macOS processes › Core system
What is kernelmanagerd on Mac?
kernelmanagerd loads and manages kernel extensions, the low-level drivers that some hardware and older security or virtualization software install. In recent macOS versions it took over this job from the older kextd.
What it does
At startup, and whenever a kernel extension is needed, kernelmanagerd checks that it's approved and properly signed and arranges for it to load. On Apple silicon Macs, third-party kernel extensions also require a lower startup security setting, which is why most current software uses system extensions instead.
Why it gets busy
- Startup or the first boot after a macOS update, while extensions are checked and loaded.
- Installing or updating software that includes a kernel extension, which can mean rebuilding the set of extensions to load.
Is it safe to quit?
It's part of how macOS loads drivers. It's normally idle, and quitting it won't help.
How to calm it down
- Let it finish after an update or install. It's usually done within minutes.
- If software keeps asking you to approve a kernel extension in System Settings › Privacy & Security, update it to a version that uses system extensions.
- Uninstall old drivers you don't use with the vendor's uninstaller.
In SystemWatch
SystemWatch explains kernelmanagerd in plain words, so its brief activity after updates doesn't look alarming, and History confirms it went quiet afterward.
