
In Activity Monitor, go to the CPU tab and click the % CPU column to sort every process in descending order, based on the percentage of available processing power it’s using.
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Find out exactly what processes are causing your Mac to work overtime by launching the Activity Monitor app from your Utilities folder (or search for it using Spotlight with Cmd + Space). If your physical environment seems fine, there’s a good chance your MacBook Air is getting hot because it’s trying to do too many tasks at once. This will hopefully allow your Mac to regulate its temperature better and stop it overheating in the future. Remove any cases or hardcovers from your MacBook Air and make sure nothing is covering the keyboard. This is precisely why they feel so hot when your Mac is overheating, because they’re acting as another way to release that heat.įor this reason, having a case or keyboard on your MacBook can cause it to overheat more often and stop it cooling down when it does so. Remove Any Cases and Keyboard CoversĪlthough your MacBook does have a vent for cooling itself down when it gets too hot, it also releases heat through the enclosure and the keyboard. Apple says the ideal ambient temperature for your MacBook Air is 50☏ to 95☏ (or 10☌ to 35☌). You should also avoid using your Mac in direct sunlight for the same reason. Both of these can reduce your MacBook Air’s ability to cool itself down. Soft furnishings, like a pillow or a couch, store more heat and introduce dust. Aim to use your MacBook Air on a hard and flat surface, such as a desk, to offer the best ventilation without blocking the fan. Change Your Environmentĭespite the name, the best place to use a laptop is not on your lap.
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Still, if your fans are whirring loudly and it’s heating up to a worrying temperature, here’s how to cool down your MacBook Air. Apple simply didn’t design these slimline laptops for processor-intensive tasks, which is why the MacBook Air gets hot so easily. The board generates heat as it works, and that heat only has one route of escape. Intensive processing tasks like rendering video effects, playing games, or opening too many browser tabs take their toll on your Mac’s logic board and processor. Worse than that, the M1 and M2 MacBook Air models don’t even have fans, making them potentially more prone to overheating if you manage to push the Apple silicon chips hard enough. It’s likely that this problem is down to the compact design with only a single vent-located at the hinge of the screen-to aid heat dispersal. The MacBook Air from 2020 appears to be particularly prone to overheating problems. These are issues that every computer contends with, but MacBook Air models seem to experience more overheating issues than most.

All sorts of problems might make your MacBook Air overheat, ranging from a buildup of dust in the vents to a load of browser tabs open at once.
