macOS: System Has Run Out of Application Memory (4 Fixes)
How to Fix the "Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory" Error on Your Mac
There‘s nothing more frustrating than seeing an error message pop up when you‘re in the middle of an important task on your Mac. And the "your system has run out of application memory" error can be especially panic-inducing. Will you lose all your unsaved work? Is your Mac on its last legs?
Don‘t worry – in most cases, this error is completely fixable with a bit of troubleshooting. In this step-by-step guide, we‘ll explain what causes the "out of application memory" error and show you exactly how to resolve it and prevent it from happening again in the future. Let‘s dive in!
What Does "Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory" Mean?
First, let‘s clarify what this error message is actually telling you. When your Mac says it has run out of "application memory", it‘s referring to RAM (random access memory), not your hard drive storage space.
RAM is the temporary working memory that your Mac uses to run applications and open files. Think of it like your computer‘s short-term memory. When an app is open, all of its data is loaded into RAM so that the CPU can access it quickly.
Most modern Macs come with 8GB-16GB of RAM pre-installed, which is usually plenty for typical computing tasks like web browsing, word processing, and even light photo and video editing. However, professional apps like video editors and 3D rendering software are very RAM-hungry.
You can check how much RAM your Mac has by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac. The Memory line will show the total amount of RAM installed.
So if your Mac has 8GB of RAM but you‘re trying to run multiple hefty applications at once, edit a huge Photoshop file, and keep 100 Chrome tabs open in the background, you can quickly burn through those 8GB and run into the "out of application memory" roadblock.
Why Does This Error Happen?
There are a few different factors that can contribute to your Mac running out of application memory:
Not Enough RAM
The simplest explanation is that your Mac just doesn‘t have enough physical RAM installed to handle the workload you‘re throwing at it. If you have an older Mac with only 4GB of RAM and you‘re doing a lot of multi-tasking, this could be the culprit.
Memory Leaks
Some poorly coded applications can have "memory leaks" where they don‘t properly release RAM that they‘re no longer using. Over time, the app consumes more and more memory until your Mac runs out.
Too Many Apps Open
Even if you have a decent amount of RAM, you can still overwhelm it by having dozens of applications and browser tabs running at the same time. Each open app takes up a chunk of your RAM.
Malware
In rarer cases, malware or adware running in the background can eat up your available RAM and cause this error.
How to Fix Your Mac‘s "Out of Application Memory" Error
Now that you know the common causes behind this error, let‘s look at how to actually resolve it when it happens.
Step 1: Force Quit Problematic Applications
When you see the "your system has run out of application memory" alert, it will highlight which applications are hogging the most RAM. The ones marked in red and labeled as "paused" are the biggest offenders.
Click the app and press the Force Quit button to immediately close it and free up its consumed RAM. Make your way down the list, force quitting paused and unresponsive apps.
Once you‘ve quit the memory hogs, reboot your Mac from the Apple menu to give it a fresh start. In many cases, this will be enough to clear up the error and let you get back to work.
However, if you find yourself running into the same error frequently, you‘ll need to do some deeper troubleshooting.
Step 2: Check the Memory Pressure in Activity Monitor
Your next step is to open the Activity Monitor application. You can find it under Applications > Utilities in the Finder.
The Activity Monitor is like a detailed task manager. It shows you statistics about your Mac‘s CPU, memory, energy, disk, and network usage.
Click over to the Memory tab and look at the Memory Pressure graph at the bottom of the window. If it‘s spiking into the red, that indicates your Mac‘s RAM is struggling under very heavy memory pressure.
Glance at the list of apps and processes using the most memory at the top of the list. Are there any programs you‘re not actively using eating up multiple gigabytes of memory? Consider closing them to relieve the pressure.
You should also look out for apps highlighted in red and marked as "Not Responding". These frozen apps could be the victim of memory leaks. Select them and click the X button to force quit them and reclaim their squandered RAM.
If you notice one particular app that consistently hogs memory or freezes up, you may want to check for any available updates or consider finding an alternative app that‘s better optimized.
Step 3: Declutter Your Mac
Over time, your Mac can accumulate a lot of system junk and background processes that subtly eat away at your available RAM. Cleaning up your Mac can help prevent out of memory errors and improve overall performance.
Clear Out Startup Programs
Some applications are set to automatically launch every time you log into your Mac. While this can be convenient for apps you use daily, having too many programs loading at startup can bog down your Mac.
To disable unnecessary login items:
- Open System Preferences from the Apple menu
- Go to Users & Groups
- Click the Login Items tab
- Select apps you don‘t need automatically starting up and click the minus button to remove them
Free Up Hard Drive Space
In addition to RAM, your Mac‘s overall performance can suffer if your main hard drive is running low on storage space. The operating system needs some breathing room to efficiently juggle temporary files and virtual memory.
Click the Apple menu and select About This Mac. Navigate to the Storage tab to see a breakdown of what types of files are taking up your disk space.
If you‘re down to only 10-20% of free space left, consider uninstalling applications you no longer use, copying large media files to an external drive, or uploading them to a cloud storage service like iCloud or Dropbox.
For more advanced cleaning, a dedicated application like CleanMyMac X can help you intelligently scan your hard drive for unneeded files, caches, and other junk that can be safely deleted to reclaim storage space.
Step 4: Scan for Malware
While not as prevalent as on Windows PCs, Mac malware does exist in the wild and can sometimes be the culprit behind unusual system behavior like out of memory errors.
You can use the free version of Malwarebytes for Mac to do a complete scan of your system and remove any viruses, adware, or potentially unwanted programs it finds.
For real-time malware protection and scheduled scanning, consider upgrading to the premium version or look into other antivirus options for Mac.
How to Prevent "Out of Application Memory" Errors
Fixing "your system is out of application memory" errors when they crop up is good, but avoiding them entirely is even better! Here are some tips to keep your Mac running smoothly:
Keep macOS and Apps Updated
Apple frequently releases updates to macOS that include performance improvements and bug fixes. Keeping your operating system and the applications you use up-to-date can help prevent memory leaks and compatibility issues that lead to out of memory problems.
Manage Your Open Applications
Applications are the biggest consumers of your Mac‘s RAM. While it‘s convenient to keep all your frequently used programs running in the background, consider closing apps you‘re not actively using if you know you‘re about to perform a memory-intensive task.
The same goes for browser tabs – close or bookmark tabs you‘re done with instead of keeping dozens of them open indefinitely.
Use Lighter Alternative Apps
If a particular application seems to regularly overwhelm your Mac‘s RAM, look for alternative apps that can accomplish the same task with a smaller memory footprint.
For example, if Firefox or Chrome is using multiple gigabytes of RAM, you could try a more lightweight browser like Safari. Pixelmator and Affinity Photo are less resource-intensive alternatives to Photoshop.
Add More RAM (If Possible)
If you have an older MacBook Pro or iMac with a RAM access hatch, you may be able to physically install additional RAM to give your Mac more breathing room.
Many newer Macs have the RAM soldered to the logic board, meaning it‘s not user-upgradeable. But if your Mac is a 2012 or older model, cracking it open and popping in some extra RAM could be a cost-effective way to extend its lifespan and ward off out of memory errors.
You‘re a Reboot Away From a Speedy Mac!
Don‘t panic if you‘re faced with the dreaded "your system has run out of application memory" alert. In most cases, it‘s a temporary glitch that can be resolved with a little detective work in Activity Monitor and some tidying up.
Force quitting misbehaving applications and restarting will usually clear out the cobwebs and get your Mac feeling speedy again. But if you‘re still experiencing frequent low memory warnings, a bit of proactive Mac maintenance and being more selective about how many applications you keep running can help prevent this pesky error from popping up.