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How to stop apps opening at login on macOS 26
An app can start with your Mac from five different places. System Settings shows only some of them. Check them in this order.
Short answer: open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions, select the app under Open at Login and click –. If it still opens, turn off the app's own “Launch at login” setting, untick Reopen windows when logging back in when you restart, and check for a launch agent.
1. Remove it from Open at Login
- Open the Apple menu › System Settings.
- Click General, then Login Items & Extensions.
- Under Open at Login, select the app.
- Click the – button below the list.
The app is not deleted. It only stops opening by itself.
Faster for apps in the Dock: Control-click the app's Dock icon, choose Options, and untick Open at Login.
2. Turn off the app's own setting
Many apps add themselves with their own switch, often called Launch at login, Start at login or Open at startup. It is usually in the app's Settings (⌘ ,) under General. If you only remove the app in System Settings, some apps add it back the next time they run. Turn the switch off in the app too.
3. Untick “Reopen windows when logging back in”
When you choose Restart or Shut Down from the Apple menu, macOS asks to confirm. If Reopen windows when logging back in is ticked, every app that was open comes back. That is not a login item; it is macOS restoring your session.
Untick the box before you confirm. macOS remembers your choice for next time.
4. Check “Allow in the Background”
On the same Login Items & Extensions page, the Allow in the Background list shows apps that have background helpers. A helper can open its main app, show a menu-bar icon, or run an updater. Turn the switch off for apps you do not want running.
Careful: turning off a VPN, backup, sync or security tool here can stop it from working. See what “Allow in the Background” means.
5. Look for a launch agent
Older apps and many developer tools start through a .plist file in a LaunchAgents folder. In Finder, press ⇧⌘G and open ~/Library/LaunchAgents, then /Library/LaunchAgents. A file named after the app or its developer (for example com.example.helper.plist) is a likely cause.
Do not just delete it. Follow how to disable launch agents safely, so you can undo it later.
Which one is it?
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| The app window opens right after login | Open at Login, or Reopen windows |
| All your apps from yesterday come back | Reopen windows when logging back in |
| Only a menu-bar icon appears | Open at Login, or a background helper |
| It comes back after you remove it | The app's own setting, or a launch agent |
| Nothing is visible, but it uses memory | Launch agent or background item |
FAQ
Why do apps still open at login after I removed them from Login Items?
Usually for one of three reasons: the Reopen windows when logging back in box was ticked when you shut down, the app has its own “Launch at login” setting that adds itself again, or a launch agent starts a helper that then opens the app.
Is it safe to remove apps from Open at Login?
Yes. Removing an app from Open at Login does not delete or break it. The app only stops opening by itself; you can still open it from Applications.
Where are Login Items in macOS 26?
In System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions. The Open at Login list is at the top.
Does turning off login apps make my Mac start faster?
Often, yes. Each app that opens at login uses memory and CPU while you wait. The effect is biggest on Macs with 8 or 16 GB of memory.