What is runningboardd?

runningboardd is a process manager that came to macOS from iOS.

What is runningboardd?

runningboardd keeps track of running processes on your Mac. It watches which processes are active, their priority, and what resources they may use. It decides when background processes should be paused or closed to free up system resources.

What does it manage?

runningboardd handles:

• Tracking which apps are in the foreground versus the background
• Managing process priority and resource sharing
• Pausing background apps that are not doing useful work
• Closing apps when memory runs low (jetsam)
• Managing app states (starting, running, paused, closed)

Why did it come from iOS?

iOS has always managed app lifecycles tightly, pausing background apps and closing them when memory is short. As macOS and iOS share more code, runningboardd brought this approach to the Mac, especially for iOS apps running on Apple Silicon Macs.

Does it close my apps?

On macOS, runningboardd is less strict than on iOS. It mainly affects iPad apps running on Apple Silicon Macs and apps using the modern app lifecycle. Traditional Mac apps are mostly left alone, though it may close apps when memory gets very tight.

Should you worry?

No. It is a standard macOS process manager that helps the system use resources well.

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