To stop an app opening when you sign in to your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions and remove it under Open at Login. Use Background App Activity separately: it controls whether an app may work while it is closed, not whether it launches at sign-in.
Open Login Items & Extensions
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Open General > Login Items & Extensions. Depending on your macOS version, you may need to scroll down the General settings list.
Apple documents this settings path, though labels and available controls can vary by macOS release and language. Apple’s Login Items & Extensions guide describes the controls.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Choose whether an item opens at login
Under Open at Login, select an item and use the remove control to stop it opening automatically when you log in. To add an item, use the add control and choose what should open. The list can include apps as well as documents, folders, and server connections.
A yellow warning triangle beside an item means it was moved or deleted, so it will not open automatically. Apple explains the warning and list controls here.
#1 Best Overall
- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
Decide which apps may run in the background
Background App Activity is a different setting from Open at Login. It allows an app to perform tasks when it is not open, such as checking for software updates or syncing data. Keep it enabled for apps whose background updates or syncing you rely on.
If you turn off an app’s background activity, a feature may stop working as expected; Apple specifically notes the app might not update automatically or sync data. If something stops working, switch the permission back on. If the app still behaves incorrectly despite needing background access, Apple advises contacting its developer. Apple’s background-app guidance covers this behavior.
Rank #2
- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
| Setting | What it controls | Effect of disabling or removing |
|---|---|---|
| Open at Login | Whether an item opens when you sign in | You may need to open it yourself. Apple Support describes the setting in its Login Items & Extensions guide. |
| Background App Activity | Whether an app can work while it is not open, including updates or syncing | Some background features may stop working as expected. Apple Support explains this in its background-app guidance. |
Stop old windows from returning
If an app’s old windows reappear after you restart, shut down, or log out, the cause may be window restoration rather than an Open at Login entry. When shutting down, restarting, or logging out, clear Reopen windows when logging back in to prevent macOS from restoring those windows. On macOS Ventura or later, you can also use Close windows when quitting an application.
If an app that is not listed under Open at Login still opens at sign-in, Apple says the app’s own settings or other software it installed may be responsible. Check that app’s settings as well as the macOS list. Apple’s guide to apps that reopen after quitting discusses these separate behaviors.
Rank #3
- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
Find which login item is causing a problem
If you suspect a login item is causing a startup issue, Apple’s isolation procedure is to remove the current items temporarily and restore them one at a time:
- Write down the items currently listed under Open at Login.
- Remove the listed items and restart your Mac.
- Add one item back, then restart again.
- Repeat until the problem returns; investigate the last item you added.
For a single troubleshooting login without changing the saved list, hold Shift while clicking Log In at the login window, and release it after the Dock opens. If your Mac does not show a login window, restart and hold Shift when the progress bar appears until the desktop appears. Apple documents both troubleshooting methods.
Rank #4
- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
What macOS 26 adds for persistent background tasks
On macOS 26 or later, Apple documents a prompt when an app starts background tasks that remain active after you quit it, letting you allow or disallow those tasks. The behavior is specific to that macOS version and those persistent tasks; it is distinct from the ordinary Open at Login list. Apple’s deployment guidance also describes administrator controls for managed background tasks and the SMAppService framework for app login items and helper executables. See Apple’s deployment guide for those version- and management-specific details.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Extensions are a separate control
The same settings pane also manages extensions, which add functionality to apps, Finder, or other parts of the system. Changing an extension is not the same as removing an app from Open at Login or disabling its background activity. Apple’s settings guide describes the extensions controls.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. Featuring all-day battery life and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness, it’s pro in every way.*
- HAPPILY EVER FASTER — Along with its faster CPU and unified memory, M5 features a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- APPS FLY WITH APPLE SILICON — All your favorites, including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, run lightning fast in macOS.*
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
