How to Manage Startup Apps on Mac

Control which apps launch automatically when you start your Mac. Add, remove, and organize login items to improve boot speed and performance.

1. Open System Settings. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. On macOS Ventura and later, this replaces the old System Preferences app.
2. Navigate to General settings. In the sidebar, click General. Then select Login Items from the list of options on the right side of the window.
3. Review current login items. The Login Items window shows two sections: Open at Login (visible apps) and Allow in Background (hidden background processes). Apps listed here start automatically when you log in.
4. Remove unwanted startup apps. Select any app you want to stop from launching automatically. Click the minus (-) button below the list to remove it from startup items.
5. Add new startup apps. Click the plus (+) button below the Open at Login section. Navigate to your Applications folder, select the app you want to add, then click Add.
6. Configure background processes. In the Allow in Background section, toggle switches next to apps to control whether they can run background processes. Turn off switches for apps that don't need constant background activity.
7. Test your changes. Restart your Mac to verify your startup configuration works correctly. Check that removed apps no longer launch automatically and that added apps start as expected.