Mac guides
What runs in the background on your Mac, why it starts, and how to turn it off safely. Each guide works without the app.
How to see what is running in the background on your Mac
Four ways to find background processes, launch agents and login items on a Mac: Activity Monitor, Login Items settings, the LaunchAgents folders and Terminal commands.
How to stop apps opening at login on macOS 26
Stop apps from opening when you start your Mac: remove them from Open at Login, turn off the app's own setting, untick Reopen windows, and find the launch agents that settings miss.
What “Allow in the Background” means on a Mac
The Allow in the Background list in macOS Login Items shows apps with background helpers. Learn what the switch does, what breaks if you turn it off, and how to find the file behind it.
Why an app comes back after you restart your Mac
You quit it, you killed it, and it is back. How launchd, RunAtLoad, KeepAlive, schedules and login items restart apps on a Mac, and how to tell which one is doing it.
How to disable launch agents on a Mac safely
Step-by-step: find a launch agent or daemon, check what it does, stop it with launchctl bootout, keep it off with launchctl disable, and turn it back on. Works on macOS 13 to 26.