A login item can be configured either by you: to launch essential apps (password manager, antivirus software, etc.); or the app you install itself: if it depends on its bundled core services. Due to this, you’ll often notice your login items list populate in no time, with the listed programs contributing to the slowdown in your Mac’s performance and increase in its startup time. To this end, it’s a good idea to keep your startup program list in check. Here’s a guide detailing all the different ways in which you can add, remove, or delay startup apps on Mac.
1. Manage Mac Startup Programs Through System Preferences
Mac’s System Preferences provides quick access to all the settings for different macOS features and services, including login items. Follow the steps below to use it to add or remove login items on your Mac:
Add an App to Login Items
Remove an App From Login Items
2. Manage Startup Programs on Mac From Dock
Dock offers the easiest way to manage startup options on Mac. If you want to add or remove an app to/from the list of login items, follow the steps below:
Set an App to Open at Login
Disable an App from Opening at Login
3. Manage Mac Startup Programs Using Finder
Finder is home to the entire macOS file system and allows you to view or make changes to all kinds of system and user files. It also helps in managing apps at startup, which you can do using the steps below:
Add an App to Login Item
Remove an App from Login Item
4. Manage Mac Startup Programs From App Settings
Some of the apps you install/have on your Mac, such as music apps, password managers, or other utilities, provide an option that lets you set them as a login item right inside the app. When dealing with such apps, you can easily add/remove them from login items by going into settings/preferences and finding the option to enable/disable them from running at startup accordingly.
5. Delay Startup Programs on Mac
Besides adding or removing apps from login items, another option that can help you prevent your Mac from slowing down is to delay the launch of these apps so that not all of your startup items run at the login simultaneously. Unfortunately, macOS doesn’t have a native way to delay the launch of login items, and therefore, we have to rely on using third-party apps. Delay Start is one such app that makes it easier to delay the launch of startup apps on your Mac. It’s free to use and available on the Mac App Store. Download: Delay Start Once you’ve installed Delay Start on your Mac, follow the steps below to delay the launch of startup items:
Speed Up Your Mac Boot Up By Removing Unnecessary Login Items
Using the methods above, you easily manage Mac startup apps—add new startup items, remove unwanted startup items, disable startup apps, and delay essential login items from your list of startup items—to take advantage of Mac’s startup functionality without adversely affecting its performance and boot times. Plus, if you’ve accidentally infected your Mac with some malicious app that might be exploiting the startup functionality and automatically run in the background to take control/snoop on your activities, these methods should help you disable such apps from running at login.
1. How to Set Applications to Launch Automatically on Mac Startup?
There are a few ways to make an app auto-launch on a Mac startup, as we’ve mentioned earlier. Dock and in-app feature methods are the easiest to add a login item to the login items list. However, if you’d like to have more control over the items in your startup programs list, you can use the System Preferences or Finder method to do the same.
2. How to Clean Startup Items with Third-Party Apps?
While the native methods we’ve listed in this guide will help you manage your startup programs, you also have the option to use third-party programs like CleanMyMac X, MacKeeper, Lingon X, etc., to manage your login items.
3. How Do I Change Which Programs Open on Startup?
Deciding which programs open at startup on your Mac can be done by adding or removing the startup programs from the list of login items. Follow the methods mentioned earlier in the post to learn how to do this.
4. How Do I Clean Up My Mac Startup?
Cleaning up Mac startup essentially means removing unwanted programs from the list of startup programs to reduce your Mac’s startup time and prevent slowdown.
5. How to Stop Spotify From Opening on Mac Startup?
Spotify is one of the many apps that offer the option to enable/disable its launch at system startup right within its settings. To do this, go to Spotify > Preferences. Tap on Show Advanced Settings and choose No from the dropdown menu for Startup and Window Behavior.
