How do I fix high mds_stores usage?

1. Let indexing finish with the Mac plugged in; check progress by searching in Spotlight 2. Exclude busy folders you never search in System Settings > Spotlight > Search Privacy 3. If it never settles, rebuild the index by adding your disk to Search Privacy and then removing it 4. Restart your Mac

What is mds_stores on Mac?

Q: Is it safe to quit mds_stores?

Quit with care. macOS relaunches it; indexing resumes where it left off.

By Junaid, maker of Taskglass · Last reviewed November 5, 2026

Maintains Spotlight's search index on disk, updating it as files change.

mds_stores manages the Spotlight index database itself, writing new and changed information that mdworker processes extract from your files. It's often the process people notice using lots of CPU or disk while Spotlight indexes, and it calms down once the index is up to date.

Category: Apple service
Made by: Apple
Safe to quit:: With care

Shown in Activity Monitor as mds_stores

Why is mds_stores using so much CPU or memory?

Spotlight indexing after a macOS update, migration or new drive
Many files being added or changed (downloads, syncing, builds)
A large or damaged index being rebuilt

What to do

1Let indexing finish with the Mac plugged in; check progress by searching in Spotlight
2Exclude busy folders you never search in System Settings > Spotlight > Search Privacy
3If it never settles, rebuild the index by adding your disk to Search Privacy and then removing it
4Restart your Mac

Safe to quit? With care.

macOS relaunches it; indexing resumes where it left off.

Typical usage

Rough ranges on Apple Silicon Macs. Yours will vary.

CPU: Near 0% when idle; high while indexing
Memory: 50–500 MB

Related guides

Related processes

Part of the Taskglass Process Library