macOS processes › Networking and wireless
What is symptomsd on Mac?
symptomsd monitors network conditions on your Mac, such as how well Wi-Fi and other connections are performing, and helps macOS react to problems. It also keeps per-app network usage statistics.
What it does
It watches for symptoms like stalled connections or poor link quality and shares them with other parts of macOS, which can then make choices like preferring a better network. It runs in the background all the time and is normally light.
Why it gets busy
- Lots of network connections opening and closing, for example from a busy browser or download app.
- A flaky network that keeps triggering problem reports.
Why is symptomsd using so much CPU?
symptomsd tracks network health and usage, so it gets busy when apps open lots of connections or the network keeps misbehaving.
Is it safe to quit?
macOS restarts it. You lose nothing important, but there's no benefit either.
How to calm it down
- Find the app making lots of connections in Activity Monitor's Network tab.
- Fix the underlying network problem, such as a weak Wi-Fi signal.
- Restart the Mac if it stays high once the network is stable.
In SystemWatch
The website edition of SystemWatch shows each app's network connections, which helps you find the app keeping symptomsd busy.
