How to stop apps opening at startup on a Mac

How do I remove a login item?

Login items are apps, documents, folders or server connections that open automatically when you log in. You need to be an administrator of your Mac to change them.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click General in the sidebar, then click Login Items & Extensions. You may need to scroll down.
3. Under Open at Login, select the app you don’t need at login.
4. Click the Remove button (−) below the list.

To add an app instead, click the Add button (+) below the list, choose the app and click Add. A yellow warning triangle next to an item means it won’t open, because it was moved or deleted.

What is App Background Activity?

App Background Activity lists apps that are allowed to do work when they aren’t open, such as checking for software updates or syncing data. In macOS Sequoia this section was called Allow in the Background.

1. In Login Items & Extensions, look under App Background Activity.
2. Turn off the switch next to an app you don’t want working in the background.

Turning an app off here can stop the work it does while closed. A sync app, for example, may stop syncing until you open it. Leave on the apps whose background work you rely on.

Which login items slow down my Mac?

Many login items use little once they’re open. To see whether one keeps your Mac busy, check it in Activity Monitor.

1. Open Activity Monitor. It’s in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Spotlight.
2. Click CPU, then click the % CPU column heading to sort the list, busiest first.
3. Find your login items in the list. Type a name in the search field at the top right to find one quickly.

A login item that stays near the top for minutes is worth removing, or opening only when you need it. Activity Monitor counts each core as 100%, so 4.1% is a small share of a Mac with many cores. Which app is slowing down my Mac? explains the lists.

How do I stop windows reopening when I log in?

macOS can reopen the apps and windows you had open when you restarted, which isn’t the same as a login item.

• When you restart, shut down or log out: deselect “Reopen windows when logging back in” in the dialog that appears.
• When you quit an app: choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Desktop & Dock, and turn on “Close windows when quitting an application”. This works in macOS Ventura or later.
• For one app, once: hold the Shift key while you open it. The app forgets the windows it had open, and no setting changes.

Can I log in without my login items, just once?

Yes. Hold the Shift key while you click Log In, and release it when the Dock appears. If you don’t see the login window, restart your Mac, hold Shift when the progress bar appears, and release it once the desktop appears. Nothing in your settings changes.

Why does an app keep opening at login?

If an app keeps coming back, check Login Items & Extensions first: it may be listed under Open at Login. Many apps also have their own setting to open at login, so look in that app’s settings and turn it off there too.

Questions people also ask

Is it safe to remove login items on a Mac?

Yes. Removing an item only stops it opening at login; the app stays on your Mac, and you can open it yourself or add it back.

Where are startup programs on a Mac?

In System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. The Mac calls them login items, because they open when you log in.

Do login items slow down a Mac?

They can make the first minutes after login slower, and a busy one can slow your Mac all day. Activity Monitor’s CPU list shows whether one keeps working.

Should I turn off all background items?

No. Turn off the ones you don’t need. Background work such as syncing and update checks stops for any app you turn off.