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Olga Weis
Oct 12, 2022
Activity Monitor acts as the default task manager on macOS. Launched with a convenient shortcut, it fulfills the basic functions you’d expect, like terminating apps that freeze or hang. Alternative apps, like a file manager for Mac, e.g. Commander One, can also monitor tasks, providing more tools than Activity Monitor.
When you migrate from Windows operating system to macOS, you feel strange with the new platform and features, especially when trying to open Task Manager on Mac with the “learning by heart” shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Delete and nothing happens. So how to get to Task Manager on Mac and what is Task Manager Mac equivalent?
According to some opinions, there is no such need for Task Manager on Mac, as this operating system is better and smoother than Windows and there is some truth in these words. However, what to do if arises the need to force quit some of the Mac processes? What should users do? Do not panic! MacOS has a utility that can substitute Task Manager and it is called Activity Monitor which is located in the Applications -> Utilities folder.
So if you are a Windows user who has just moved to Mac or even a Mac user but have never used or heard about Activity Monitor, this guide is for you. Here you will learn how to open Task Manager on Mac as well as find useful information about tips and tricks. Continue reading.
Pros
Cons
Despite the fact, that Activity Monitor is considered to be the Task Manager Mac equivalent, it cannot be called one hundred percent analog to the Windows app, as unfortunately, Activity Monitor doesn’t have some of the features available in Task Manager.
So, if you want to have a more clear view of all the running processes on your Mac computer as well as get real-time updates on your Mac's performance there is an app that can help you, namely Commander One.
In addition to being a great Task Manager for Mac alternative, Commander One can fully satisfy the needs of many users, starting from process termination or stat tracking and ending with Terminal emulation, file management as well as work as an FTP client Mac app.
Commander One has a dual-panel interface that can facilitate the working moments, as you can use one of the panels to check the process information whereas another one can be used for your daily routine. Controlling system resources with our Mac version of Task Manager has never been easier. Besides that, the app also offers seamless integration with cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Amazon S3, etc.
To be able to kill a task via Commander One you can simply press F8 or choose “Delete selected” from the context menu. Besides that, you can sort the tasks by any category, or find them based on their names.
Pros
Cons
Commander One is an advanced substitute for Activity Monitor. In addition to the capabilities found in the latter, it can also track the origins of processes, the time of their creation and modification, and their IDs. You also get the ability to terminate system tasks, just as easily as any others (be careful, though). To open task manager Mac alternative, Commander One, you have to do the following:
Install Commander One. Open the application.
Select "Process Viewer" from the list.
And you’re done! Now, you can have the process list open at all times, in the same window with your folders and files. That’s the main advantage of Commander One - it combines many functions in the same app, and lets you access them from the get go.
Task Manager on Mac aka Activity Monitor shows what processes are currently running on your computer. For convenience, it is shown in a graphical form where you can check which programs and processes are affecting your Mac's performance. Below you will find the description of the 5 main tabs and their features:
The CPU tab reveals the level of potential CPU usage. In addition, at the bottom, you will also see the percentage and graph of your CPU usage where red is for the System and blue is for a User. by System (red) and user (blue).
This tab shows the allocation of RAM. It is shown in a real-time memory graph for your convenience, so you can better analyze the situation. Here you can find info about the amount of memory required for the operation of the system itself, the amount of memory currently used, the total amount of memory used by the system, and the amount of memory that is not currently used but has remained, etc.
In Energy Tab, you can check the amount of energy used as well as the amount of energy used by each process on its own. Make sure to know what is eating your processor’s cycles.
This tab displays the amount of information transferred to and read from the hard drive as well the number of times your computer has made to access the disk to read and write.
The Network tab shows the info about the amount of information transmitted and received over the network. In such a way you can check which apps are transferring data in Mac Task Manager.
So, after taking a quick look at Activity Monitor’s features and knowing a bit more about them, it is high time to move to another topic and talk about Task Manager Mac tips and tricks. Continue reading to know more.
This tool is necessary, whether you’re trying to check memory usage or the percentage of CPU that your apps utilize. You can choose how to open task manager on Mac from two different ways: Launchpad and Spotlight. But there’s no need to limit yourself to system apps, when you have third-party alternatives!
The list of processes is available on Macs in an app called "Activity Monitor". To see running processes Mac users can push a key combination, Command(⌘)+Space, and find Activity Monitor in Spotlight. The app will open up and display a table containing all active tasks.
All active apps that are running on your hardware will show up in the task list. How to see what is running on Mac? It’s simple - use specialized software to find the tasks and track their memory usage. You can choose between system software or apps like Commander One.
Just like Windows, macOS has a button combination to reset or shut down your device - Ctrl+Eject. It’s basically Control Alt Delete on Mac. On startup, it’s very common for most software issues, except for malware, to be resolved autonomously in the background, instead of having to fix them manually.
Cmd+Option+Esc will open a menu that lets you force quit on Mac, even if you can’t access the toolbar. It’s a vital hotkey, one that you’ll need many times if you’re using non-Apple software. Even official programs freeze now and then.
While the default task manager Mac app is easily accessible, and there are plenty of other means to handle rogue tasks on macOS, there’s also room for improvement. You can get an enhanced view of your processes through the use of Commander One and similar software. Also, keep the Force Quit and Shutdown hotkeys in mind for difficult situations.
Frequently Asked Questions
