How to Clear RAM on Mac

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the memory used to store the data of all running applications and active processes on the computer. Having sufficient available RAM is essential for the proper workflow of any computer if the user needs multiple programs to run simultaneously, especially. If there is not enough space left, it could result in system instability, applications starting to freeze or crash, or in some cases even refusing to start. If you are encountering any of these symptoms or being presented with a warning prompt displaying the message - 'Your system has run out of application memory,' then your RAM might be reaching its maximum capacity. Try the methods below to clear the RAM on your Mac.

First, users might try to clear the RAM through Terminal, a default application available on every Mac. Keep in mind that opening additional applications on a computer that is already reaching the maximum of its available RAM could take a while.

The first step is to search for the Terminal in the Launchpad and to open the application. Once Terminal is running, type the sudo purge command and press Enter. The system will ask for an admin password to continue with the operation. Enter your password and wait for the process of clearing any inactive RAM to complete.

Users on older macOS versions such as High Sierra or El Capitan can take advantage of the Scrip Editor to clear RAM. This method will remove the need of having to input commands in Terminal every type you wish to free up RAM.

Start by launching Script Editor. Once inside, enter the following text:

display dialog “Free inactive RAM?” buttons {“Cancel”, “OK”} with icon 2 with the title “Freeing RAM” default button 2
set buttonAnswer to the button returned of the result
if buttonAnswer is “ОК” then
say “Freeing RAM. Wait please.”
tell application “Terminal”
do shell script “purge”
quit
end tell
say “Done!”
end if

Press Command(⌘) + S simultaneously on your keyboard and save the script you just wrote. In the File Format field, choose application instead of Script. Now, you can simply run this script whenever you need to clear the RAM on your system.