Mac starts up slowly — what to check
If a Mac that used to boot in a few seconds now sits on a grey screen for a full minute, it's usually not a serious fault. Most often the culprit is a pile of apps trying to open the moment you log in.
What to check
Check your login items list
Go to the Apple menu → System Settings → General → Login Items. If you see a dozen or more apps there that you don't actually need the moment you start your Mac, turn off the ones you don't — each one adds to the startup time.
Check how much free storage is left
Under the Apple menu → About This Mac → Storage you'll see how full your drive is. A nearly full drive can slow down not just startup but everyday use — macOS needs some breathing room to run smoothly.
Close unnecessary apps and browser tabs before shutting down
If you leave a dozen windows and tabs open when you shut down, macOS may try to reopen all of them on the next start, which stretches out startup time. It's worth closing what you don't need before closing the lid.
Do a full restart instead of just letting it sleep
A Mac that spends weeks only going to sleep and never fully shutting down accumulates background processes over time. A full restart from the Apple menu → Restart can noticeably refresh how the system runs.
Why this happens in the first place
Over time a computer accumulates more installed apps, and some of them quietly add themselves to the login items list — often without any obvious prompt asking for permission. The slowdown builds gradually, which is why it's easy to miss until startup clearly takes longer than it used to.
When it's a job for IT
- None of the steps above made a difference and startup still takes several minutes.
- You see error messages or unusual icons on screen while the Mac is starting up.
- The Mac is a company device and you don't have admin rights to change these settings yourself.
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