# Bondi's Mac guide

> What the processes in Activity Monitor are, in plain words: what each does, why it gets busy, and whether you can quit it. With real readings of a real Mac.

Web page: https://trybondi.app/guide/

- [What is apsd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/apsd/) - apsd is Apple's push notification service on your Mac. What it does, why it's rarely busy, and what to do when apsd asks for your keychain password.
- [What is backupd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/backupd/) - backupd runs Time Machine backups on your Mac. Why it uses CPU during a backup, what backupd-helper is, and how to stop a backup safely.
- [What is cloudd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/cloudd/) - cloudd syncs your data with iCloud for Apple's apps and iCloud Drive. Why cloudd uses high CPU on a Mac, and what to do when a sync seems stuck.
- [What is CommCenter on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/commcenter/) - CommCenter handles phone calls and text messages that work with your iPhone on a Mac. Why it asks for your keychain, and whether CommCenter is a virus.
- [What is coreaudiod on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/coreaudiod/) - coreaudiod handles all sound on your Mac. Why it uses CPU, how to restart coreaudiod when the sound stops or crackles, and why you shouldn't quit it.
- [What is fileproviderd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/fileproviderd/) - fileproviderd connects iCloud Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and other cloud storage to Finder. Why it uses high CPU or memory, especially while OneDrive syncs.
- [What is fseventsd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/fseventsd/) - fseventsd keeps a record of file changes for Time Machine, Spotlight and other apps. Why fseventsd uses CPU or memory during builds, downloads and unpacking.
- [What is launchd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/launchd/) - launchd is the first process macOS starts, and it starts every other service. Why launchd is rarely busy, and what high CPU from it usually means.
- [What is loginwindow on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/loginwindow/) - loginwindow is your Mac's login session. Why loginwindow can use hundreds of MB of memory, what loginwindow Secure Input means, and why not to quit it.
- [What is mDNSResponder on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/mdnsresponder/) - mDNSResponder finds devices on your network and looks up web addresses for every app. Why it uses network or CPU, how to restart it, and why not to disable it.
- [What is mds_stores on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/mds-stores/) - mds_stores is Spotlight's indexer. Why it uses high CPU, memory or disk on your Mac, how long indexing takes, and how to keep folders out of it.
- [What is mdworker (mdworker_shared) on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/mdworker/) - mdworker and mdworker_shared are Spotlight's helpers that read your files. Why there are many copies, why they use high CPU, and when they settle.
- [What is mediaanalysisd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/mediaanalysisd/) - mediaanalysisd analyzes photos and videos on your Mac for search, Live Text and Visual Look Up. Why it uses CPU, memory and storage, and what to leave alone.
- [What is photoanalysisd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/photoanalysisd/) - photoanalysisd analyzes your Photos library for people, places and Memories. Why it uses CPU after imports, and whether you can disable or stop it.
- [What is rapportd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/rapportd/) - rapportd lets nearby Apple devices talk for Handoff and Continuity. Why it asks to accept connections, and whether to allow it.
- [What is spindump on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/spindump/) - spindump records what an app was doing when it stopped responding. Why it uses CPU right after a hang, and where its reports go.
- [What is syspolicyd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/syspolicyd/) - syspolicyd is Gatekeeper: it checks apps the first time you open them. Why syspolicyd uses CPU on your Mac, and why it's busy for developers.
- [What is SystemUIServer on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/systemuiserver/) - SystemUIServer runs some of the menu bar's icons on your Mac. Why it's rarely busy, and how to restart it when menu bar icons stop responding.
- [What is trustd on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/trustd/) - trustd checks the security certificates of the websites and servers your apps connect to. Why trustd uses CPU on a Mac, and why several copies are normal.
- [What is WindowServer on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/windowserver/) - WindowServer draws everything on your Mac's screens. Why it uses CPU and memory, why it can keep a Mac awake, and whether you can quit it.
- [What is XProtect (XprotectService) on Mac?](https://trybondi.app/guide/xprotectservice/) - XProtect is Apple's built-in malware protection on every Mac. What XprotectService does, why it uses CPU, and why you should leave it running.

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