Glossary
App memory
The memory used by apps and their processes, as opposed to the system or file caches.
What it is
App memory, or application memory, is the memory your apps and the background processes that serve them are using. Activity Monitor splits “Memory Used” into app memory, wired memory and compressed memory, and app memory is the part you can change: quitting an app or closing browser tabs lowers it.
A large app memory figure isn't a problem by itself. macOS uses memory freely and makes room when it needs to. Check memory pressure to see whether it's struggling.
Why it matters
When memory pressure is high, app memory is usually where the growth is. Knowing which app grew, and by how much, tells you what to close.
In Activity Monitor
“App Memory” under the Memory Pressure graph in the Memory tab.
In iKnowMyMac
The Memory tab breaks memory into app, wired, compressed, cached and free, and lists apps (not processes) sorted by memory, each with its process rows.
FAQ
Questions
Something else? support@iknowmymac.com
What is application memory on a Mac?
The memory used by the apps you run and their helper processes. Activity Monitor shows it as App Memory in the Memory tab, next to Wired Memory and Compressed.
Why is my app memory so high?
Browsers with many tabs, virtual machines, iOS simulators and apps that grow over hours are the usual reasons. Sort the Memory tab by the Memory column, and remember that one app can run many processes. If memory pressure stays green, high app memory isn't slowing anything down.
Is app memory the same as wired memory?
No. App memory belongs to your apps and macOS can compress it or move it to swap. Wired memory belongs to macOS and has to stay in RAM.
Know why your Mac is slow.
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