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If Apple Support asks for Mac diagnostics, use Activity Monitor > System Diagnostics to create a broad report from your Mac’s logs. If the advisor names a particular message, activity, or existing report, open Console, select it, and click the toolbar’s Share button. A generated report can also be expanded from its .gz file so you can inspect the enclosed .logarchive in Console.
Choose the workflow that matches Apple Support’s request
“Diagnostic logs” can mean several different things on macOS. The correct collection method depends on whether Apple Support wants a new, general snapshot of the system or a specific event already recorded on the Mac. Do not substitute Apple Diagnostics for a log collection request: Apple Diagnostics is a hardware test, while Activity Monitor and Console collect or display software and system records.
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| What you have or what the advisor requested | Use this tool | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| A broad report covering the Mac’s current logs | Activity Monitor → System Diagnostics | Builds a system diagnostics report from different logs on the Mac. You can save it and send it to Apple Support. |
| A named log message, activity, or report already visible on the Mac | Console | Lets you select the requested item and share it with an available sharing method. |
| You need to inspect entries inside a generated report | Finder and Console | Expands the .gz report, then opens its .logarchive in Console for searching and filtering. |
| You were told to test for a possible hardware fault | Apple Diagnostics | Runs a separate hardware test. Its startup process depends on whether the Mac uses Apple silicon or an Intel processor. |
Ask the support advisor exactly which item, date range, and destination they need before collecting anything. An advisor may want one report attached to a case, a particular crash record, or a log archive opened for a time-specific investigation. Sending a different file can delay troubleshooting.
Before you collect or send anything
Confirm the requested material
Apple’s tools expose several report types with different purposes. Confirm whether the case calls for a system diagnostics report, a crash report, a spin report, a log message, an activity, or a complete archive. If the advisor supplied an upload link, case attachment method, or other destination, use that procedure rather than choosing a random sharing service.
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Use an authorized administrator account when required
Console can require administrator credentials to view or share log messages. Enter an administrator name and password only when you are authorized to do so. A standard user may be able to see reports created by apps used by that account but may not be able to access all system records.
Plan for technical and personal information
Apple describes Mac analytics information as potentially including hardware and software specifications, connected-device information, and details about crashes, freezes, kernel panics, events, or software usage. That description is privacy context for analytics; it does not establish that every file requested by Apple Support contains all of those fields. Treat any diagnostic file as technical information that could reveal details about your Mac, installed software, devices, or activity.
- Do not put passwords, recovery keys, payment information, or other personal data into a diagnostic comment or filename.
- Review the recipient and destination before clicking Send or sharing a file.
- Follow the advisor’s instructions if Apple asks you to redact or omit a particular item; do not alter a file on your own if preserving its original contents matters to the case.
- To review analytics controls, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements. Console can also display analytics information.
Create a new system diagnostics report in Activity Monitor
Use this route when Apple Support wants a broad report based on logs currently on the Mac. Apple’s Activity Monitor guide describes the result as a system diagnostics report that can be saved and sent to Apple Support.
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- Open Activity Monitor’s diagnostics options menu. Apple documentation calls it the System diagnostics options pop-up menu; some macOS interface versions present the control as a More button.
- Choose System Diagnostics. Activity Monitor gathers information from different logs on the Mac and creates a report.
- Wait for the report operation to finish, then use the save or sharing choice appropriate to your support case. Apple explicitly documents that you can save the system diagnostics report and send it to Apple Support.
Do not choose a similarly named option by mistake
The diagnostics menu contains other commands that answer different questions:
- Sample Process samples a selected process for three seconds. It is useful when an advisor is investigating one process, but it is not the general system diagnostics report.
- Spindump creates a report for unresponsive applications that were terminated with Force Quit.
- Spotlight Diagnostics creates a report based on processes running on the Mac and is focused on Spotlight-related activity.
If the advisor asked for “System Diagnostics,” select that exact command rather than substituting Sample Process, Spindump, or Spotlight Diagnostics.
What the instructions do not guarantee
The documented procedure does not promise a fixed output folder, filename, file size, or completion time. Those details can vary with the macOS release, the logs present on the computer, and the state of the system. Keep the original file and its extension intact unless Apple Support gives you a specific conversion or compression instruction.
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Share a log, activity, or report from Console
Console is the right tool when the support advisor identifies an existing record instead of asking for a newly generated bundle. It can display log messages, activities, and reports, then share the selected item through the macOS sharing controls.
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- Locate the log message, activity, or report requested by Apple Support. Use the sidebar and the search or time controls to narrow the list if necessary.
- Select the item. Console supports selecting one or more items where the interface permits it.
- Click the toolbar’s Share button.
- Choose the sharing method or destination that matches the support advisor’s instructions. Confirm the recipient before sending.
If Console asks for administrator credentials
Apple documents that non-administrator users may need administrator credentials to view and share log messages. If a credential prompt appears, provide an administrator name and password only if you are authorized. If you cannot authenticate, tell the advisor that the account lacks the required access instead of guessing at another account or changing permissions without guidance.
User reports and system reports
Console’s Reports area distinguishes reports generated by apps used by the current account from reports concerning operating-system components that affect all users. Signed-in administrators can view all reports. Non-administrators can view only user reports. This difference explains why two accounts on the same Mac may see different report lists.
Understand the report types and file extensions
Console reports are not interchangeable. The extension helps identify what you are looking at, but the support advisor’s request remains the deciding factor.
| Report category | Typical extension | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Crash report | .ips |
Records an application or system crash. |
| Spin report | .spin |
Records information about an application that is spinning or unresponsive. |
| Log report | .log, ._log, or .its |
Contains logged events or activity in one of Console’s log-report formats. |
| Diagnostic report | .diag or .dpsub |
Contains diagnostic information generated for a specific diagnostic purpose. |
For example, sending a crash report when the case concerns a network service’s diagnostic report may omit the evidence the advisor needs. If you are unsure, quote the filename and extension to the advisor and ask which item to attach.
Open and inspect the archive created by Activity Monitor
A system diagnostics report can be opened as a log archive. This is useful when Apple Support asks you to find entries from a particular time or subsystem rather than sending the entire generated file immediately.
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- In Finder, locate the generated report with the
.gzextension. - Double-click the
.gzfile. Finder expands it into a directory. - Open the resulting directory and double-click the
.logarchivefile. macOS opens the archive in Console. - In Console, browse the archive, sort or filter by a time range, and search for the process, subsystem, or message named by the advisor.
- When you identify the requested material, use Console’s sharing controls for the relevant log, activity, or report, or return to the original archive if Apple wants the complete file.
Keep the archive intact while investigating
Opening an archive does not mean you should edit its contents. Preserve the original .gz file so Apple can receive the unmodified report if requested. If you create a smaller excerpt for discussion, label it as an excerpt and retain the original separately.
Match the evidence to the symptom
The symptom you report helps determine which workflow is efficient, but it does not change the advisor’s instructions. A Mac that froze may produce a crash or spin report; a request for a broad view of system behavior points to Activity Monitor’s System Diagnostics; and a question about one timestamp or process is easier to investigate by opening the log archive in Console. These are different evidence sets, so collecting all of them by default can create confusion rather than improve the case.
When you contact support, note what happened immediately before the issue, the approximate time, the affected app or service, and whether the problem was a crash, freeze, forced quit, or hardware symptom. Keep those notes separate from the diagnostic file. They give the advisor context without modifying the records themselves. If the issue is intermittent, tell the advisor whether the report was created immediately after the event or later; the timing can determine which entries are useful.
What to include with the handoff
Send the case number, the Mac model or account context requested by Apple, and the exact report name or extension. Explain whether you are sending a complete .gz archive, a .logarchive, or an individual item shared from Console. If you filtered an archive to locate a message, describe the time range and search term used, but do not claim that the filtered result replaces the complete archive unless the advisor confirms it.
Retain the original until Apple confirms receipt and says it is no longer needed. Avoid renaming an extension, opening a report in an editor, or recompressing it with another utility unless the support instructions specifically require that action. A changed filename can make it harder for the advisor to identify the report type, and an altered file may no longer represent the original event.
Do not confuse logs with Apple Diagnostics
Apple Diagnostics tests the Mac for possible hardware issues. It is separate from collecting a system diagnostics report in Activity Monitor and from sharing records in Console. A hardware test can be appropriate when the advisor suspects memory, storage, sensor, or another component problem, but it does not replace a requested software log.
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The startup procedure differs between Apple-silicon Macs and Intel-based Macs, and current instructions can also vary by macOS release. macOS Tahoe 26 and later can ask you to select a specific diagnostic. Follow the Apple Support instructions for your Mac’s processor type and installed macOS version rather than applying a startup sequence from a different model. Record any reference code exactly and give it to the advisor; do not interpret the code as a log filename.
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AppleCare-managed collection is a different process
Some organizations use an AppleCare-managed log-collection workflow. Apple’s deployment documentation says that process requires an AppleCare Professional Support agreement and a token provided by AppleCare, and that Macs use interactive log collection. It is not a normal consumer upload path and should not be treated as an alternative button inside Activity Monitor or Console. If your organization has been given that workflow, follow its administrator’s deployment instructions.
Troubleshoot common problems
“I cannot find System Diagnostics”
- Confirm that Activity Monitor is open, not Console or another utility.
- Look for the diagnostics options pop-up menu or a More button in the Activity Monitor toolbar; interface labels vary by macOS version.
- Ask the advisor whether they actually requested Sample Process, Spindump, or Spotlight Diagnostics, since those commands have different purposes.
“Console shows fewer reports than expected”
- Check which account is signed in. Non-administrators can view only user reports, while administrators can view all reports.
- Authenticate with an authorized administrator account if Apple specifically requested a system log.
- Use the report category and time controls; a report may be outside the current view rather than missing.
“The share button is unavailable or the wrong destination appears”
- Select the log message, activity, or report before opening the toolbar’s Share control.
- Verify that the item is the one Apple named and that it has not been opened from a temporary location that you cannot access.
- Ask the advisor for the approved destination. Do not upload technical logs to an unrelated public service.
“The advisor needs entries from a generated report”
Expand the report’s .gz file in Finder, open the enclosed .logarchive in Console, and filter or search there. Send the complete archive if requested; otherwise, share the specific item identified by the advisor while retaining the original.
“I am not sure whether to send a crash report or a diagnostic report”
Check the extension and the wording of the case instructions. Crash reports normally use .ips; spin reports use .spin; log reports can use .log, ._log, or .its; diagnostic reports can use .diag or .dpsub. If the wording remains ambiguous, ask before sending.
A practical handoff checklist
- Write down the case number and the exact file, report type, date range, or event Apple requested.
- Use Activity Monitor’s System Diagnostics command for a new broad report.
- Use Console’s Share button for an existing message, activity, or report.
- Expand a
.gzreport and open its.logarchivein Console when you need to inspect entries. - Check whether your account needs administrator credentials.
- Keep the original file and extension unchanged.
- Review the recipient and avoid placing personal information in comments or filenames.
- Send the material only through the destination supplied by Apple Support or your organization’s authorized support process.
These steps give Apple Support either a newly generated system snapshot or the specific existing record needed for the case, without confusing software logs with the separate Apple Diagnostics hardware test.
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What is the quickest way to create a Mac report for Apple Support?
Open Activity Monitor, open its System diagnostics options menu or More button, and choose System Diagnostics. Save the resulting report and send it using the destination Apple Support supplied.
Can I share one log message instead of a complete diagnostics report?
Yes, when the advisor requests a particular message, activity, or report. Find it in Console, select it, click the toolbar Share button, and use the approved destination. Ask before substituting an excerpt for a complete archive.
Where is the log archive inside an Activity Monitor report?
Find the generated file ending in .gz in Finder and double-click it to expand it. Open the resulting .logarchive file in Console, where you can search, sort, and filter entries.
Why does another Mac account see more reports in Console?
Signed-in administrators can view all reports, while non-administrators can view only reports created by apps used by the current account. Console may also request administrator credentials to view or share log messages.
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No. System Diagnostics creates a software and log report in Activity Monitor. Apple Diagnostics is a separate hardware test, with startup instructions that differ for Apple silicon and Intel Macs and can vary by macOS release.
What should I do if I do not know which file Apple wants?
Ask the advisor to identify the report category, date range, filename or extension, and delivery method. Crash files commonly use .ips, spin files .spin, log reports .log, ._log, or .its, and diagnostic reports .diag or .dpsub.
The Bottom Line
Use Activity Monitor → System Diagnostics for a new broad report, Console → Share for an existing record, and the .gz to .logarchive path when you need to inspect a generated report. Confirm the exact file and destination with Apple Support, preserve the original, and keep Apple Diagnostics separate as a hardware test.
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