Don’t worry — this is a common issue and usually easy to fix!
“Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory”
What This Means (In Plain English)
Your Mac does not have enough working memory to run all the apps you have open. You need to close some apps.
Common Causes
- •Too many apps running at once
- •Too many browser tabs open
- •An app with a memory leak
- •Not enough RAM for the work you are doing
How to Fix It — Step by Step
- 1
Close apps you are not using — click the red circle in the top-left corner of each window.
- 2
Close browser tabs you do not need — each tab uses memory.
- 3
Check which apps are using the most memory: open Activity Monitor (search for it with Spotlight) and click the "Memory" tab.
- 4
Select apps using a lot of memory and click the X button to quit them.
- 5
Restart your Mac to clear all memory.
- 6
If this happens often, you may need a Mac with more RAM.
How to Prevent This in the Future
Close apps when you are finished with them. Limit the number of browser tabs you have open. Restart your Mac once a week.
Related Errors You Might See
Application Not Responding (Spinning Rainbow Wheel)
An application on your Mac has frozen. The spinning colourful wheel (sometimes called the "spinning beach ball of death") means your Mac is struggling.
Your Startup Disk Is Almost Full
Your Mac's main storage drive is running out of space. You need to delete some files to keep your Mac running smoothly.
Still stuck? Don’t worry!
If the steps above did not solve the problem, ask a trusted friend or family member for help, or contact us and we will do our best to assist you.