Why apps open on startup and how to turn it off

When you restart your Mac, certain apps launch automatically without you opening them. This happens because those apps are set to "open at login" — a setting they either chose during installation or you enabled yourself. You can stop this for any app by going to System Settings, finding the Login Items list, and removing the apps you do not want.

The reason apps do this is usually harmless: they want to be ready the moment you log in, or they want to remind you they exist. But each app that launches on startup slows down your Mac's boot time and uses memory in the background. If you have five or six apps opening automatically, you might wait an extra 30 seconds for your Mac to be usable, and those apps will keep running even if you never use them that day.

The good news is that removing an app from startup does not uninstall it or change how it works when you open it manually. You are only removing the automatic launch.

Key Takeaways

  • Apps set to open at login appear in System Settings under General > Login Items, and you can remove them by clicking the minus button next to their name.
  • Some apps hide their startup behavior in a separate settings menu within the app itself, so check the app's preferences if you cannot find it in System Settings.
  • Removing an app from startup does not delete it or prevent you from opening it manually later.
  • If an app keeps reappearing in your login items after you remove it, the app is resetting the setting — check the app's own preferences to disable startup launch there.

Remove apps from login items in System Settings

Open System Settings by clicking the Apple menu in the top left corner and selecting System Settings. Then click General in the left sidebar, and look for the Login Items section near the bottom of the window.

You will see two lists: "Open at Login" and "Allow in the Menu Bar". The "Open at Login" list shows every app that launches when you log in. Find the app you want to stop, click it once to select it, then click the minus button below the list. The app disappears from the list when ready.

Repeat this for each app you want to remove. You do not need to restart your Mac for the change to take effect — the next time you restart, those apps will not launch.

Check an app's own preferences if it keeps returning

Some apps ignore the System Settings login items list and manage their own startup behavior through their own preferences menu. If you remove an app from login items and it still opens on the next restart, the app is resetting the setting itself.

Open the app, then look for a menu called Preferences, Settings, or Options — usually found under the app's name in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Look for a checkbox or toggle labeled "Open at login", "Launch at startup", "Start automatically", or similar wording. Uncheck it or turn it off.

Common apps that do this include Slack, Discord, Zoom, Dropbox, and 1Password. Once you disable the setting in the app's own preferences, it should stop launching on startup even if System Settings still shows it in the login items list.

Understand the difference between login items and background app refresh

Login items are apps that actually launch and open a window (or run in the menu bar) when you log in. Background App Refresh is a separate setting that lets apps check for updates or new information even when you are not using them, without necessarily opening a visible window.

If you want to stop an app from running in the background altogether, you can disable Background App Refresh for it. Go to System Settings > General > Background App Refresh, find the app, and toggle it off. This is more aggressive than removing it from login items — the app will not run at all in the background, which means it might not notify you of new messages or updates until you open it manually.

Manage apps that appear in the menu bar

The "Allow in the Menu Bar" section in Login Items shows apps that are permitted to put an icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen, even if they are not actively running. These apps typically do not slow down your startup time the way full applications do, but you can remove them the same way: select the app and click the minus button.

If you want an app to stay in the menu bar but not launch automatically, you can remove it from "Open at Login" while leaving it in "Allow in the Menu Bar". This way, the app will not start when you log in, but you can still open it manually and it will be able to put an icon in the menu bar once you do.

Speed up your startup by prioritizing which apps to remove

If you have many apps in your login items, focus on removing the ones you do not use every day. Apps like email clients, messaging apps, and cloud storage services often launch on startup because they want to be ready when ready, but if you only check email once a day or use Slack a few times a week, removing them from startup saves time without affecting your workflow.

Keep apps in your login items only if you genuinely use them within the first few minutes of turning on your Mac. For most people, that means Mail, maybe a calendar app, and perhaps a note-taking app — not much else. Every app you remove from startup makes your Mac boot faster and frees up memory for the apps you actually want to use right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing an app from login items delete it from my Mac?

No. Removing an app from login items only stops it from launching automatically when you log in. The app remains installed on your Mac, and you can open it manually anytime by clicking its icon in the Applications folder or Launchpad.

Why does an app keep appearing in login items even after I remove it?

The app is resetting the setting itself through its own preferences menu. Open the app, look for Preferences or Settings, and find the option to disable startup launch. Once you turn it off there, the app should stop reappearing in System Settings.

Can I remove system apps like Finder or Spotlight from login items?

System apps like Finder, Spotlight, and Siri cannot be removed from login items because your Mac needs them to function. If you see them in the list, they will have a lock icon next to them, and the minus button will be grayed out.

Does removing apps from login items make my Mac faster?

Yes, but only slightly if you are removing just one or two apps. The real speed gain comes from removing several apps at once. Each app that launches on startup adds a few seconds to your boot time and uses memory in the background, so removing five or six apps can save 30 seconds or more.

What is the difference between removing an app from login items and disabling Background App Refresh?

Removing from login items stops the app from launching when you log in, but it can still run in the background if you open it manually. Disabling Background App Refresh prevents the app from running in the background at all, which means it will not check for updates or send notifications until you open it.