Free Up Inactive Memory Mac

Updated: June 12, 2021 Home » Freeware and Software Reviews » System Optimization and Registry Cleaner

You can try the memorypressure command. See the output of my system (i5, 4 GB RAM) The system has (524288 pages with a page size of 4096). Stats: Pages free: 90009 Pages purgeable: 139593 Pages purged: 7496548 Swap I/O: Swapins: 470466 Swapouts: 530913 Page Q counts: Pages active: 407739 Pages inactive: 148277 Pages speculative: 16200 Pages throttled: 0 Pages wired down: 263064. If you find that the Mac OS is taking up too much memory you don't really need like from the dozens of tabs you opened on Safari or Chrome just use the 'purge' command in the Terminal. In OS X Mavericks just use 'sudo purge' instead (you will need to input your password).

I noticed how, in my acitivity monitor, a great deal of my RAM was tied up as 'inactive memory.' I could not figure out a way to 'free up' more space. I ended up re-bootin my computer, and, as you can see from my screen shot, I know have PLENTY of RAM available. I have a BASIC understanding of 'free' memory vs. 'inactive memory.' Free up storage space on your Mac Save space by storing your content in iCloud or using built-in tools to find and remove large or unneeded files. The Optimized Storage features of your Mac help you save storage space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand.

Increasingly both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS are intelligent enough to manage the amount of RAM available in the system, especially newer operating systems such as Windows 10 and macOS. Memory optimization software is not necessary unless you are still using a very old OS such as XP or you have very little RAM to spare. Works great on Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Apple’s macOS.

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↓ 01 – Memory Cleaner X | macOS

Memory Cleaner X monitors your memory usage and cleans up your Mac’s memory, increasing performance. Cached memory can take up the memory needed for new apps, and Memory Cleaner X increases performance by cleaning cached memory. Memory Cleaner X also monitors RAM usage on your computer, and you can free up unused memory in just one click.

The application monitors RAM usage on your computer and frees up unused memory with one click. With Memory Cleaner X, you can easily manage your memory usage. An animated status icon in the menu bar shows you the percentage of memory being used, as well as memory cleaning being run. Features:

  • Memory usage information displayed in the menu bar
  • Memory usage per application
  • Manual memory free up when needed
  • Automatic memory free up

↓ 02 – CleanMem Free | Windows

CleanMem is still a set it and forget program and is totally free. When you install CleanMem it will auto run every 15 min by the Windows Task Scheduler. Once installed it is set and forgotten. Just as it always has been. You can configure CleanMem to do more advanced things such as ignore lists, only lists, and log files. These can be set by the CleanMem Settings program in the start menu.

↓ 03 – Memory Clean 2 | macOS

Memory Clean is the ultimate app for optimizing your Mac’s memory and is best used after you have finished using a memory (RAM) intensive app or game. It replicates the feeling of a fresh system restart. Memory Clean works by purging the Mac’s inactive memory and is best used when you close an intensive program that you do not plan to use again quickly within a few hours.

↓ 04 – RAMRush | Windows

RAMRush is a free memory management and optimization tool. It can efficiently optimize memory usages of your Windows system, free up physical RAM and make your system work better. RAMRush uses an intelligent way to manage the physical memory and lets the RAM work in a better performance. It will help you to prevent system crashes, memory leaks and keep your computer running more efficiently.

  • Increase system performance
  • Increase the amount of memory available
  • Defragment system physical memory
  • Recover memory from Windows applications
  • Remove memory leaks
  • Prevent system crashes caused by memory problems

↓ 05 – Wise Memory Optimizer | Windows

Most PC users have known and unknown applications running in the background that take up your computer’s physical memory and thereby affect its performance. Wise Memory Optimizer helps you free up and tune up the physical memory taken up by some useless applications to boost PC performance. The application requires a pretty low quantity of CPU and system memory, has a good response time and rapidly finishes an optimization job. Better yet, it also has a portable version. You can drop the program files anywhere on the hard drive or a flash drive and run it on any computer without prior install operations.

↓ 06 – Mz RAM Booster | Windows

Mz RAM Booster is a program created to improve the performance of your computer by auto-recovering RAM and fine tuning some Windows system settings! It uses minimal resources and almost no CPU time. Speed up your computer, stop memory leaks and increase free RAM.

↓ 07 – Memory Cleaner | macOS

Memory Cleaner can increase your free memory with a simple click and monitor memory usage in the menu bar. Memory Cleaner is the perfect tool to keep your computer going full speed and helps you to optimize your memory (RAM) usage with a simple click.

Memory Cleaner keeps your system’s memory (RAM) clean by monitoring and optimizing the memory usage. Helps you to quickly access detailed memory information and diagnosis from your menu bar and CLEAN your memory with a simple click. Main Features:

  • One-click and automatic system memory optimization
  • List of apps with significant memory usage
  • Memory pressure meter and notifications
  • Dynamic and customizable menu bar
  • Detailed memory information

↓ 08 – Mem Reduct | Windows

Lightweight real-time memory management application to monitor and clean system memory on your computer. The program used undocumented internal system features (Native API) to clear system cache (system working set, working set, standby page lists, modified page lists) with variable result ~10-50%. It is compatible with Windows XP SP3 and higher operating systems, but some general features available only since Windows Vista.

↓ 09 – MemPlus | Windows

MemPlus can be used to monitor the RAM usage on your device. You can clear the memory of any non-essential processes by clicking the “Clear memory” button which is visible in the main window. This will clear both the working sets of processes and the FileSystem cache, if enabled. You also have the ability to clear the working set or FileSystem cache separately.

  • RAM Optimizer – MemPlus can be used to reduce the amount of RAM that is being used by applications on your system. In essence, freeing up memory so that more memory is available to you!
  • RAM Analyzer – MemPlus can help recover the specification of the RAM that is installed on your system. This information can be exported in TEXT, HTML, CSV and Excel formats.

↓ 10 – Memory Optimizer [ Not Free Anymore ] | Windows

Lacking memory? Optimize with Memory Optimizer. You’d be surprised how much you can recover! Understand your computer’s memory usage and keep it under control – Memory Optimizer will graph your computer’s memory showing you what’s using it and giving you an easy way to optimize it’s usage. Just click “Optimize” and speed your computer up immediately!

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The Optimized Storage features of your Mac help you save storage space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand:

  • When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically.
  • Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it.
  • Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.

If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below.

Manage storage on your Mac

Free Up Inactive Memory Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloud

Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:

  • Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  • Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  • Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.

Mac Inactive Memory

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.

Optimize Storage

Click the Optimize button to save space by automatically removing watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from Apple and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.

Your Mac will also save space by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.

Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Trash Automatically

Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.


Where to find the settings for each feature

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.

  • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
  • If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
  • In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
  • In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.
  • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  • In you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  • In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”

Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space

With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:

  • Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
  • Reminds you to delete used app installers
  • Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
  • Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

Even without using the Optimized Storage features described in this article, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

Free Up Inactive Memory Mac Os

  • Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
  • Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
  • Move files to an external storage device.
  • Compress files.
  • Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Free Up Inactive Memory Mac Os

Learn more

Free Up Inactive Memory Mac Pro

  • The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Other, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
  • When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
  • If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.