Mac Application Memory Errors — 'Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory'

Fix the macOS 'Your system has run out of application memory' error caused by memory leaks, too many apps, excessive browser tabs, or insufficient swap space. This guide covers everything you need to know about this topic, including common causes, step-by-step solutions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Here are the key things to understand: This alert appears when macOS cannot allocate more memory and swap is exhausted. Memory pressure can be viewed in Activity Monitor > Memory tab (green/yellow/red graph). macOS uses compressed memory and swap to extend available RAM. Heavy apps like Chrome, Photoshop, and virtual machines consume the most memory. Each Chrome tab uses 50-300MB of RAM depending on page content. Understanding these fundamentals will help you diagnose and resolve this issue more effectively.

The most common reasons this occurs include: Too many applications open simultaneously exceeding available RAM. Memory leak in an application consuming increasing amounts of RAM over time. Hundreds of browser tabs open consuming gigabytes of memory. Insufficient swap space (startup disk nearly full). Virtual machine allocated too much RAM leaving little for macOS. Identifying the root cause is the first step toward finding the right solution.

To resolve this, follow these recommended steps: Open Activity Monitor > Memory tab > sort by Memory to find the biggest consumers. Force quit memory-hogging apps: select in Activity Monitor > click X > Force Quit. Close unnecessary browser tabs (use OneTab or similar tab manager extension). Ensure at least 10-20GB free on your startup disk for swap space. Restart your Mac to clear all memory leaks and reset swap. If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider consulting additional resources or a qualified professional.

This article is part of our Mac Error Codes collection on Error Codes Wiki. We provide comprehensive, up-to-date information to help you find solutions quickly.