What is distnoted on a Mac, and why does it sometimes use high CPU?
distnoted passes messages between apps and system processes. Three copies ran on our Mac at 1 MB each. Why one can spike, and how to find the app flooding it.
What is distnoted?
distnoted is the distributed notification server: a message board where apps and system processes post and hear events, such as a setting changed, a volume mounted, the theme switched. It lives at /usr/sbin/distnoted. One copy runs per user or system context.
| Copy on our Mac | Runs as | Memory |
|---|---|---|
| System | _distnote | 1 MB |
| Root | root | 1 MB |
| Window server | _windowserver | 1 MB |
Why is distnoted using high CPU?
Because something is posting or listening to a flood of messages. distnoted only relays; the app producing the flood is the cause. Common sources are apps that watch for every setting change, sync tools, and menu bar utilities.
How do I find the cause?
Quit menu bar apps and background tools one at a time, watching distnoted's CPU. The one that brings it down is the source. Logging out and back in resets it if you cannot find it.
See it live
Free Mac's System tab ranks every process by processor use and energy impact, once a second, and marks the ones macOS will not let you quit as protected. See also logd.
Common questions
What is distnoted on a Mac?
The distributed notification server, which passes event messages between apps and system processes.
Why are there several distnoted processes?
One runs per user or system context. Three on our Mac was normal.
How do I fix distnoted high CPU?
Find the app flooding it by quitting background apps one at a time, or log out and back in.