The “Your system has run out of application memory” error has been happening with lots of users running macOS Tahoe. The issue is particularly prevalent among Apple Silicon Macs, and often arises due to memory leaks. It may also be caused by excessive RAM consumption by applications not optimized for the latest macOS version. This guide offers straightforward solutions to resolve this problem effectively.
Table of contents
macOS Tahoe Run Out of Application Memory: Quick Solutions
1. Restart Your Mac
A simple restart can often resolve temporary memory allocation issues by clearing system caches and resetting processes.
2. Close Unnecessary Applications
Using Activity Monitor, identify and close applications consuming excessive memory. Pay special attention to applications like Google Chrome and Mail, which have been reported to cause memory leaks in certain scenarios.
3. Reboot in Safe Mode
Starting your Mac in Safe Mode disables third-party extensions and performs system cleanup, which can help identify if the issue is related to system extensions. Additionally, restarting in Safe Mode triggers a “deep clean” of macOS cache, which may be the culprit of this issue.
“System Has Run Out of Application Memory” in macOS Tahoe: Advanced Troubleshooting
1. Rebuild Mail’s Mailbox Database
If Mail is consuming an unusually high amount of memory, consider rebuilding its mailbox database to resolve potential issues. At least one user has singled out Mail as the cause of their issues, though others have reported both Apple-made and third-party apps as displaying memory leaks.
2. Monitor Activity Monitor for Memory Leaks
Regularly check Activity Monitor for processes that consume an increasing amount of memory over time, indicating a memory leak. The very “Your system has run out of application memory” error message often comes with a list of open apps so you can see which one is the memory hog.
3. Free Up Storage Space
Ensure that your boot disk has sufficient free space, as low storage can impact virtual memory management.
Tips to Prevent Future Issues
- Regularly update macOS to benefit from performance improvements and bug fixes.
- Limit the number of browser tabs and applications running simultaneously.
- Consider using lightweight alternatives to resource-intensive applications.
- Use optimization software, such as Intego ONE, to keep all system files in top shape.
macOS “System Has Run Out of Application Memory” Error: FAQ
This error typically occurs when applications or processes consume more memory than available, often due to memory leaks or excessive resource usage.
While the issue related to macOS Tahoe is primarily observed in Apple Silicon Macs, similar issues can happen on Intel-based Macs under certain conditions.
Use Activity Monitor to monitor processes with increasing memory usage over time, which may indicate a memory leak.
Summary
- Restarting your Mac can resolve temporary memory issues.
- Closing unnecessary applications frees up system resources.
- Booting in Safe Mode can help identify system extension-related problems.
- Rebuilding Mail’s mailbox database can fix memory consumption issues.
- Regularly monitoring Activity Monitor helps detect memory leaks.
- Ensuring sufficient free storage space supports optimal system performance.
Addressing the “Your system has run out of application memory” error involves a combination of simple and advanced troubleshooting steps. By following the solutions outlined above, you can restore your Mac’s performance and prevent future occurrences of this issue.
I have hit the drama of the “Out of Application Memory” meltdown on my Mac mini M4 with 16gb of physical RAM. Yes, I am guilty of having multiple Safari windows and tabs – life has many running projects – but Safari has just been busy as usual since I updated to macOS Tahoe. Apple’s Browser has not been experiencing a memory link with exponential growth of memory demand visible in Activity Monitor. The “Culprit” as I originally saw it, was the redoubtable online Mac Backup service Backblaze. It is now accumulating memory at the rate of about 3 gb per day. It crashed my Mac mini as it bulldozed through 45gb. Having read more, I have come to the view that this is entirely a macOS Tahoe problem and I’d love to pin the blame on Alan Day and his unlamented departure for Facebook. Consequently I now see Backblaze as effectively a drive by victim, hobbled while we wait for Apple to fix the problems rippling out from Tahoe’s broken implementation. I am communicating with Backblaze and monitoring the memory issues and have adopted a daily reboot regime to keep things in hand. This is exactly not what should be happening after more than two decades of exemplary Unix based computing since we left Classic Mac OS behind. What a turd Alan Day dumped on the floor at Cupertino as he left for Menlo Park.