The WindowServer process seems to consume more and more RAM with each macOS version. I’m currently running macOS Sequoia and the WindowServer process needs 5GB of RAM to run when there’s only a single Safari window with 5 tabs and not many apps open.
If I reboot, it starts at 250MB and then skyrockets once I use other apps. It appears to use 1GB per open app and continues to grow with every app I open.
I tried to close these apps but it didn’t help. A fresh reinstall and reinstalling of all third-party apps also couldn’t lower its memory usage.
How to stop the high macOS Sequoia memory usage of this WindowServer process?
WindowServer is a macOS system process responsible for managing the graphical user interface (GUI). It deals with windows displays, screen updates, and the interactions between users and apps.
If WindowServer consumes a lot of RAM on macOS Sequoia, it’s likely due to one of the following reasons:
Having many applications open simultaneously
High-resolution external displays
Running graphics-intensive apps like video editing software, design tools, or games.
Animations and effects on macOS Sequoia
Memory leaks caused by macOS Sequoia bugs
Background processing using too much memory
To fix WindowServer’s high memory consumption on macOS Sequoia, you can:
① Close unnecessary apps and background processes
Open Activity Monitor to check all the running apps and processes on your Mac. If you find one that you don’t need at the moment, quit it to release the RAM it holds.
I think it may be caused by incompatible third-party software or add-ons. It’s possible that one of your apps is not updated for macOS Sequoia yet and when you open it, it causes trouble for WindowServer.
One simple way to see if the culprit is third-party apps is to boot into macOS Safe Mode. If WindowServer eats regular RAM in Safe Mode, it’s most likely that third-party software is rendering the RAM usage growth.
To figure out which app is the troublemaker, you can run a free EtreCheck test on your Mac, and then uninstall the problematic app.
Here are the types of apps that are known for causing issues: