How to Clean Up Startup Programs on Mac

Mac startup programs automatically launch when you log in, potentially slowing down your computer and consuming system resources. Removing unnecessary startup items reduces boot time and frees up memory for the applications you actually use.

1. Open System Preferences. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Preferences. Alternatively, press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type 'System Preferences' and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Users & Groups. In System Preferences, click on Users & Groups. If you're using macOS Ventura or later, look for General > Login Items & Extensions in System Settings instead.
3. Select the Login Items tab. Click on your user account in the left sidebar if it's not already selected. Then click the Login Items tab at the top of the window. You'll see a list of all applications that start automatically when you log in.
4. Remove unwanted startup programs. Select an application you don't want to start automatically by clicking on it once. Then click the minus (-) button below the list to remove it from startup. Repeat this process for each unwanted application.
5. Check for hidden startup items. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities. Click the CPU tab and look for processes that start with your username. Applications launching at startup often appear here even if they're not visible in Login Items.
6. Disable launch agents manually. Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G. Type ~/Library/LaunchAgents and press Enter. Review the .plist files here - these represent programs that launch automatically. Move unwanted files to the trash, but only remove files you recognize as belonging to applications you've uninstalled.
7. Restart and verify changes. Restart your Mac to confirm that unwanted applications no longer launch automatically. Check Activity Monitor after logging in to verify that only necessary processes are running. Your Mac should boot faster and have more available memory.