Macbook Task Manager

Part 1: Activity Monitor – The Task Manager for Mac. Activity Monitor is the simple and important task manager for Mac. It enables you to monitor the system parameters, view the details about the Mac apps or processes, or even manage the apps with ease. GoodTask 3 is a fully featured task or project manager for Mac. The app syncs with the default Reminders and Calendars to let you manage them with ease. You can quickly edit your tasks thanks to the bulk editing and deleting features. You will be able to duplicate, change due dates, and add tags to easily access any tasks.

Macbook Task Manager

We all are all aware about the percentage of people from all over the world who use Microsoft Windows. The percentage is too high that meets the probability aspect as well where it’s possible that Mac users have used WindowOS in his/her life but not vice versa. So there are chances while you are using your mac, you accidentally give your system the wrong command.

We all know that for WindowOS, we use the (ctrl + alt + delete) command for launching the Task Manager, the same cannot be done for Mac. We all have had the experience of putting in Windows commands on Mac using trying to access the Activity Monitor and felt embarrassed about it. So there is nothing new apart from the fact how diversified your Mac Task Manager can be.

What Do You Mean by Mac Task Manager?

Mac Task Manager is the last place you go when every manual effort has gone haywire. It’s more like a one-stop-solution to keep your system flawless and away from the frozen or unresponsive applications or programs. And since many of us are quite familiar with Windows Task Manager to kill programs that freeze out of nowhere, on Mac also we should be aware of such functionality.

Though everyone (including the manufacturer) thinks that Mac doesn’t need an Activity Monitor or Task Manager (thanks to the smoothness and flawlessness it brings to the table), we all have our reservations. And to an extent, it’s true that Mac functions amazingly smoothly but every one of those devices need to be taken care of from time to time.

Some sudden issues like app failure or software crashing put a big question on your experience and that’s where the Activity Monitor comes in. Yeah!! Just like the Task Manager you have on the Windows operating system, Mac also has a similar app that can have you big time while your experience is in a questionable state.

So it’s quite natural that no matter how smoothly your system is working, it may go through tough situations a few times and that’s when you need the best solution. Activity Monitor or the Apple Task Manager is quite easy to navigate on your Mac as well as comes with the simplest user interface.

Apple

How to Launch/Open Activity Monitor or Mac Task Manager?

Now that we are quite aware about the fact that Mac has its own Task Manager (just like Windows) so we don’t need to be worried about the frozen or unresponsive programs. And since we don’t accept the fact that our precious computer or Mac can face any issues, we ignore those warning signs. Either restarting the device or relaunching the application manually has been our attitude towards those issues. So it’s better that we always turn to the solutions given by the manufacturer as surely they know better than us.

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” ― Albert Einstein

Means that in order to solve any of the problems (irrespective of the platform), you need to know what triggered it. And since we all aren’t subject matter experts who can tell why one of the apps isn’t responding, let alone the Mac itself. This is why we need an expert like the Mac Task Manager or the Activity Monitor who analyzes the problems thoroughly and then looks for the possible solutions.

Now comes in the big question, “how to use the Mac Task Manager or Activity Monitor” or “where do I find Mac Task Manager” or “ways to get Task Manager on Mac”. So without further ado, let’s understand the ways to use Mac Task Manager on your Mac in the easiest ways possible:

As we mentioned above, navigating the Activity Monitor on Mac is very easy as all you need to do is, either use the below path or access Spotlight for quick search:

Applications > Utilities > Folder

So let’s explore both the ways to launch the Macbook Task Manager (through path & Spotlight):

Launch MacOS Task Manager using Spotlight

1. Since we are going ahead with the Spotlight method, press Command + Spacebar on your Mac.

2. When the search field pops up, type in Activity Monitor and tap on the same as soon as you encounter it in the list. Simple as that!

Launch MacOS Task Manager using Dock

There are times when Spotlight doesn’t work for you properly, this is when you turn to Dock and look for Mac OS Task Manager as below:

1. Navigate yourself to the Finder functionality (onto the Dock)

2. Here you need to look for the Applications folder (onto the side of the screen).

3. Under Applications folder, choose the Utilities folder and open it up.

4. Now look for Activity Monitor under Utilities and once you encounter it, double click. Simple!!

Macbook

Launch MacOS Task Manager Pinning onto The Dock

Yeah!! That’s possible. Instead of using Spotlight or opening up the Finder function to type in & launch the Macbook Task Manager, you can directly access it without any hassle. Just one click (literally) and you are there with the Task Manager in no time.

1. You need to open up the mac Task Manager using any of the above ways (Spotlight or Dock).

2. Once launched successfully, you need to right click onto the Activity Monitor (dockside).

3. Here, from the list, tap on Options and then tap on the “Keep in Dock” function.

Doing so will create a kind of a shortcut onto the dock so you won’t have to go through different steps to launch or open the Task Manager on mac. Just one click onto the Activity Monitor icon on the dock and it will launch within no time.

How do We Use Activity Monitor or Mac Task Manager?

Activity Monitor or mac Task Manager or macOS Task Manager is an extremely helpful tool one can get access to. From looking at the currently running processes to force quit frozen or unresponsive programs, Activity Monitor helps you big time. In short, the ways to keep your mac working smoothly & flawless, Activity Monitor keeps things in order. There are many things you can achieve by using the mac Task Manager but there are a few that take up all the credit as mentioned below:

1. System Parameters Monitoring

Even if there is the slightest issue with your device, the user must know about it or simply one of the in-built must list the issue. Activity Monitor is there to help you in such situations where it continuously monitors the system parameters for any discrepancies, if there are any. When you have successfully launched the mac Task Manager or Activity Monitor (as explained above), you will have access to many tabs to monitor everything on the device.

From CPU performance to disk space and memory usage, everything will be visible to you in detailed info. And after going through every one of those sections, you will know what are the programs or processes that’s affecting the device performance.

For example, the CPU tab helps you identify the processes or programs that are creating obstacles in the smooth running. Wherein, Memory tab gives you detailed statistics about the RAM that’s in use currently. Energy tab works just as the name suggests because it displays the energy consumed by the system overall & according to each app as well.

Disk tab is something that maybe you won’t find anywhere else because it tells you everything about the data that’s been read and written by each process or program. And finally, the Network tab which has been designed in a way that you get to know all the data related info (sent & received) according to different processes.

2. In Depth Info About App or Software or Programs

It’s quite evident that if you are using a feature that’s providing you every single detail about your device’s performance, it must dig in deep to analyze everything. And that is why using the mac Task Manager, you are entitled to know the in depth info about any of the programs or software running on the device. Irrespective of the format, every app that’s been installed on your mac, you have the liberty to check everything about it, thanks to the Activity Monitor (as below):

1. All you need to do is, navigate yourself to any of the apps from the list (Activity Monitor).

2. Post doing so, tap on the process or program & click onto the “i” button (top left side of the screen).

Apple Task Manager App

3. A new window will pop up and it will display every single detail one would need for that specific program or app. You will get to know the insights of the currently analyzed app so you can deal with future issues if there would be any.

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3. Force Quit App or Programs Using mac Task Manager

All of us have had the not-so-pleasant experience when it comes to using apps or programs that come with untimely glitch. Either the system slows down or the program itself freezes which can be an issue for many of us. So in order to keep your mac up & running smoothly, use the Activity Monitor or macOS Task Manager to shut those frozen apps down. All you have to do is:

1. Launch the Activity Monitor on your mac and navigate to the app or program you wish to force quit.

2. Post the program selection, you need to tap onto the “X” button (top left corner on the screen).

3. Doing so will lead you to a confirmation pop up window if you wish to close (force quit) the program.

4. If you are sure, go ahead by tapping into the Quit button and the frozen program will be closed in no time.

5. There are situations where following the above steps won’t close the app and that’s when you need to tap on Force Quit and the program will shut down. Simple!!

What’s Ctrl + Alt + Delete in Mac?

Macbook Pro Task Manager Shortcut

Since we all are fully dependent on computers (professionally) and on top of that, maximum users have Windows OS, it’s evident that we might use the same commands on mac as well. Yeah!! It’s going to be an unintentional mistake but it does happen and it will till the time we aren’t friendly with macOS as well. One of the many helpful functions you get to access on Windows is Ctrl + Alt + Delete that gives you liberty to access so many things. But is there any command in mac that’s equivalent to the same command as mentioned above? Does typing in Ctrl + Alt + Delete in mac do anything?

The answer is YES!! Typing in the same command on your mac won’t work but there is a shortcut combination which helps you take action against those frozen or unresponsive apps. The command is, Command + Option + Escape so you need to hold down the combination to open up the window to close or force quit frozen apps.

Obviously the shortcut command won’t help you with additional info like CPU usage or Energy (as in the Activity Monitor) but it will help you directly work on the force-quit-apps command. Overall, it’s a win-win situation where if the user wishes to only force quit a particular app, he/she can go with the above command. Or else, to get more insights, Activity Monitor is always there to help them out with additional info.

Wrapping Up

Macbook Task Manager Shortcut

Mac Task Manager or Activity Monitor has been designed to monitor everything on your device to take proper actions. However, a few times, issues like frozen or unresponsive programs can ruin your overall experience. Plus, if you are one of those people who wants to know everything about the system including the RAM and memory usage, Activity Monitor is for you.

There are also questions around how to use mac Task Manager and that also have been explained in the above sections. However, if you have any questions with reference to the usage of mac Task Manager, do drop a comment in the section below and we will respond at the earliest opportunity.

Next Read

The key to perfect task management is astute planning and timely execution. Many a time, we fail to get the desired result due to either lack of structured formation or wrongly implementation of the planning. If you wish to handle your to-dos immaculately and derive the required result painlessly, you need to have the best task management apps for Mac.

#1. Microsoft OneNote

As far as functionality is concerned, I put “Microsoft OneNote” right on top with the best in the business. Creating and managing tasks, to-dos, and notes is a breeze with this feature-rich app.

You can also add pictures, your PowerPoint doc or PDF, links, and web articles to your notes. Ideally, organize your notes to meet your workflow.
Tag your tasks to access them with ease and track all the things that matter a lot to you. It lets you sync your files with OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint.

Price: Free
Download

#2. nTask

nTask has done all the research on how to build a killer task management app. And for this reason, a single app brings all the cool features of different tools in one app. The developers have paid enough attention to its aesthetics to create an appealing task management software.

A flexible app on your Mac, you can quickly make checklists, collaborate with teams, arrange meetings, share files, and presents up-to-date Gantt Charts.

As a team leader, you can easily assign tasks and track those tasks from your desk. Integration with Slack is a notable feature of nTask. Another noteworthy feature is cloud integration.

Price: $3.99 per user, per month
Download

#3. Things 3

“Things 3” has always appealed me as a top-notch task manager. With this app, you can create a project for each of your goals and add the required steps to accomplish them.

Macbook Task Manager

You will be able to group your projects by areas of responsibility like “Family”, “Work”, or “Health”. Keep track of all of your goals so that you stay at the pace. View your calendar events alongside your to-dos and plan your time appropriately.

The app lets you create repeating to-dos for things you do more often. As it works with all the major features like Touch Bar, Today Widget, Calendars, Siri & Reminders, Share Extension, Handoff, and AppleScript, you will always be in complete control of your tasks.

And yes, the support for several languages like English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese further enhances the reputation of Things 3.

Price: $49.99
Download

#4. Clear

Clear is dead simple and makes task management a painless experience! You can make separate lists to keep everything fully organized. Use various themes and tools to customize your lists.

To ensure you don’t fail to carry out any necessary thing in time, set reminders. Even better, you can take the full advantage of iCloud integration to sync your data across macOS and iOS devices.

Price: $9.99
Download Clear

#5. OmniFocus 3

“OmniFocus 3” provides you the desired flexibility to deal with all of your impending tasks. Hence, you can do more with less stress!

The app lets you keep all of your to-dos in one list, or you can use as multiple folders, projects, groups, and actions put everything in the right order.

You can select a fluid view that shows and hides fields or go for Custom Columns for scannable, tabular lists. Use the forecast perspective to check out your due items for each day alongside events from your calendar.

What’s more, OmniFocus 3 is compatible with multiple international languages including English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, etc.

Price: $39.99
Download

#6. Todoist

What I have found really appreciable in Todoist is the neat user-interface, which is primed for hassle-free task management. With this app, you can perfectly manage your tasks, sub-tasks, projects, and sub-projects.

Based on your need, you will be able to prioritize your tasks for the day or week ahead. You can keep an eye the deadlines with due dates and recurring dates.

Another notable feature of this app is the compatibility with multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Android and more. Furthermore, Todoist is integrated with several major services like Google Drive, Cloud Magic, Sunrise Calendar, Toggl, IFTTT, and Zapier.

Price: Free
Download

#7. Evernote

“Evernote” helps you stay organized by keeping all of your to-dos, notes or tasks in the perfect order. You can take notes, create to-do lists, and also save things you find online to catch up with them at your own pace.

You will be able to take notes in a wide range of formats like text, sketches, photos, audio, video, PDFs, web clippings, etc. Create personal checklists to never forget any necessary things.

Take the advantage of various tools to create agendas, write memos and prepare sensational presentations. You can also annotate documents with comments and thoughts during team meetings. Sync all of your data across your devices to keep them secure and easily accessible.

Price: Free
Download

#8. Simplenote

The thing that has made me want “Simplenote” is the range of easy-to-use features. If you don’t want to go for an expensive task manager but still wish to use a highly-user friendly app to assist you in getting your work done with the needed efficiency, you should keep it in consideration.

The app lets you effortlessly create notes, tasks, and to-dos. You can put all of your tasks in the perfect order and be able to track them. Furthermore, Simplenote lets you synchronize with the cloud to access them from any of your devices.

Price: Free
Download

#9. Any.do

“Any.do” provides a more streamlined user experience. Creating and managing task is quite upfront. The app comes with a clean UI that allows you to comfortably view and track your notes and tasks.

Mac Os Equivalent To Task Manager

Macbook Task Manager

You can print, export and share your lists with friends. Sync your files with cloud services to keep them safe.

Though Any.do to-do is available for free, you can upgrade to the premium version to have unlimited access to all the important features like themes, files, and collaboration for $2.99 a month or $26.99 a year through.

Price: Free
Download

#10. GoodTask 3

GoodTask 3 is a fully featured task or project manager for Mac. The app syncs with the default Reminders and Calendars to let you manage them with ease.

You can quickly edit your tasks thanks to the bulk editing and deleting features. You will be able to duplicate, change due dates, and add tags to easily access any tasks.

The dark theme lets you comfortably use the app at night. And with Today widget support, you can keep track of your tasks more conveniently.

Price: $19.99
Download

That’s all for now!

Your favorite task manager?

With the availability of so many impressive options, choosing one is not an easy task. However, you can go with a particular one keeping in mind your requirement. Have any of these task managers won you over? Let us know about them in the comments.

You might want to refer these posts as well:

Macbook Task Manager Hotkey

The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.

Macbook Air Task Manager

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