How to Stop Apps From Opening Automatically When Your Mac Starts

When your Mac takes a long time to be usable after you turn it on, apps opening automatically at startup are often the cause. Many apps — like Spotify, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Adobe programs — add themselves to the startup list when you install them, hoping to be ready the moment you sit down. Over time, the list grows and your Mac gets noticeably slower to boot.

macOS gives you a simple way to manage this in System Settings. Under General > Login Items, you can see every app set to open when you log in and remove any that you don't need loading automatically.

This is different from closing or quitting an app — removing an app from Login Items means it won't open itself automatically. The app stays installed and works perfectly; you open it yourself when you need it.

Some Login Items are important and should stay. Your security software (like Malwarebytes or a VPN) often needs to run at login to protect you. iCloud Drive and Handoff-related services are also important for Apple features to work. When in doubt about a specific item, search its name online to understand what it does before removing it.

If you're running macOS Ventura (13) or later, the instructions below apply directly. On older macOS versions (like Big Sur or Monterey), the same setting is in System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items — the steps are nearly the same.

After removing several Login Items, restart your Mac to see the improvement. Many people find their Mac is ready to use 30–60 seconds faster after this cleanup.