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doka804
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

M5 MacBook Air runs out of application memory due to parsec-fbf

Hi everyone,

I’m using an M5 MacBook Air with 16 GB of memory, running macOS 27.2. I occasionally get the warning “Your system has run out of application memory.” I usually notice it in the morning after leaving my Mac on overnight.

When this happens, Activity Monitor shows up to 108 GB of memory usage for the parsec-fbf background process, with total swap usage reaching 35 GB. After I quit the process, my Mac works normally again, but the problem eventually returns.

Has anyone else seen this with parsec-fbf? What could cause its memory usage to grow this much, and how can I fix it?

Posted on Nov 8, 2026 11:50 PM

2 replies

Owl-53
User level: Level 10 (123,805 points)

Nov 9, 2026 4:34 AM in response to doka804

M5 MacBook Air – Excessive memory usage by parsec-fbf


This is certainly not normal behaviour for an M5 MacBook Air with 16 GB of unified memory. Leaving your Mac running overnight should not result in application-memory warnings or excessive swap usage.


Activity Monitor reportedly shows parsec-fbf consuming up to 108 GB of memory, with swap usage reaching 35 GB. Since quitting the process temporarily restores normal operation, I would investigate whether it is experiencing abnormal memory growth or a possible software-related memory leak.


Identify the process


Apple's parsec-fbf is associated with the macOS CoreParsec framework and search-related feedback services. It is not the same as the third-party Parsec remote-desktop application.


If this is Apple's genuine system process, uninstalling the Parsec remote-desktop application is unlikely to help. Avoid deleting or modifying Apple system files.


2. Monitor memory usage


Open Activity Monitor >> Memory and locate parsec-fbf.


Pay attention to:


  • Its reported memory usage.


  • Overall Memory Pressure.


  • Total Swap Used.


Take screenshots immediately after restarting, after several hours, and the following morning. This will help establish whether memory consumption increases progressively overnight.


Apple reference: View memory usage in Activity Monitor.


3. Recommended troubleshooting steps


I would make one change at a time and monitor the results overnight.


A. Update macOS


Go to System Settings >> General >> Software Update. Install the latest compatible update and restart your Mac.


Apple: Update macOS.


B. Temporarily disable search-related feedback


As a diagnostic test, review:


  • System Settings >> Spotlight >> Help Apple Improve Search.


  • System Settings >> Privacy & Security >> Analytics & Improvements >> Improve Siri & Dictation.


Temporarily disable these options if available, restart and monitor memory usage overnight.


This is an experiment, not a confirmed fix.


C. Check available storage


Go to System Settings >> General >> Storage and ensure sufficient free SSD space remains, particularly given the reported swap usage.


D. Test without unnecessary background applications


For one night, close unnecessary applications, especially browsers with numerous tabs, VPNs, cloud-sync utilities and third-party system monitoring software.


If the problem disappears, gradually reintroduce them to identify a possible connection.


E. Try Safe Mode


If the problem persists, start your Mac in Safe Mode. This can help determine whether third-party startup software contributes to the issue.


Apple: Start your Mac in Safe Mode.


4. Capture diagnostic information


If the problem returns, avoid immediately quitting parsec-fbf.


Instead:


  1. Open Activity Monitor >> Memory.
  2. Screenshot the process and its memory usage.
  3. Record Swap Used and Memory Pressure.
  4. Double-click the process and select Sample Process, if available.
  5. Save the diagnostic report.


This information will be useful if Apple needs to investigate. Once collected, you can quit the process if the Mac experiences severe memory pressure.


5. What to avoid


I would not recommend:


  • Deleting Apple's CoreParsec framework.


  • Disabling System Integrity Protection.


  • Removing random macOS cache folders.


  • Permanently disabling Apple background services.


  • Installing third-party memory-cleaning applications.


Quitting parsec-fbf is only a temporary workaround, not a solution to the underlying problem.


6. Contact Apple if the problem continues


If the issue persists after updating macOS and performing these tests, contact Apple Support or submit a bug report.


Provide:


  • M5 MacBook Air, 13-inch, 16 GB unified memory.
  • macOS 27.2.
  • parsec-fbf reaching approximately 108 GB.
  • Swap usage reaching approximately 35 GB.
  • The overnight occurrence pattern.
  • Activity Monitor screenshots and any Sample Process report.


Apple resources:




My assessment


I suspect this may be a macOS CoreParsec memory management issue rather than a limitation of your Mac's 16 GB of memory.


An M5 MacBook Air should comfortably remain idle overnight without repeatedly exhausting application memory. Buying a Mac with more RAM would potentially delay the symptoms rather than fix an underlying software defect.


I would start with a macOS update, monitor parsec-fbf in Activity Monitor, and conduct a controlled overnight test with search-related feedback settings temporarily disabled.


One important qualification: Apple has not publicly confirmed a memory leak in parsec-fbf. 


The objective is to establish whether this is an operating-system defect or another software interaction.

neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9 (72,871 points)

Nov 9, 2026 5:38 AM in response to doka804

Other Mac users have reported similar high-memory behavior tied to parsec-fbf, which is a built-in macOS background daemon responsible for handling analytics, flushing data, and supporting Siri Search, Spotlight, Lookup, and Safari searches.


What Causes the Memory Usage to Grow?

  • Corrupted or Bloated Cache Files: parsec-fbf and its companion process (parsecd) continuously read and write analytics/search cache files into ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.parsecd. If a corrupt file, an interrupted network flush, or a runaway index loop occurs while the Mac is left awake overnight, the process can get stuck in a recursive loop, continuously allocating memory without releasing it.
  • Overnight Indexing / Analytics Flush: When left idle or plugged in overnight, macOS triggers background maintenance, analytics reporting, and Spotlight/CoreParsec syncs. A glitch in how parsec-fbf handles local database queues can cause a memory leak that balloons into tens of gigabytes.


More info from Apple: About Spotlight indexing and search results on Apple devices - Apple Support


How to Fix It


Flush the CoreParsec Cache

Clearing out the corrupted or bloated cache directory forces parsec-fbf to rebuild its working files cleanly:

  • Open the Terminal app (find in Spotlight or Application > Utilities)
  • Run the following command to remove the cache folder:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.parsecd
  • Restart your Mac.


Clear Spotlight and Siri/Search Suggestions Cache

If the underlying search index is feeding bad data into parsec-fbf:

  • Go to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight (or Spotlight depending on your exact macOS layout) and temporarily toggle off Siri suggestions or re-index your Spotlight drive if needed.
  • Rebuild your Spotlight index by going to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight > Spotlight Privacy, dragging your Macintosh HD volume into the exclusion list, removing it immediately afterward, and letting it re-index.

More info from Apple: Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support


Clear System Caches Manually

  • Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and type:
~/Library/Caches
  • Look for any residual folders related to parsecd or CoreParsec and delete them


Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256391169