While the Mac® spinning wheel is colorful and sleek, it's an unwelcome sight for Apple® users that work from home. Also known as a rainbow wheel or beach ball, this icon pops up when an app or the operating system itself isn't responding quickly or at all. However, it doesn't automatically mean that you need a computer repair. When it pops up, here are a few things you can do to troubleshoot it.

What to Do About the Mac Spinning Wheel

1. Wait

More often than not, waiting is the best course of action. If you have many apps open or multiple windows of a program, they can cause the computer to slow down, leading to the wheel popping up. 

There's also a chance it's a single program taking a long time. This issue is common with heavy media-related apps, like video or sound editing software. These require a significant amount of memory to run, and you can't rush it. Note that the wheel doesn't indicate the time it takes to render or export a file. That waiting time is depicted with a progress bar instead.

2. Force Quit

If you've been waiting for the wheel to go away for longer than a few minutes, you can force the program to quit. Press and hold the keys "command," "option," and "ESC" at the same time to pull up the interface. You can also open the window by clicking the apple on the top left of the screen and selecting "Force Quit." Once it appears, you can choose among the programs currently open.

This method is most useful when you know which app causes the problem. Still, even if you don't, closing everything that you no longer need will help the computer by freeing up memory. However, if you often need to perform this action, you may need computer repairs, as there could be an issue with the hard drive or a virus.

3. Clean Up

When the wheel isn't immediately in front of you, you can prevent the likelihood of its appearance by deleting extraneous files and programs. Freeing up memory can speed things up, but sometimes it's the hard drive that needs more space. Often, what many people assume are computer repair issues are simply overloaded storage devices.

If you've tried these tips and you're still having issues with your Apple computer, contact Experimax of Huntington Beach in Fountain Valley, CA, for computer repairs. Their technicians are known for their expert knowledge and fast work. You can easily book an appointment on their website or by calling (714) 716-5005. They can also work on non-Apple devices like PCs, gaming consoles, and smartwatches.

Visit our store at 18597 Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley, CA, or call (714) 716-5005 for more information.

We're in the Callens Corner Shopping Center (Brookhurst & Ellis) to the left of Albertson’s®.

Open M-F 10-7 Sat 10-6

Experimax of Huntington Beach is home to your local Mac® experts.