Here's When You Should Restart Your MacBook, According To Users

A common myth some users perpetuate about macOS is that you don't ever need to restart it. It's quite odd considering that no consumer operating system (OS) can run efficiently without a restart every now and then. Windows users say that they restart their PCs at least once a week to keep things running smoothly. This allows the PC to do some housekeeping, such as freeing RAM, clearing the cache, refreshing apps, and killing stuck processes. However, users on forums like Reddit and even the Apple Community have a different opinion on when you should restart a MacBook.

Users do agree that a MacBook needs to be restarted. The only difference between what PC users believe, is that MacBook users say you should only restart your computer when you need to. It's not necessary to do it for daily or weekly maintenance, but you can do so if you want, since it is good practice. The biggest sign that a MacBook needs a restart is when you notice a common problem that needs fixing (such as tasks taking longer to complete or apps acting buggy), which is what the advice to restart it weekly tries to avoid, especially if your MacBook is older.

MacBook users also agree that you will need to restart your MacBook when installing the latest system update. Also, when you're not going to be using the MacBook for a while, it's good practice to shut it down completely.

When a Redditor asked when they should restart their MacBook Pro, the top-rated comment said that they only restart their Mac computers when they start to "act weird." Even the original poster said that they haven't restarted their MacBook Pro in three weeks and haven't noticed it acting strangely, but echoed the general advice that it's better to do it once in a while. Another commenter added that it is generally not needed unless there's a problem or a macOS upgrade or system update requires it. One Redditor did say that restarting their MacBook once every few days or so is a good idea to free up resources, especially RAM that some programs just refuse to let go of after they're done. Even then, the top reason they gave was performance loss.

When someone asked the Apple Community how often they restart their MacBooks, noting that they don't do it unless needed, the top-ranking reply said that restarting a MacBook is indeed useful, but "generally not necessary unless performance degrades." Another user chimed in that restarting is necessary if apps become buggy with slow or frequent crashes. Someone else pointed out that if that's the reason you're restarting your MacBook, there's something else going on since macOS is less buggy than Windows. Most of the instability on PCs comes from third-party drivers, which is something Apple has a tight lid on.