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Knowing which Apps or Processes are running on your Mac is important, because some of these Apps could be slowing down your Mac. You will find below 4 different ways to show All the Running Apps and Processes on your Mac.
Why to See All Running Apps and Processes on Mac
In case you are coming from a Windows computer, you must be used to opening the Task Manager on your Windows computer, in order to take a look at all the running apps and processes on your computer.
In the case of a Mac, there are multiple ways to see all the Running Apps and Programs, ranging from the simple option of using the Dock to using the Terminal command.
In general, the purpose of taking a look at All the Running Apps and Programs on your Mac is to get an idea of which programs are actively running on your Mac, what resources they are using and also to rule out the possibility of any unnecessary programs running in the background and using up resources on your computer.
Show All Running Apps and Processes On Mac Using the Activity Monitor on Mac
Activity Monitor can be described as the Mac equivalent of a Task Manager in a Windows computer. The Activity Monitor provides a very good view of the App and processes running on your Mac and the amount of resources being uses by these Apps and Processes.
1. Click on the Finder icon located in the left corner of the Dock (See image below)
2. On the next screen, click on Applications in the left sidebar menu and then click on the Utilities folder.
3. In the Utilities folder, click on Activity Monitor which should be the first item in Utilities Folder (See image below)
4. Once Activity Monitor opens, you will be able see a list of All the Processes or Applications currently running on your Mac (See image below)
As you can see in the above image, there are 5 different tabs in the Activity Monitor -> CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk and Network. Mac os apps on windows.
Clicking on each tab will show you more details, for example, clicking on the Memory Tab will show you how much memory each process is using. Similarly, clicking on the CPU tab will show you the amount of CPU being used by each of these Apps and Processes running on your Mac.
5. To view more info about a specific Process or Application, simply click on the Application/Process and then click on the i icon button located at the top left Corner of the screen (See image below).
6. To force quit an application or process through Activity Monitor, simply click on the application you would like to force quit and then click on the x button, located at the top left side of your screen (See image below)
Show All Running Apps On Mac Using Force Quit Applications Manager
Another method to check all the Running apps and programs on your Mac is through the Force Quit applications manager on Mac.
1. Click on the Apple icon in the top menu bar of your Mac and then click on Force Quit Application in the drop-down menu (See image below).
2. This will open the Force Quit Applications manager which will show you all running apps on your Mac
3. To force quit one of these applications, simply click on the application from the list and click on the Force Quit button.
Show Running Apps and Processes On Mac using the Terminal Command
The Terminal also shows you a detailed view of which applications and processes are running on your Mac, along with the percentage of CPU used by each of these applications/processes.
1. To open Terminal on your Mac, do a spotlight search for the Terminal by pressing the Command + Space keys on your Mac keyboard and searching for Terminal in Spotlight Search. (See image below)
2. Next double click on the Terminal option or press the enter key on your Mac’s keyboard to open up Terminal
3. In the terminal type in top –o cpu and press the enter key on your keyboard
4. To reorganize this list close the Terminal and reopen it. Once Terminal reopens type in top –o rsize and press the enter key on your keyboard.
Now applications or processes which are using the most memory will be listed at the top of the list and the application or processes using the least memory will be listed at the bottom of the list.
Show Running Apps Through Dock
The easiest way to view running apps on your Mac is by simply taking a look at your dock.
All running applications will have a black dot underneath the applications icon (See image below)
While this method is easy to follow, it sometimes will not show you all apps running in the background and does not even show you which processes are running in the background.
This method also does not give you much detail, like how much memory each application is using or how much CPU is being used by each application.
The Mac interface is generally user-friendly, but at times it could get confusing especially when you multitask and open several windows and launch several applications all at once. But wouldn’t it be convenient if you can see, at a glance, everything that’s running on your computer and be able to switch or close any apps Well, Mac lets you do that. In this article will teach you how to know what apps are open on Mac are simultaneously running on your computer.
Check the Dock
The first place you have to look at to see which apps are opened is the Dock. If you’ve set your Dock to appear only when moused over, you might have to move your cursor to the bottom of your screen until it appears. If you want to change your Dock settings, you can go to System Preferences > Dock > Automatically Hide or Show the Dock. You can tick this option on or off according to your preferences.
The Dock is the place where you see all opened apps, but take note that it also shows apps that you’ve added on it regardless whether if they’re running or not. You can also locate the documents and files you have minimized on the dock. Commonly used apps like Chrome, iTunes, Photos, App Store, Calendar, Reminders, Safari, and Contacts are usually found in the Dock so they can be easily accessed when needed, but this doesn’t automatically mean that they are running.
How To Download Apps On Mac
How to know what apps are open on Mac? You can see a dot (white or gray, depending on your Mac’s color theme) below the app that is running. To jump to an open app on Mac, click the icon on the Dock, and the app’s window will pop up. Clicking the icon will also launch an app if it is not currently running. To shut down or quit an app directly from the Dock, right-click or Ctrl-click the icon and choose Quit.
Open the Force Quit Applications Menu
If you have an open app on Mac that doesn’t respond, the best way to quit and re-launch the app is through the Force Quit Applications menu. Just press Cmd + Alt + Esc to pull up the Force Quit Applications menu that shows a list of all running apps on your computer, including the unresponsive ones. To force-quit an app, select the app to highlight it and then click Force Quit.
The Force Quit Applications menu only allows you to quit running apps, but you can’t jump to open apps from here. Nevertheless, this menu provides a clearer picture of what apps are running on your Mac compared to a crowded Dock. Here’s a tip – to avoid apps from crashing, eliminate unnecessary apps and clean up your auto start menu with the help of an app like Tweakbit MacRepair.
Check Activity Monitor
The Dock and the Force Quit Applications menu have one thing in common –they both show traditional apps that are running on your computer. But if you want to see everything, you should check your Activity Monitor. To open Activity Monitor, go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor. The easier way to open it is by doing a Spotlight search.
Not only does it show which apps are currently open – it also lists down all the activities and processes that are running in alphabetical order. However, you can sort out the entries by processor load, memory usage, energy impact, disk access, or network by clicking the column headers at the top. To quit an app or process, highlight it on the list and click Quit Process or click Inspect to know more information.
These three methods make it easier for Mac users to know which apps and processes are currently running, jump from one open app to another, and to quit apps that are not responding or are no longer needed.
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