How to Clean Up Login Items and Background Processes on macOS

Optimize your Mac performance by managing background processes and login items. Follow these steps to disable unnecessary startup apps and background tasks.

1. Open Login Items settings. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings. Navigate to General in the sidebar, then select Login Items to view all applications and helper tools set to launch at startup.
2. Remove unnecessary applications. Review the list under Open at Login. Select an application you no longer need to launch automatically, then click the minus (-) button located below the list to remove it. Do not remove system-critical background items unless you are certain they are unnecessary.
3. Manage background processes. Below the Open at Login list, find the Allow in the Background section. Toggle the switch to the off position for any apps or developers that do not require constant background synchronization or updates.
4. Check the hidden LaunchAgents folder. Open Finder, select Go in the menu bar, then hold the Option key to reveal the Library folder. Navigate to ~/Library/LaunchAgents to inspect files that launch alongside your user session.
5. Restart your Mac. To finalize the changes and clear the current process tree, restart your computer. Click the Apple menu and select Restart. Once back at the desktop, monitor system responsiveness to ensure your configuration changes are applied.