Why your Mac opens apps you didn't ask for
When you restart your Mac, certain apps open automatically because macOS remembers which apps were running when you shut down. This happens through two separate systems: Login Items (apps set to launch at startup) and Resume (apps that were open when you last quit). Most of the time, the Resume feature is the culprit — your Mac is doing exactly what you told it to do the last time you used it.
You can turn off both systems independently. Some apps you'll want to keep launching automatically (like your password manager or cloud backup). Others you'll want to open only when you actually need them. The steps below show you how to control each one.
Key Takeaways
- Your Mac opens apps at startup through two separate systems: Login Items (permanent startup apps) and Resume (apps that were open when you last shut down).
- You can remove apps from Login Items in System Settings under General > Login Items, where you'll see exactly which apps launch every time.
- To stop Resume from reopening your apps, uncheck "Reopen windows when logging back in" in System Settings under General > About, then restart your Mac.
- Some apps add themselves to Login Items without asking — check the list after installing new software and remove anything you don't recognize.
- You can also prevent individual apps from opening at startup by quitting them before you shut down your Mac, then disabling Resume.
Remove apps from Login Items in System Settings
Login Items are apps your Mac is permanently set to open every time it starts. You can see and remove them directly in System Settings. Open System Settings, then click General in the left sidebar. Look for Login Items — you'll see a list of every app set to launch at startup.
Find the app you want to stop, click it once to select it, then click the minus button below the list. The app is now removed and will no longer open when your Mac starts. If you don't see the app you're looking for in this list, it's probably being opened by the Resume feature instead — move to the next section.
Some apps (especially cloud storage, messaging, and security software) add themselves to Login Items during installation. Check this list after you install new software and remove anything you don't want launching automatically. You can always open these apps manually when you need them.
Turn off Resume to stop recently-open apps from relaunching
The Resume feature automatically reopens any app that was running when you shut down your Mac. This is separate from Login Items and catches apps you didn't intend to have launch at startup. To turn it off, open System Settings and click General in the left sidebar. Scroll down until you see Reopen windows when logging back in and uncheck the box next to it.
After you uncheck this setting, restart your Mac. When it boots up, no apps will reopen automatically — only the apps in your Login Items list (if any) will launch. If you want to keep Resume enabled but prevent specific apps from reopening, quit those apps before you shut down, and they won't come back on startup.
Check for hidden startup apps in individual app settings
Some apps have their own startup settings buried in their preferences, separate from macOS Login Items. If an app keeps opening at startup even after you've removed it from Login Items, check the app's own settings. Open the app, then look for Preferences or Settings in the menu bar (usually under the app name or Edit). Search for words like "startup", "launch", "open at login", or "background".
For example, Slack has an "Open Slack on startup" toggle in its Preferences. Zoom has a "Launch Zoom when system starts" option. Spotify has "Open Spotify automatically". If you find a toggle like this, uncheck it. The app will no longer launch when your Mac starts, even if it's still in Login Items.
Prevent apps from saving their state when you shut down
If you want to keep Resume turned on (so some apps reopen) but prevent specific apps from reopening, you need to quit them before you shut down your Mac. When you quit an app before shutdown, macOS doesn't save its state, so it won't reopen on the next startup.
The easiest way to do this is to use Command+Q to quit apps instead of just closing their windows. Closing a window (Command+W) leaves the app running in the background, and macOS will reopen it. Quitting the app (Command+Q) fully closes it, and it won't come back. Before you restart or shut down, go through your open apps and quit the ones you don't want to see again on startup.
Manage apps that run in the background without opening windows
Some apps run in the background and add themselves to the menu bar without opening a visible window. These can still slow down your startup even though you don't see them launching. To find these, open System Settings, click General, then Login Items. Look for a section called Allow in the Login Window or similar — this shows apps that run silently at startup.
You can remove these the same way you remove regular Login Items: select the app and click the minus button. If you're not sure what an app does, search for its name online before removing it. Some apps (like antivirus software or cloud backup) are meant to run in the background, while others (like games or creative tools) don't need to.
What to do if an app keeps coming back after you remove it
If you've removed an app from Login Items and it still opens at startup, the app may be resetting itself during installation updates. Some software (particularly Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, and antivirus programs) automatically re-add themselves to Login Items when they update. After you remove the app, check back in a few weeks to see if it's returned.
If it has, remove it again and then check the app's preferences to see if there's a setting that controls this behavior. You can also try disabling the app's auto-update feature if you don't need the latest version immediately. If the app keeps adding itself and you can't find a setting to stop it, consider whether you actually need the app, or whether a different app with fewer startup behaviors would work better for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing apps from Login Items delete them from my Mac?
No. Removing an app from Login Items only stops it from opening at startup. The app stays on your Mac and you can still open it manually whenever you want. You're just changing when it launches, not whether it exists.
What's the difference between closing an app and quitting it?
Closing an app (Command+W) shuts the window but leaves the app running in the background. Quitting an app (Command+Q) fully closes it. If Resume is on, closed apps will reopen at startup, but quit apps won't. Before you shut down, use Command+Q on apps you don't want to see again.
Should I turn off Resume completely or just remove specific apps?
That depends on your preference. If you like having your work environment exactly as you left it, keep Resume on and just quit the apps you don't want to reopen. If you prefer a clean startup every time, turn Resume off entirely. You can always change this setting later.
Why does my Mac take a long time to start up even after I removed apps from Login Items?
Check whether Resume is still on — if it is, your Mac is still trying to reopen all the apps that were running when you shut down. Turn off Resume in System Settings under General, then restart. You can also check Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities) while your Mac is starting up to see which apps are launching and taking time.
Can I set different startup apps for different user accounts on my Mac?
Yes. Each user account has its own Login Items list and Resume settings. Log in as a different user and go to System Settings > General > Login Items to set up that account's startup apps separately. This is useful if multiple people share the same Mac.