Quick Summary
The "spinning beachball," formally known as the Spinning Wait Cursor, indicates that your macOS system or a specific application is unresponsive. This typically means the system or application is struggling to process a task and is temporarily frozen.
Common Causes
- Application Overload: The application may be attempting to perform a task that exceeds its current resources (CPU, memory, disk I/O). This is more common with resource-intensive applications like video editors, 3D modelers, or large databases.
- System Resource Exhaustion: Your Mac may be low on available RAM or hard drive space, causing applications to struggle when allocating memory or writing temporary files. Too many applications running simultaneously can exacerbate this.
- Conflicting Software: Two or more applications might be conflicting with each other, especially if they are trying to access the same system resources or use outdated components. This includes conflicting browser extensions or system utilities.
- Driver Issues: An outdated, corrupted, or incompatible driver (e.g., for a printer, external hard drive, or graphics card) can cause instability and lead to the spinning beachball, especially when the application interacts with the problematic device.
- Hardware Problem: A failing component, such as RAM or a hard drive, can cause intermittent freezes and general system instability, manifesting as the spinning beachball. This is typically accompanied by other symptoms, such as unexpected crashes or error messages.
- File System Corruption: Problems with the underlying operating system and its ability to read and write files can lead to crashes and beachballs. This is often linked to improper shutdowns like power loss during operation.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Method 1: Force Quit the Application
Step 1: Press Command + Option + Escape (Cmd + Opt + Esc) to open the Force Quit Applications window.
Step 2: Select the unresponsive application by clicking on it.
Step 3: Click the "Force Quit" button. Be aware you will lose any unsaved work.
Method 2: Monitor System Activity
Step 1: Open Activity Monitor, found in /Applications/Utilities.
Step 2: Check the CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, and Network tabs to identify processes consuming excessive resources.
Step 3: If a specific process is consistently high, consider quitting it (if non-essential) or investigating further if it's a crucial system component. Sort by the problematic attribute, for example "% CPU" column.
Method 3: Free Up Disk Space
Step 1: Click the Apple menu and select "About This Mac".
Step 2: Click the "Storage" tab.
Step 3: Manage your storage by deleting unneeded files, moving files to an external drive, or using optimized storage features. Aim to keep at least 20GB of free space.
Method 4: Run Disk Utility First Aid
Step 1: Open Disk Utility (located in /Applications/Utilities).
Step 2: Select your startup disk from the sidebar.
Step 3: Click the "First Aid" button, then click "Run" to check for and repair disk errors. This process may take some time.
Method 5: Update macOS and Applications
Step 1: Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences".
Step 2: Click "Software Update." Install any available updates for macOS and all available apps.
Step 3: Open the App Store and check for updates for apps downloaded from the App Store. Also, check other relevant apps for their own update mechanisms from their menus.
Method 6: Check for Malware
Step 1: Install a reputable and up-to-date anti-malware solution for macOS. There are both free and commercial options available.
Step 2: Run a full system scan to check for and remove any malware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that may be affecting system performance.
Step 3: Follow the anti-malware software's instructions to quarantine or remove any detected threats.