Stop an application from starting up automatically on macOS

Having multiple apps launch at startup can slow down your Mac’s boot time and consume system resources unnecessarily. In this article, we shall discuss How to stop an application from starting up automatically on macOS. Please see How to start an application automatically on Mac, Program startup: How to launch an application automatically during startup on Windows, and How to Hide or Stop Apps Like OneDrive from Auto-Opening.

Also, some apps may start automatically and collect data or perform actions without your knowledge, affecting your privacy. You may prefer to launch certain apps manually, especially if you don’t use them frequently. With these, you can agree it makes sense to manually launch certain apps on MAc.

Also, see How to stop Windows from applying updates, and How to end a program via the Task Manager in Windows 11.

Prevent an app from launching automatically on Mac

Here are the steps below for performing this task.

- Open System Preferences and
- Click on Users & Groups.

Select under current user (your name on the right). Choose Login items tab. Check startup programs you want to remove.

Press the “–” sign below. That is all as shown below.

In the future, you wish to add an Item back, simply select the + button as shown below

- Select the “+” and choose the app you’d like add.
- Then restart your Mac to reflect the change made

When next you start your macOS, the specific application will not be started. Here is how to stop Cisco Webex Meetings from starting up automatically.

Conclusion

Alternatively, some apps may have their own settings to control whether they launch at startup. Check the preferences or settings within the specific app to see if there’s an option to disable automatic startup.

By managing startup items, you can optimize your Mac’s performance, reduce clutter, and have more control over your system’s behavior.

I hope you found this blog post on how to stop an application from starting up automatically on macOS helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.