5 ways to reduce Slack RAM usage
1 Restart Slack weekly
Slack's memory usage grows over time due to accumulated state. A weekly restart (Cmd+Q, then reopen) typically reclaims 500 MB to 1 GB.
2 Reduce workspaces
Each Slack workspace you're signed into adds memory overhead. Sign out of workspaces you rarely use and access them via browser when needed.
3 Disable media previews
Go to Preferences → Messages & Media → Inline Media & Links and uncheck 'Show images and files uploaded to Slack.'
4 Use the browser version
If you're on a RAM-constrained Mac, using Slack in a browser tab shares the browser's process model instead of running a separate Electron instance.
5 Collapse channels you're not reading
Slack keeps DOM nodes for channels visible in the sidebar. Collapsing sections reduces the in-memory DOM size.
How DevPulse helps with Slack
DevPulse groups all of Slack's Electron processes into a single entry showing total memory. It tracks memory over time so you can see the gradual creep and know when it's time to restart.
Instead of guessing how much RAM Slack consumes or manually checking Activity Monitor, DevPulse gives you a clear, always-visible answer in your menu bar.