Learn about Mac Health

Maintaining the health of your Mac is essential for ensuring optimal performance, longevity, and security. Mac Health in CleanMyMac Business is a comprehensive monitoring tool that evaluates the overall state of a device through a single, easy-to-understand metric.

This article provides an overview of how Mac Health works, the key factors it tracks, and how it determines whether corrective actions are needed to keep Mac computers enrolled in your Organization running smoothly.

Mac Health acts as a centralized system that communicates the current state of a Mac using the health index. This index simplifies complex device metrics into a single percentage, indicating whether a Mac is functioning optimally or requires attention. By monitoring various aspects of a device, Mac Health helps you address issues proactively before they escalate.

CleanMyMac Business lets Admins check the overall health of all devices in their Organization, monitor health trends over time, and review the current health score and its history for individual devices. Users can also check the current health of their Mac computers in the desktop app.

The health index is the core metric of Mac Health, representing the overall well-being of the device. Ranging from 0% to 100%, a score of 100% signifies perfect health, while 0% indicates critical issues. Mac Health uses a mathematical function to aggregate multiple health factors, each contributing to the final score based on its significance and current state.

Mac Health assesses several critical aspects of a Mac to determine its overall health. These include battery health, storage health, CPU health, malware status, and security status.

Battery health

Battery health is vital for a Mac computer's longevity and performance. Mac Health evaluates battery health based on:

• Battery cycles—the number of charge cycles compared to the designed capacity.

• Battery capacity—current capacity relative to the original design.

• Battery status—overall condition (Good, Fair, Poor, or requiring a check).

Impact on the health index:

• Devices without a battery receive a neutral score.

• Healthy batteries contribute positively, while degraded batteries lower the index.

Storage health

Storage health ensures a Mac computer's storage is functioning efficiently. This factor considers:

• S.M.A.R.T. status—technology that provides insights into storage drive health.

• Disk space—available free space, with attention to critical thresholds (for example, less than 25 GB).

Impact on the health index:

• Good S.M.A.R.T. status and sufficient disk space maintain or improve the index.

• Failing drives or low free space reduce the index.

CPU health

CPU health monitors a Mac computer's processor performance and efficiency. Key parameters include:

• System uptime—time since the last reboot.

• Hung applications—number and impact of non-responsive apps.

• CPU throttling—how much the CPU slows down to manage heat and power.

Impact on the health index:

• Shorter uptimes and fewer hung apps improve the index.

• High CPU throttling or frequent hangs reduce the index.

Malware status

Malware health assesses the device for malicious software. Factors include:

• Malware detection—identification of malware types (for example, viruses, backdoors, ransomware) and their severity.

• Malware count and type—number and classification of detected threats, weighted by impact.

Impact on the health index:

• A malware-free system maintains or improves the index.

• Detected malware reduces the index proportionally to severity and quantity.

Security status

CleanMyMac Business evaluates a Mac computer's security settings, including:

• System Integrity Protection (SIP)—ensures critical system files are protected from unauthorized modifications.

• FileVault status—indicates whether disk encryption is enabled.

• Guest account availability—verifies whether a guest account is enabled that can pose security risks.

• Screen lock password—checks that user accounts have strong passwords.

• Application security—confirms only signed and notarized apps are installed.

• Automatic login—checks whether automatic login is enabled.

Impact on the health index:

• Strong security configurations improve the index.

• Weak or disabled settings reduce the index.

Mac Health continuously gathers telemetry data from the past 72 hours to keep the health index accurate and relevant. It monitors triggers and reports from battery, storage, CPU, malware scans, and security settings.

Based on the health index, Mac Health provides actionable recommendations:

• High health index (80–100%): The Mac is in excellent condition. Regular maintenance is recommended to sustain performance.

• Moderate health index (50–79%): Some areas need attention. Consider improving battery, storage, or security settings.

• Low health index (below 50%): Critical issues are present. Immediate action is required to resolve problems affecting performance or security.

Mac Health is an essential tool for maintaining Mac performance and security. By consolidating various health indicators into a single metric, it empowers you to proactively manage the well-being of Mac computers in your Organization. Regular monitoring and timely interventions can significantly extend device lifespan and ensure a secure, efficient computing experience.