Get system information about your Mac (2024)

macOS Sonoma 14

macOS Ventura 13

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macOS User Guide

  • Welcome
    • What’s in the menu bar?
    • Work on the desktop
    • Search with Spotlight
    • Quickly change settings
    • Use Siri
    • Get notifications
    • Open apps from the Dock
    • Organize your files in the Finder
    • Connect to the internet
    • Browse the web
    • Preview a file
    • Take a screenshot
    • Change your display’s brightness
    • Adjust the volume
    • Use trackpad and mouse gestures
    • Use Touch ID
    • Print documents
    • Keyboard shortcuts
    • Apps on your Mac
    • Open apps
    • Work with app windows
    • Use apps in full screen
    • Use apps in Split View
    • Use Stage Manager
    • Get apps from the App Store
    • Install and reinstall apps from the App Store
    • Install and uninstall other apps
    • Create and work with documents
    • Open documents
    • Mark up files
    • Combine files into a PDF
    • Organize files on your desktop
    • Organize files with folders
    • Tag files and folders
    • Back up files
    • Restore files
    • Change System Settings
    • Choose your desktop wallpaper
    • Add and customize widgets
    • Use a screen saver
    • Add a user or group
    • Add your email and other accounts
    • Automate tasks with Shortcuts
    • Create Memoji
    • Change your login picture
    • Change the system language
    • Make text and other items on the screen bigger
    • Set up a Focus to stay on task
    • Set up Screen Time for yourself
    • Use Dictation
    • Send emails
    • Send text messages
    • Make a FaceTime video call
    • Edit photos and videos
    • Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
    • Start a Quick Note
    • Get directions
    • Work across devices using Continuity
    • Use iPhone as a webcam
    • Use iPhone with Desk View
    • Stream audio and video with AirPlay
    • Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
    • Hand off between devices
    • Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
    • Make and receive phone calls on your Mac
    • Sync music, books, and more between devices
    • Manage Apple ID settings
    • Set your Apple ID picture
    • What is iCloud?
    • What is iCloud+?
    • Store files in iCloud Drive
    • Share and collaborate on files and folders
    • Manage iCloud storage
    • Use iCloud Photos
    • What is Family Sharing?
    • Set up Family Sharing
    • Set up Screen Time for a child
    • Share purchases with your family
    • Watch and listen together with SharePlay
    • Share a Photo Library
    • Collaborate on projects
    • Find content shared with you
    • Find your family and friends
    • Play games with your friends
    • Play music
    • Listen to podcasts
    • Watch TV shows and movies
    • Read and listen to books
    • Read the news
    • Track stocks and the market
    • Apple Music
    • Apple TV+
    • Apple Arcade
    • Apple News+
    • Podcast shows and channels
    • Manage subscriptions in the App Store
    • View Apple family subscriptions
    • Guard your privacy
    • Use Mail Privacy Protection
    • Control access to your camera
    • Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
    • Set up your Mac to be secure
    • Keep your data safe
    • Create a passkey
    • Understand passwords
    • Keep your Apple ID secure
    • Find a missing device
    • Get started with accessibility features
    • Vision
    • Hearing
    • Mobility
    • Speech
    • General
    • Connect an external display
    • Use the built-in camera
    • Connect a Bluetooth device
    • Use AirPods with your Mac
    • Optimize your Mac battery life
    • Optimize storage space
    • Burn CDs and DVDs
    • Control accessories in your home
    • Use Windows on your Mac
  • Resources for your Mac
  • Resources for your Apple devices
  • Copyright
Get system information about your Mac (1)

To see basic information about your Mac, choose Apple menu Get system information about your Mac (2) > About This Mac.

Get system information about your Mac (3)

You can also find this information in General settings, where you can see more details including warranty and repair coverage and generate a detailed system report.

View system information in General settings

  1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu Get system information about your Mac (4)>System Settings, then click General Get system information about your Mac (5) in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

  2. Click About on the right.

    Open About settings for me

    Get system information about your Mac (6)
  3. Do any of the following:

    • Change the name of your Mac: Click the Name field, then type a computer name.

    • Display warranty and coverage information: Click the Details button. Check your service and support coverage and get help with your Mac.

    • Display the exact macOS version: Click the macOS version number.

    • View Display settings: Click the Display Settings button.

    • Display Storage settings: Click the Storage Settings button.

    • Display a system report: Click the System Report button.

View a system report

You can see the following details about your Mac in a system report:

  • The hardware that’s installed on or connected to it.

  • Your computer’s network connections, including the active services, its Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and the type and speed of the network connections.

  • Your computer’s software, including the operating system, apps, and kernel extensions. (You can see the versions, modification dates, and locations of each software item.)

  1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu Get system information about your Mac (7)>System Settings, then click General Get system information about your Mac (8) in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

  2. Click About on the right, then click System Report.

    Open About settings for me

    Get system information about your Mac (9)

    Tip: You can also press and hold the Option key, then choose Apple menu Get system information about your Mac (10) > System Information to open the system report.

  3. To view, print, save, or send your report to Apple, do any of the following:

    • See a longer report: Choose File > Show More Information. The report could be a few megabytes in size.

    • See a shorter report: Choose File > Show Less Information. The report includes most of the hardware and network information, but leaves out most of the software information.

    • Print a system report: Choose File > Print.

    • Save a system report: Choose File > Save, then enter a name and choose a location for the report.

    • Send a system report to Apple: Choose File > Send to Apple. If you call Apple Support, you can assist the support technician by providing a copy of your system configuration.

To get information about your computer’s memory, use Activity Monitor.

Open Activity Monitor for me

See alsoView memory usage in Activity Monitor on MacFind out how to service or repair your MacSee used and available storage space on your MacGet the Essentials guide for your MacLearn about your Mac computer’s internal disk

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Get system information about your Mac (2024)

FAQs

Get system information about your Mac? ›

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click About, then click System Report. Tip: You can also press and hold the Option key, then choose Apple menu > System Information to open the system report.

What happens when your Mac detects a virus? ›

macOS's Gatekeeper technology should recognise any malicious software and stop you from installing it – provided it's not very recent (it can take Apple a few days or weeks to address new malware). Should macOS detect a malicious app it will let you know and will ask you to move it to the Trash.

Can my Mac be too old to update? ›

Apple considers Mac "vintage" if they were released between 5 and 7 years ago, and obsolete if older than 7 years. Obsolete Macs no longer qualify for service and support. Security updates are no longer available.

How do I run a virus diagnostic on my Mac? ›

Follow these steps to run Activity Monitor:
  1. Go to Applications > Utilities.
  2. Open Activity Monitor and click % CPU column to see processes and apps with high CPU use. Quit those by clicking the X button in the upper-left corner.
  3. Find any other suspicious process and simply google it to see if it's malware.

Why is system in Mac using so much memory? ›

Why does System Data take up so much space on Mac? The easiest answer is that you use your Mac quite a lot and haven't cleaned it in a while. Or it may be that some apps, like photo and video editors, generate a lot of cache.

Is there a fake Mac virus warning? ›

If you encounter a website, popup, text message, email, or phone call alleging your Mac is infested with some ick or that you need to take immediate action lest dire circ*mstances ensue, it is 100% fraudulent. Ignore it. Read Avoid phishing emails, fake 'virus' alerts, phony support calls, and other scams.

How do I clean my Mac of viruses? ›

How to remove a virus from a Mac
  1. Disconnect from the internet. ...
  2. Reboot in safe mode. ...
  3. View the Activity Monitor. ...
  4. Uninstall recently added apps. ...
  5. Run a virus scan. ...
  6. Check your browser homepage and delete your cache. ...
  7. Delete unwanted browser extensions. ...
  8. Restore from a backup.
Feb 16, 2024

What is the oldest Mac that is still supported? ›

The following models are supported:
  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2013 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
  • Mac mini (2014 or later)
  • iMac (2014 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)

Is a 10 year old iMac obsolete? ›

Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago.

What happens if you don't update your Mac for a long time? ›

After a few years, your Mac starts to get full of photos, documents, videos and apps. Each one of these pieces of data can slow down your computer. The same thing can happen with new versions of MacOS. These new features, systems, processes, applications and software are all operating on hardware that is not updated.

How do I find hidden viruses on my Mac? ›

How to scan for viruses on Mac
  1. Identify malware with Activity Monitor.
  2. Run a Mac virus scan using built-in tools.
  3. Check for unwanted applications.
  4. Check the downloads folder.
  5. Check suspicious login items.
  6. Check browser extensions.
  7. Clear your cache.
  8. Check if your email has been compromised.
Feb 21, 2024

Does Apple have a built-in virus scanner? ›

macOS includes built-in antivirus technology called XProtect for the signature-based detection and removal of malware.

Can I scan my Mac for viruses for free? ›

For free! Bitdefender Virus Scanner finds Mac malware as well as Windows viruses with ease. Scan running apps, scan critical locations, scan a specific location or scan the entire system, the award-winning Bitdefender engines will find that malware. For free!

How to clear Mac RAM cache? ›

So, to remove cache files on your Mac, you need to:
  1. Open Finder.
  2. From the Go menu, select Go to Folder.
  3. Type ~/Library/Caches in the field and press Return.
  4. In the window that appears, you will see all your cache files.
  5. Press Command-A to select all files or delete files one by one.
May 17, 2024

How to clear Mac cache? ›

How to clear the application cache on Mac
  1. Open Finder, select the Go menu, and click Go to Folder.
  2. Type /Users/[YourUserName]/Library/Caches in the window and click Go.
  3. You'll see the user caches for all your apps. You can go into each folder, select the files inside, and drag them to the Trash.
Mar 10, 2023

How do I clear system data on my Mac? ›

What to delete to clear System storage and System Data on a Mac
  1. Step 1: Remove Time Machine snapshots. Foundry. One of the main culprits for taking up space in System is the local snapshots Time Machine creates each day. ...
  2. Step 2: Remove old iOS backups. Foundry. ...
  3. Step 3: Delete data from the System folder. Foundry.
Jun 22, 2024

How to get rid of virus detected pop-up on Mac? ›

How To Remove Fake Apple Security Alerts and Pop-Up Scams (Mac and iPhone)
  1. Scan your Apple device for malware.
  2. Delete potentially unwanted programs (PUPs)
  3. Remove suspicious browser extensions.
  4. Check website permission settings.
  5. Clear your browser cookies, cache, and other data.
  6. Block pop-ups in your browser.
Jan 24, 2024

Does Mac have built-in virus detection? ›

macOS includes built-in antivirus technology called XProtect for the signature-based detection and removal of malware. The system uses YARA signatures, a tool used to conduct signature-based detection of malware, which Apple updates regularly.

Are Macs still safe from viruses? ›

A common misconception is that Macs don't get viruses, but this isn't true. MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Minis can all be infected by viruses and malware, and hackers can successfully attack them too.

How do I turn off virus check on Mac? ›

How to turn off antivirus on Mac
  1. App interface: Open your antivirus app, go to its settings, and look for an option that says “quit” or “stop components” — it should be in the General section.
  2. Dock: Right-click or control-click the icon of your antivirus app in the Dock and choose Quit.
Feb 14, 2024

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