What is syspolicyd?
syspolicyd enforces macOS's security rules for software, including Gatekeeper. When you open an app or run a program for the first time, it checks the code's signature and whether Apple has notarized it, and remembers the result so later launches are fast.
Those checks are quick for a single app. They add up when lots of new, unchecked code runs at once.
Why is syspolicyd using so much CPU?
- Opening many newly downloaded apps or installing a large app with lots of components.
- Developer builds and command-line tools that produce many new binaries, each of which may be checked when it runs.
- Right after a macOS update, while security data is refreshed.
How to fix high syspolicyd CPU usage
- Confirm it in Activity Monitor. Press ⌘ Space, type Activity Monitor, open the CPU tab and sort by % CPU. Watch
syspolicydfor a minute: short spikes are normal, only steady high usage needs fixing. - Let it finish. Activity usually stops a few minutes after the burst of new apps or builds ends.
- Restart if it stays busy with nothing new being opened.
- Keep macOS updated, since Apple fixes performance issues in these services in updates.
More help: How to check CPU usage on a Mac