Everything that launches when your Mac wakes up — and how to thin the herd
Every app you've ever installed has a quiet ambition: to run at startup. Over months and years, login items pile up — cloud sync, chat apps, updaters, menu bar tools, VPN clients — until your Mac takes two minutes to become usable after a restart, and 2–4 GB of RAM is already gone before you open anything yourself.
Here's how to find everything that's launching at startup and make deliberate choices about what stays.
Where login items live
macOS has two places where startup programs are configured, and most people only know about one.
1. System Settings → Login Items & Extensions
Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions. This shows two sections:
- Open at Login — apps that launch fully when you log in. You can add or remove them with the + and − buttons.
- Allow in the Background — background agents and helpers that run invisibly. These are typically installed by apps and can be toggled on/off here.
The "Allow in the Background" section is the one most people miss. It shows helpers from apps like Adobe, Microsoft Office, cloud services, and other tools that install background agents.
2. Apps with "Launch at Login" in their own settings
Many apps have their own "Launch at Login" or "Start at startup" toggle buried in their preferences. Disabling the app in System Settings is the authoritative control, but some apps re-add themselves if you don't also disable the option inside the app.
How to decide what to keep
Not every login item is waste. Here's a framework:
| Keep running | Probably remove |
|---|---|
| Cloud backup (if you rely on continuous backup) | App updaters (they can check when you launch the app) |
| Password manager (if you use it throughout the day) | Helper agents for apps you rarely open |
| VPN client (if your work requires always-on VPN) | Menu bar tools you've forgotten about |
| Communication apps you check constantly | Multiple cloud sync services (do you really need three?) |
The test
Disable something you're unsure about. Use your Mac normally for a day. If you never notice it's gone — leave it off. If something breaks or you miss it — re-enable it. This is safe: disabling a login item doesn't uninstall anything.
The hidden startup items
Some programs run at startup but don't appear in System Settings at all. These are Launch Agents and Launch Daemons — background services installed into system folders. You can find them in:
~/Library/LaunchAgents— per-user agents (safe to inspect)/Library/LaunchAgents— system-wide agents installed by apps/Library/LaunchDaemons— system-wide services that run even when no one is logged in
Be careful here. Don't delete files in these folders unless you recognize the app name in the filename. Removing a Launch Agent for an app you still use can cause that app to malfunction. If you've already uninstalled the parent app, removing its leftover agent is safe and saves resources.
Impact on performance
Each login item typically uses 50–300 MB of RAM and a small amount of CPU. That doesn't sound like much, but 10 of them add up to 1–3 GB of RAM and measurable CPU load — all running before you open a single app yourself. On a Mac with 8 GB of RAM, that's a significant chunk of your total memory, pushing you into memory pressure sooner.
Reopened windows after restart
There's one more thing that slows down startup: macOS's "Reopen windows when logging back in" checkbox that appears when you restart. If you check this box, macOS relaunches every app that was open before the restart — sometimes dozens of them. Uncheck it when restarting if you want a clean start.
See what's running — and what it costs you
Gigatidy lists every login item, background agent, and hidden Launch Agent on your Mac — with how much RAM and CPU each one uses. Then it helps you decide what to keep.
Try Gigatidy →FAQ
How do I stop apps from opening at startup on Mac?
Go to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions. Remove apps from the "Open at Login" list and toggle off background agents you don't need. Also check individual app preferences for a "Launch at Login" option — some apps re-add themselves through their own settings.
Will removing login items speed up my Mac?
Yes, in two ways: your Mac starts up faster because fewer apps need to load, and it runs with more free RAM and CPU because those background apps aren't consuming resources all day. The effect is most noticeable on Macs with 8 GB of RAM.
What are Launch Agents on Mac?
Launch Agents are small background programs that run automatically when you log in. Apps install them to perform tasks like checking for updates, syncing data, or running menu bar helpers. They live in ~/Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchAgents. Removing an agent for an app you've already deleted is safe; for apps you still use, disable via System Settings instead.