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If you’re a Mac user, you might have heard the term WindowServer mentioned in various tech discussions or troubleshooting guides. It’s not something that usually gets a lot of attention, but it plays a crucial role in your Mac’s graphical user interface (GUI).
In this article, we have discussed what WindowServer is on a Mac, its functions and how to reduce its CPU usage on your Mac.
What is WindowServer?
WindowServer plays an important role within the macOS ecosystem. It operates in the background, taking charge of the management of your Mac’s graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
WindowServer handles all the visual elements you encounter on your screen, including windows, icons, menus, and more. It acts as a mediator between the applications you use and the graphics hardware of your Mac.
Key Functions of WindowServer
- Rendering Graphics: One of the primary tasks of WindowServer is rendering graphics. When you open an application or move a window, the WindowServer ensures the content is displayed correctly on your screen. It coordinates with your Mac’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to render images, icons, fonts, and animations.
- Window Management: WindowServer carefully monitors all open windows and their locations on the screen. It’s responsible for managing windows, adjusting their size, and drawing the window borders.
- Multi-Monitor Support: WindowServer coordinates the display across all screens for users with multiple monitors. It manages the extended desktop, ensuring windows and elements appear correctly on each display.
- Transparency and Visual Effects: WindowServer renders macOS’s beautiful visual effects, such as translucency, animation, and smooth transitions between different GUI elements.
Also read: What is Thrill Algorithm on Mac?
How to check the CPU usage by WindowServer?
To check how much of CPU resources WindowServer is using, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Finder, click on Applications and then click on Utilities.
Step 2: In Utilities, run the Activity Monitor.
Step 3: In the Activity monitor, click on the CPU tab. Look for WindowServer in the list, and in the %CPU column, check how much CPU resources it uses.
Causes of WindowServer using so much CPU resources
Below, we have mentioned a few possible reasons that might be causing WindowServer to use more resources.
- Using multiple displays.
- Cluttered desktop.
- Interference by apps.
- Visual effects.
How to reduce WindowServer CPU usage?
If the WindowServer consumes more CPU resources than it usually should, then we have explained a few ways below to help you reduce its usage.
Restart the device
Many Mac users tend to keep their computers running without regular restarts. A simple restart can work wonders. If you notice WindowServer-related problems like sluggish animations or unresponsive windows, try restarting your Mac. This action can refresh the system and resolve minor issues.
Check for software update
Using older software and applications can impact your device’s operations. It’s important to ensure that both your macOS and applications are up-to-date. Apple regularly releases updates that fix minor bugs and enhance your device’s performance.
To update the software, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Click on the Apple menu, then click on the System Settings option in the dropdown menu.
Step 2: In system settings, click on the General option in the sidebar and then click on the Software Update option on the right.
Step 3: If you have any available macOS updates, install them.
Close extra desktops
Closing the extra desktops will reduce the CPU usage by WindowServer. To close the desktops, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press F3 to open Mission Control. If you don’t want to use the keyboard, click on the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
Step 2: In Launchpad, click on the Other icon.
Step 3: Now, click on the Mission Control option to open it.
Step 4: Hover your mouse over the desktop you want to close and click on the Cross icon to close it.
Disable visual effects
Visual effects can consume more CPU resources on your Mac. While it may not be possible to disable all visual effects entirely, you can reduce display transparency, which can make a significant difference in the performance.
To disable transparency, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Click on the Apple menu and then click on the System Settings option in the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Click on the Accessibility in the sidebar and then click Display on the screen’s right side.
Step 3: Turn the toggle on beside Reduce transparency.
Declutter your desktop
Over time, your desktop can get cluttered with files, like downloads and duplicates, that you no longer need. It’s a good idea to go through your desktop and remove unnecessary stuff regularly to keep things tidy. If you must keep files there, putting them into folders is more organised. Otherwise, consider deleting anything that doesn’t have to be on your desktop.
Also read: What is the Utilities folder on Macbook?
