сontactsd Mac High CPU

What is contactsd on Mac?

Contactsd is a macOS daemon (a background process), which handles your Mac’s contact database information. It’s built into macOS and launches automatically when you start your computer. Third-party apps use contactsd to manage and synchronize contacts, messages, and emails.  

Why contactsd causes high CPU usage on Mac

Usually, contactsd uses very little CPU, but it can spike dramatically. Sometimes, high CPU can be a normal part of how contactsd functions, but it can also be a sign of something more serious. Common causes for the macOS contactsd high CPU issue include:

1. Corrupted contact entries.
2. Sync loops with iCloud, caused by out-of-date or conflicting data.
3. Third-party software bugs.
4. Problems with macOS updates.
5. Large imports of contact data.
6. Reindexing of data after an update.

Similar things can happen with other background processes like syspolicyd on Mac.  

A note from our experts:

 

As well as hogging your CPU, contactsd can have an impact on your Mac’s RAM too, slowing your computer down even more. With MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner, you can instantly shut down unneeded background processes and boost your Mac speed.

 

Here’s how it works:

1. Download and run MacKeeper.  
2. Select Memory Cleaner from the side menu, and click Open.  
3. Click Clean Memory.

How to fix contactsd high CPU on Mac  

We’ve looked at the potential causes, which range from temporary glitches to ongoing synchronization issues. But how do you fix your Mac’s contactsd high CPU problem? Read on and discover the common solutions.  

1. Restart your Mac

Many computer issues can be fixed simply by rebooting, and that applies to problems with contactsd too. A simple restart can stop background loops and sort out stuck processes. Simply restart your Mac in the usual way:

1. Click the Apple icon in your menu bar. Select Restart.
2. Make sure Reopen windows when logging back in isn’t selected. Click the Restart button.

Hopefully, your Mac’s contactsd high CPU issue will now be fixed. To see how much CPU is being used on Mac we suggest using Activity Monitor, which comes built into macOS. Look for contactsd in the CPU tab.

2. Check the issue in safe mode or another user profile

Booting your Mac in safe mode lets you load macOS without any third-party drivers. If your contactsd problem doesn’t occur in safe mode, then you know it’s caused either by something you installed or by malware.  

To load an Intel Mac in safe mode:

1. Turn off or restart your Mac.
2. As soon as it restarts, press and hold the Shift key.
3. When you see the login screen, let go of the Shift key.
4. Log into your Mac, and it’ll be in safe mode.

To start an Apple Silicon Mac in safe mode:

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Press and hold the Power button until you see Loading Startup Options.
3. Select your main system disk.
4. Hold down Shift, and select Continue in Safe Mode.

It may also help to log out of your Mac user account and log into a different account. If your contactsd problem disappears in the new account, then it narrows down the potential cause.

3. Reset contactsd preferences and clear cache files

You might be able to fix your contactsd high CPU issue by resetting its related preferences and caches. Contactsd isn’t designed for direct user interaction, so we’ll need to dig into our Library folders for this.  

Do as follows:

1. Quit the Contacts app if it’s running.
2. Press Cmd+Spacebar to start a Spotlight search. Search for and open ~/Library/Application Support.
3. Find the AddressBook folder and move its contents somewhere else, such as your desktop. This will force macOS to rebuild its contacts database using iCloud data, which can fix contactsd problems.

4. Force restart or kill contactsd process

When the contactsd daemon gets out of control, you can manually close it, which will at least temporarily solve the problem. The easiest way to do it is with Activity Monitor:

1. Open your macOS Activity Monitor app from Applications > Utilities.  
2. Look for contactsd and double-click it.
3. Click Quit.
4. Next, click Quit or Force Quit to shut down contactsd.

A few hints from us:

 

Activity Monitor is great for things like this. You can, for example, fix a "kernel_task" that uses a high CPU on your Mac in a similar way.  

 

It’s also possible to create a script that automatically shuts down contactsd when it starts using a lot of CPU power. We found one called kill_contactsd, which might do the trick, but you should, of course, be careful about running scripts downloaded from the web.

Get the speed your Mac needs

The contactsd bug can be caused by all kinds of things, all related to how you store and access contact information on your Mac. A simple restart can solve the issue, but if not, try launching your Mac in safe mode, so you know if the problem is caused by third-party software or not. If you’re having any other speed-related issues, check out our guide on how to make your Mac faster.

Whatever is causing your Mac to slow down, you can give it a quick speed bump at any time with MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner tool. In just a few seconds, it will clear out your Mac’s RAM, closing unnecessary background processes that slow you down. So go faster today with our app.