Do I Need to Defragment My Mac?

Why is disk defragmentation on Macs obsolete?

One of the main reasons why most Macs don’t need to be defragmented at all is that macOS uses an entirely different file system than Windows. HFS+, which was succeeded by APFS as of macOS High Sierra, has a built-in defragmentation tool that automatically defrags files when needed. Having a tool that always keeps files defragmented is a huge asset, meaning that you may never even encounter fragmented files throughout the computer’s life.

This is particularly true for MacBook Air and any Apple devices equipped with SSDs. In fact, defragmentation is one of the worst things to do on SSDs, because not only does it actually shorten the drive’s lifespan but it also interferes with TRIM, the optimization command that allows for the high speeds that SSDs are known for.

How to ‘defrag’ anyway

Although defragmentation in a traditional sense isn’t necessary for Macs, basic maintenance is a must to ensure that the computer won’t become sluggish. This is particularly important for those who have to work with large files, as Mac’s built-in defrag tool only works for elements that are smaller than 20MB. However, anything from invalid disk permissions and automatically launching programs to unnecessary files and generic system junk can slow down a computer.

Thankfully, most performance issues can be resolved easily by manual. Old and large files can be moved to an external HDD or deleted completely, whereas macOS’s built-in tool, Disk Utility, can deal with problems related to disk permissions. In addition to that, keeping your programs up to date will have a positive impact on the Mac’s overall performance, as will reducing the number of automatically launching apps to the absolute minimum by going to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items.

Still, the best idea that guarantees that you will never have to deal with an underperforming computer is a Mac optimizer. Mac cleaning apps have features that can effectively solve any kind of problem – especially more bespoke software like CleanMyMac X – but the vast majority of them also come with comprehensive optimization functionality that can perform all of the most important cleaning tasks at the same time with a click of a single button.