How to stop a macOS app from launching automatically after a reboot

Some Mac applications launch automatically after each macOS reboot. Here’s how to stop this annoying, unwanted behavior once and for all.

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Apple sells some excellent Macs that cater to different budgets and needs, such as the MacBook Pro (2023) and Mac Mini (2023). Though, whether you’re on macOS Ventura or an earlier OS version, you might’ve noticed that sometimes apps launch automatically after a system reboot. Not only does this slow down the initial boot due to multiple applications launching at the same time, but usually it’s also unwanted. I’ve seen several people manually quitting these apps right after they boot on their own. What many people don’t know is that there is a solution for this problem. Follow the steps below to stop a macOS app from launching automatically after a reboot.

How to stop a Mac application from launching automatically

  1. Launch the System Settings app on your Mac.
  2. Go to Login Items in the General section.
    How to stop a macOS app from launching automatically after a reboot 1
  3. Tap on the app or service you’d like to stop from launching automatically each time you reboot macOS.
  4. Hit the minus () button.
    How to stop a macOS app from launching automatically after a reboot 2
  5. If you want an app, file, folder, or service to launch after each boot, you can similarly add it using the plus (+) button.
    How to stop a macOS app from launching automatically after a reboot 3

Login Items on macOS are helpful for those who launch the exact same app each time they boot their Mac, such as Slack or Safari. However, sometimes third-party developers add their apps and services to the list, which could get spammy and overwhelming very quickly. Fortunately, you can easily revoke a Login Item’s permission by following the simple steps above.

MacBook Pro 2023
Apple MacBook Pro (2023)

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) models adopt the same exterior chassis first introduced in 2021. They offer boosted M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, a notched display, and more.