanks to the smoothness and flawlessness it brings to the table), we all have our reservations. And to an extent, it is true that Mac functions amazingly smoothly, but every one of those devices needs to be taken care of from time to time.
Some sudden issues like application failure or software crashing put a big question on your experience, and that is where the Activity Monitor comes in. Yeah!! Just like the Task Manager you’ve on the Windows operating system, Mac likewise has a similar app that can have you big time while your experience is in a questionable state.
So it’s pretty natural that no matter how smoothly your system is working, it may go through tough situations a few times, and that is when you need the best solution. The Apple Task Manager or Activity Monitor is very easy to navigate on your Mac as well as comes with the simplest UI.
How to Open/Launch Activity Monitor or Mac Task Manager?
Now that we are pretty aware that Mac has its Task Manager (just like Windows), we do not need to be worried about the frozen or unresponsive programs. And since we do not accept the fact that our precious computer or Mac can face any issues, we ignore those warning signs. Either restarting the device or relaunching the app manually has been our attitude towards those issues. Therefore it’s better that we always turn to the resolutions given by the manufacturer as clearly, they know better than us.
“If I had an hour to resolve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking regarding the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” ― Albert Einstein.
This means that you need to know what triggered it to resolve any of the problems (irrespective of the platform). And since we all are not subject matter experts, who can tell why one of the apps isn’t responding, let alone the Mac itself. This is why we need a specialist like the Mac Task Manager or the Activity Monitor who analyzes the problems thoroughly and then looks for the possible resolutions.
Now comes the huge question, “How Do I use the Mac Task Manager or Activity Monitor” or “where do I find Mac Task Manager” or “ways to get Task Manager on Mac”. Therefore without further ado, let’s understand the ways to use Mac Task Manager on your Mac in the simplest ways possible:
As we discussed above, steering the Activity Monitor on Mac is pretty easy as all you need to do is either use the below path or access Spotlight for a quick search:
Applications > Utilities > Folder
Therefore let’s explore both the ways to start the Macbook Task Manager (through path & Spotlight):
Launch macOS Task Manager utilizing Spotlight
- Since we are moving ahead with the Spotlight method, tap Command + Spacebar on your Mac.
- When the search field pops-up, type in Activity Monitor and press on the same as soon as you encounter it in the list. Simple as that!
Launch macOS Task Manager utilizing Dock
There are times when Spotlight does not work for you correctly, this is when you turn to Dock and see for Mac OS Task Manager as below:
1. Steer yourself to the Finder functionality (onto the Dock)
2. Here, you need to view for the Applications folder (onto the side of the screen).
3. Under the Applications folder, pick the Utilities folder and open it up.
4. Now, see for Activity Monitor under Utilities, and once you encounter it, double-click. Simple!!
Start macOS Task Manager Pinning onto The Dock.
Yeah!! That’s possible. Instead of utilizing Spotlight or opening up the Finder function to type in & launch the Macbook Task Manager, you can directly access it without any hassle. Just 1 click (literally), and you are there with the Task Manager in no time.
1. You require to open up the mac Task Manager utilizing any of the above ways (Spotlight or Dock).
2. Once launched successfully, you need to right-click onto the Activity Monitor (dockside).
3. Here, from the list, press on Options and then press on the “Keep in Dock” function.
Doing so will produce a kind of shortcut onto the dock, so you won’t have to go through several steps to launch or open the Task Manager on Mac. Just 1 click onto the Activity Monitor icon on the dock, and it will launch within no time.
How do We Use Mac Task Manager or Activity Monitor?
Activity Monitor or macOS Task Manager, or mac Task Manager is an extremely valuable tool one can get access to. From looking at the current operating processes to force quit frozen or unresponsive programs, Activity Monitor supports you big time. In short, the ways to retain your mac working flawless & smoothly, Activity Monitor keeps things in order. There are many things you can do by using the mac Task Manager, but there are a few that take up all the credit, as discussed below:
1. System Parameters Monitoring
Even if there is the smallest issue with your device, the user must know about it, or simply one of the in-built must list the issue. Activity Monitor is there to assist you in such situations where it continuously monitors the system parameters for any discrepancies if there are any. When you’ve successfully launched the mac Task Manager or Activity Monitor (as explained above), you’ll have access to many tabs to monitor everything on the device.
From CPU performance to disk space & memory usage, everything will be visible to you in full info. And after going through every 1 of those sections, you’ll know what the programs or processes affecting the device performance are.
For instance, the CPU tab helps you identify the processes or programs that create obstacles in the smooth running. Wherein the Memory tab provides you detailed statistics about the RAM that’s in use currently. The energy tab works just as the name implies because it displays the energy used by the system overall and according to each app.
The disk tab is something that perhaps you won’t get anywhere else because it tells you everything about the data that’s been read and written by each process or program. And lastly, the Network tab has been designed to learn to know all the data related info (sent & received) according to different processes.
2. In-Depth Information About App or Software or Programs
It’s quite evident that if you’re using a feature providing you every detail about your device’s performance, it must dig in deep to analyze everything. And that’s why using the mac Task Manager, you are entitled to know the in-depth info about any of the programs or software running on the device. Irrespective of the format, every application that’s been installed on your mac, you have the liberty to check everything about it, thanks to the Activity Monitor (as below):
1. All you require to do is, navigate yourself to any of the apps from the list (Activity Monitor).
2. Post doing so, click on the process or program & tap onto the “i” button (top left side of the screen).
3. A new window will pop-up, and it will reveal every detail one would need for that specific program or app. You’ll get to know the insights of the currently analyzed app so you can deal with future issues if there would be any.
3. Force Quit App or Programs Utilizing Mac Task Manager
Each of us has had the not-so-pleasant experience when using apps or programs that come with an untimely glitch. Both the system slows down, or the program itself freezes, which can be an issue for many of us. Therefore in order to keep your mac up & to run smoothly, use the Activity Monitor or macOS Task Manager to shut those frozen apps down. All you have to do is:
1. Start the Activity Monitor on your mac and navigate to the app or program you prefer to force quit.
2. Post the program selection, you require to press onto the “X” button (top left corner on the screen).
3. Doing so will direct you to a confirmation pop-up window if you wish to close (force quit) the program.
4. If you’re sure, go ahead by tapping into the Quit button, and the frozen program will be closed in no time.
5. There are circumstances where following the above steps won’t close the app, and that’s when you need to press on Force Quit, and the program will shut down. Simple!!
What is Ctrl + Alt + Delete in Mac?
Since we all are completely dependent on computers (professionally) and on top of that, maximum consumers have Windows OS, it’s evident that we might use the identical commands on mac as well. Yeah!! It’s going to be an unintentional mistake; however, it does happen, and it will till the time we aren’t friendly with macOS as well. 1 of the many helpful functions you get to access on Windows is Ctrl + Alt + Delete, which allows you to access so many things. However, is there any command in mac that’s equivalent to the same command as discussed above? Does typing in Ctrl + Alt + Delete in mac do anything?
The solution is YES!! Typing in a similar command on your mac won’t operate, but a shortcut combination encourages you to take action against those frozen or unresponsive apps. The command is, Command + Option + Escape, so you require to hold down the combination to open up the window to close or force quit frozen apps.
The shortcut command won’t assist you with additional info like CPU usage or Energy (as in the Activity Monitor); however, it will help you directly work on the force quit apps command. Overall, it is a win-win situation where if the consumer wishes to only force quit a particular app, she/he can go with the above command. Or else, to gain more insights, Activity Monitor is always there to assist them out with additional info.
FinaL Thought:
Activity Monitor or Mac Task Manager has been created to monitor everything on your device to take proper actions. Nevertheless, a few times, issues like frozen or unresponsive programs can ruin your overall experience. Plus, if you’re one of those who want to know everything about the system, including the RAM and memory usage, Activity Monitor is for you.
There are further questions around how to use mac Task Manager, which has also been explained in the above sections. Nevertheless, if you have any questions regarding the usage of mac Task Manager, do drop a comment in the section below, and we will respond at the earliest opportunity.
