Sodiq Olanrewaju · February 5th, 2025 · 9 min read 
Mac computers display the “Your system has run out of application memory” error due to low memory and storage space. Excessive startup programs and macOS bugs can also cause memory errors on Mac computers. The troubleshooting recommendations in this article should resolve the issues responsible for the error message.
Understanding Application Memory on Mac
Mac computers have physical RAM (Random Access Memory) on their motherboards. When you open or run applications, macOS temporarily stores data for these apps (and their respective background processes) on the RAM, allowing apps and processes to run smoothly.
Your Mac’s RAM approaches its maximum capacity as you run applications simultaneously. However, macOS has a RAM management technique that creates more memory for active applications and processes. The technique involves creating a “virtual memory” (also called swap file or swap space) on the startup disk.
If macOS lacks the memory required to run applications smoothly, it moves the infrequently accessed data to the virtual memory on your Mac’s disk space.
Your Mac’s RAM size/capacity depends on its model, year, and hardware configurations. You can check this by selecting the Apple icon on the menu bar and choosing About This Mac. Check the Memory row for your Mac’s RAM capacity.
What Is the Meaning of “Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory”?
The Force Quit window displays this message when your Mac is close to hitting its maximum memory capacity. That means you might encounter issues using applications running in the foreground or background. Native apps and third-party software will run slowly; some might randomly crash or fail to open.
Why Does My Mac Run Out of Application Memory?
This happens when too many applications, system processes, or login items run simultaneously in the foreground or background. Also, running buggy browser extensions or having many tabs open in your browser can hog system memory. Other possible culprits behind memory leaks and issues include outdated applications, malicious software, macOS bugs, etc.
Low disk space or storage can also cause memory management issues on Mac. As earlier mentioned, macOS stores data and creates virtual memory on the hard disk. macOS can’t create or properly manage virtual memory if your Mac has low disk space.
How Do You Monitor Application Memory on Mac?
You can monitor your Mac’s application memory in the Activity Monitor app. We’ll show you how.
- Go to Finder > Application > Utilities and double-click Activity Monitor.
Alternatively, open Spotlight search (press Command + Space bar), type activity monitor in the search box, and select Activity Monitor.
- Next, switch to the Memory tab in the top menu. Then, check the Memory column to see how much system memory each app/process uses.
- You’ll also find some RAM usage data at the bottom of the Activity Monitor window. Here’s what each item in the section signifies:
- Physical Memory: the amount of RAM installed on your Mac. Think of it as your Mac’s maximum RAM capacity.
- Memory Used: the total amount of RAM currently used by applications and macOS. The column to the right further analyzes application and system memory consumption. “App Memory” tells how much memory applications use, while “Wired Memory” is the system’s current memory consumption. “Compressed” memory is how much memory macOS compressed to make available for (re)use.
- Cached Files: the size of files temporarily cached into free or unused memory for improved performance.
- Swap Used: the memory your Mac’s startup disk uses to swap unused files in the RAM.
How to Fix the “Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory” Error?
There are several ways to fix this error, and the ideal fix will vary depending on the causative factor(s). However, we’re confident that one of the troubleshooting recommendations below will resolve your Mac’s application memory issue.
1. Force Quit Unneeded Apps
Applications use your Mac’s Random Access Memory (RAM) to run in the foreground and background. The more applications you open, the more memory required to keep them running smoothly. But there’s one problem: Mac computers have a fixed/limited amount of memory.
Running too many applications will use a lot of memory space, causing your Mac to freeze or slow down. High RAM usage can also trigger the “Your system has run out of application memory” error.
Use the Activity Monitor to manage memory usage by checking (unneeded) apps using up memory space and closing them.
- Press Command + Spacebar to open the spotlight search. Next, type activity monitor in the search bar and select the Activity Monitor application.
- Head to the Memory tab and view the Memory column for an app-by-app usage report of your Mac’s memory. Then, go through the list and force quit apps you aren’t using.
- Select an app and select the Stop icon on the top menu.
- Select Force Quit on the confirmation pop-up.
Force quit other unneeded applications and check if that stops the “Your system has run out of application memory” error. Don’t close your web browser if it consumes a huge chunk of memory. The troubleshooting tricks in the next section can help reduce its memory.
2. Troubleshoot Your Web Browser Tabs
Web browsers are memory hogs. The more browser tabs you have open, the more RAM the browser uses. Using too many extensions, buggy plug-ins, or themes can cause web browsers to use too much memory.
Disable or uninstall unneeded browser extensions and close resource-heavy web pages. Updating your web browser can also reduce its memory consumption in macOS.
Force quit and reopen your web browser if the problem persists. Better yet, install and use lightweight web browsers optimized for old and slow computers.
3. Purge Inactive RAM
“Inactive RAM” describes free memory that macOS has yet to release for use by other applications. When you close an app, macOS sometimes fails to release the memory used by the closed app to the system until later. Understanding memory management mechanisms, including how macOS handles inactive RAM, is crucial for effectively diagnosing and resolving memory-related issues.
- Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities and open Terminal.
- Type or paste sudo purge in the Terminal console and press Return.
- Enter your Mac’s password and press Return to proceed.
Close Terminal and check if purging inactive/free RAM cleared the “Your system has run out of application memory” error.
4. Free Up Storage Space
Limited storage can slow down your Mac and trigger the “Your system has run out of application memory” error. If your Mac is running low on RAM, macOS creates swap files or virtual memory on the startup disk. That won’t happen if your Mac’s hard drive doesn’t have enough space to accommodate swap files or virtual memory.
To optimize application performance, particularly when handling large files, you may need more memory to ensure applications function efficiently.
Go to System Settings > General > About and check the Storage row for your Mac’s storage status.
A good rule of thumb is to keep at least 15 percent of your Mac’s boot storage free. For instance, on a MacBook with 256GB SSD, having at least 38GB of free storage guarantees smooth performance.
When free storage falls below the 15% threshold, your Mac may exhibit performance and memory issues. Empty your Mac’s Trash/Bin, uninstall unneeded applications, and move large files to iCloud Drive. For more ways to optimize your Mac’s storage, refer to our tutorial on freeing up space in macOS.
5. Change Finder Window Settings
Finder’s memory consumption increases when it opens the “Recents” folder by default when you launch a new Finder window. That’s because the file manager loads all folders and browses the path of all files on your Mac. Configuring Finder to open a specific folder reduces the file manager’s memory usage.
- Open Finder, select Finder on the menu bar, and choose Settings.
- Open the New Finder windows show drop-down menu, and select other folders like “Desktop” or “Documents.”
Close and reopen Finder, and check if changing Finder’s settings frees up RAM on your Mac.
6. Disable Startup Programs
Startup programs (or Login Items) are apps and processes that run automatically in the background when you boot your Mac. Having too many apps launch at startup can deplete system resources and prevent your Mac from running other apps smoothly.
Follow the steps below to stop unnecessary apps from starting automatically when you boot your Mac.
- Open System Settings, select General in the sidebar, and select Login Items & Extensions.
- Select the startup program or app you want to disable and select the minus icon below the list.
Some apps add background items that can hog memory usage on your Mac. We recommend turning off background items for unneeded applications.
- Scroll to the “Allow in the Background” section and turn off applications you don’t want performing background tasks.
7. Restart Your Mac
If the troubleshooting fixes above prove abortive, shut down your Mac and turn it back on. Remember to close open applications before rebooting your Mac, so you don’t lose unsaved documents or data.
Select the Apple logo on the menu bar and select Restart on the Apple menu.
8. Update Your Mac
Although this memory error occurs on different macOS versions, it’s prevalent on MacBook Pro models running early macOS Monterey builds. Many Mac users experienced a “memory leak” issue that caused some apps to consume excessive memory in the background.
Apple has since resolved this issue in subsequent macOS releases. Update your Mac’s operating system and check if that stops the “Your system has run out of application memory” error.
Go to System Settings > General > Software Update, select Update Now, and reboot your Mac to install the downloaded update.
9. Reset Your Mac’s Pointer Color
In some macOS Monterey versions, changing your Mac’s cursor or pointer color can cause memory leaks. Resetting the pointer color resolved the issue for some Mac users.
If you recently changed your Mac’s cursor color, follow the steps below to reset it to the factory default.
Go to Settings> Accessibility > Display > Pointer and select Reset Colors in the “Pointer” section.
Conclusion
The above troubleshooting tips should stop the “Your system has run out of application memory” error message. You should also consider upgrading your Mac if it uses an Intel processor. An Apple Silicon Mac has better memory management and performance, reducing the likelihood of encountering memory issues. Contact Apple Support or book a Genius Bar appointment if the error persists after trying these troubleshooting fixes.
