About fans and fan noise in your Apple product

Find out how your Apple product monitors internal temperatures and uses fans to cool critical components.

Some Apple products contain sensors that respond when they detect temperature changes inside your system or device, turning on fans to bring cooling airflow to critical components.

About fan noise

If your device's processor is working on intensive tasks — such as compressing HD video, playing a graphics-heavy game or indexing the hard drive with Spotlight after you've migrated data — the fans run faster to provide additional airflow. You may hear fan noise when this is happening, especially if you're in a quiet environment. This rushing-air sound is a normal part of the cooling process.

Ambient temperature, the temperature outside the device, also plays a role in the fans' responsiveness. If the ambient temperature is high, the fans turn on sooner and run faster. Find out more about the operating temperature of Apple laptop computers.

Make sure the vents on your Apple product aren't blocked

Some Apple products have vents that let fans bring in cool air and expel hot air. Make sure the vents aren't blocked to allow your device to perform at its best. 

Use your device on a hard flat surface, such as a table or desk, for optimal temperature control. If you're using your device on a soft surface, such as a sofa, pillow, bed or your lap, its fans may run more.

Check for unexpected heavy fan use

If the fans in your device are running fast even when it isn't experiencing heavy usage and is properly ventilated, follow the steps for your device:

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