You can disable the Messages app on your Mac in three ways, depending on whether you want to hide it, prevent it from opening, or stop notifications

The Messages app on macOS lets you send texts and iMessages to other Apple users and to phone numbers. If you do not use it, or if you want to prevent others from using it on your machine, you have straightforward options. The simplest is to hide the app from your dock and Launchpad. If you want to stop it from running in the background or opening automatically, you can disable it in System Settings. If you want to prevent someone else from using it entirely, you can remove it from the login items list.

Which method you choose depends on your situation. Hiding the app works if you just want it out of sight. Turning off notifications works if you want the app to exist but stop interrupting you. Removing it from startup works if you share your Mac and want to control what runs when someone else logs in.

Key Takeaways

  • You can hide Messages from your dock by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Remove from Dock", and from Launchpad by clicking and holding the icon until an X appears.
  • To prevent Messages from opening automatically when you start your Mac, go to System Settings, click General, then Login Items, and remove Messages from the list.
  • You can turn off Messages notifications in System Settings under Notifications without disabling the app itself.
  • Messages cannot be fully uninstalled from macOS because it is a built-in system app, but hiding it and disabling notifications makes it effectively invisible.

Hide Messages from your dock and Launchpad

The quickest way to get Messages out of your way is to remove it from your dock. Right-click the Messages icon in your dock at the bottom of your screen. A menu will appear. Click "Remove from Dock". The icon disappears when ready, but the app still exists on your Mac — you have only hidden the shortcut.

To hide it from Launchpad as well, open Launchpad by clicking its icon in the dock (it looks like a grid of dots) or by swiping up with four fingers on your trackpad. Find the Messages icon. Click and hold it until a small X appears in the corner of the icon. Click the X. Messages is now hidden from Launchpad too. You can still open it by searching for it in Spotlight (press Command and Space, then type "Messages"), but it will not appear in your everyday shortcuts.

Stop Messages from opening when you start your Mac

By default, Messages may open automatically when you turn on your Mac or when you log in. To prevent this, open System Settings by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner and selecting "System Settings". Click "General" in the left sidebar.

In the General window, look for "Login Items" near the bottom. Click it. You will see a list of apps that open when you log in. If Messages is listed under "Allow in the Login Items", click the minus sign next to it to remove it. Messages will no longer start automatically, though you can still open it manually whenever you want.

Turn off Messages notifications

If you want to keep Messages on your Mac but stop it from sending you alerts, you can disable its notifications. Open System Settings and click "Notifications" in the left sidebar. Scroll down the list of apps until you find Messages. Click it.

You will see several notification options. Uncheck "Allow notifications" at the top. This stops Messages from showing badges on its icon, sending sound alerts, or displaying pop-ups when new messages arrive. The app will still receive messages in the background, but you will not be interrupted. If you want to keep some notifications but turn off others, you can uncheck individual options like "Sounds" or "Banners" instead of disabling notifications entirely.

Prevent someone else from using Messages on a shared Mac

If you share your Mac with another person and want to prevent them from using Messages, you can remove it from their login account. This requires you to have admin access to the Mac. Open System Settings and click "General", then "Login Items". Make sure you are looking at the correct user account — you can check whose account you are in by clicking the Apple menu and looking at the top of the menu.

If you want to restrict Messages for a different user, you will need to log into their account or use parental controls. For a child's account, open System Settings, click "General", then "Parental Controls". Select the child's account and look for app restrictions. You can prevent Messages from opening on that account. For an adult user on a shared Mac, the most direct approach is to remove Messages from their Login Items list when you are logged into their account, or to ask them to do it themselves.

What happens when you disable Messages

Disabling Messages does not delete your message history or your iMessage account. If you hide the app, remove it from startup, or turn off notifications, your messages remain stored on your Mac. If you log back in to Messages later, your conversation history will still be there.

Other people can still send you iMessages or texts while Messages is disabled — the messages will arrive and be stored on your Mac. You straightforward will not see them until you open the app again. If you turn off notifications but leave the app running, messages will arrive silently in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I completely uninstall Messages from my Mac?

No. Messages is a built-in system app on macOS and cannot be fully removed. You can hide it, disable notifications, and prevent it from opening automatically, but the app itself will remain on your Mac. This is by design — Apple includes Messages as part of the operating system.

If I hide Messages, can I still receive texts and iMessages?

Yes. Hiding the app from your dock and Launchpad does not stop Messages from working. Messages will still receive incoming texts and iMessages in the background. You can open it anytime by searching for it in Spotlight. You straightforward will not see the icon in your everyday shortcuts.

Will disabling Messages notifications stop me from seeing old conversations?

No. Turning off notifications only stops new alerts. Your existing message history remains on your Mac and in the Messages app. You can still open Messages and read old conversations whenever you want.

What is the difference between hiding Messages and removing it from Login Items?

Hiding Messages removes the icon from your dock and Launchpad, but the app can still open automatically when you start your Mac. Removing it from Login Items stops it from opening automatically, but the icon remains in your dock if you have not hidden it. You can do both to fully prevent the app from appearing or running.

If I remove Messages from Login Items, will it open if someone sends me a message?

No. Removing Messages from Login Items only prevents it from opening when you log in. If someone sends you a message while the app is closed, it will not open automatically. The message will wait in your Mac's system until you manually open Messages to read it.