Is it safe to remove all login items on a Mac?

Removing apps from Open at Login is safe: they just won’t open on their own. Be careful with background items and launch agents from security, VPN or backup software, which need them to work.

Why does an app keep coming back to Login Items?

The app re-adds itself through its own setting. Turn off “Open at login” inside the app, or uninstall it if you no longer use it.

What’s the difference between a launch agent and a launch daemon?

An agent runs in your login session, as you. A daemon starts with the Mac, before login, and runs with system privileges. Both are .plist files that tell macOS’s launchd what to start.

Mac file guides

How to stop apps opening at startup on a Mac

By Vishva Variya · Updated November 7, 2026 · 5 min read

Short answer

Open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions (Login Items on macOS 14). Select an app under Open at Login and click the minus button. Under Allow in the Background, switch off helpers you don’t want. Anything left usually lives as a .plist in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents or /Library/LaunchDaemons.

How do I remove apps from Login Items?

1Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then General in the sidebar.
2Click Login Items & Extensions (called Login Items on macOS 14 Sonoma).
3Under Open at Login, select the app you don’t want and click the minus (–) button.

Many apps also have their own “Open at login” or “Launch at startup” setting. If an app adds itself back, switch it off in the app’s settings too.

What is “Allow in the Background”?

Below Open at Login, macOS lists the helpers that apps install to run without a window: updaters, sync engines, menu bar helpers and licence checkers. Each has a switch. Turning one off stops it from launching; the app itself still opens normally, though features that rely on the helper (automatic updates, syncing) may stop working until you turn it back on.

Where are launch agents and daemons stored?

~/Library/LaunchAgents: agents that start when you log in, for your account only.
/Library/LaunchAgents: agents that start for every user who logs in.
/Library/LaunchDaemons: daemons that start with the Mac, before anyone logs in, and run as root.
/System/Library/LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons: Apple’s own. Leave these alone; macOS protects them anyway.

Each item is a .plist file named after its developer, like com.example.updater.plist. To see the hidden Library folder, use Finder’s Go › Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) and paste the path, or see how to show hidden files.

How do I remove a launch agent left by a deleted app?

1In Finder, press ⇧⌘G and go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents (then /Library/LaunchAgents).
2Look for a .plist whose name matches the app you removed.
3Move it to the Trash (the /Library folders ask for your administrator password).
4Restart or log out and back in so it no longer loads.

Only remove items you recognise. Security software, VPNs and device-management tools rely on their agents, and removing them can break protection your company requires. Uninstalling the app properly removes these too: see how to uninstall apps completely.

Do startup apps slow down a Mac?

Each one costs a little memory and some processor time at login, and a few keep working all day. A dozen idle helpers rarely matter on a modern Mac; one that syncs or indexes constantly can. Activity Monitor’s CPU and Memory tabs show which are actually busy. For a fuller check, see how to check your Mac’s health.

Seeing everything that starts on its own with Peekaboo

System Settings shows background switches, but not which file each one is or who left it behind. Peekaboo’s Mac Health includes Startup Items: the launch agents and daemons in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons, the app each belongs to, and leftovers of apps you already deleted. Turn Off works on the agents in your own Library: it moves the file to the Trash, so it can be put back, and stops it. System-wide items are shown so you know they’re there. Apple’s own items and security tools are never offered. Apps under Open at Login stay in System Settings.

1Open Mac Health.⌥⇧⌘H
2Open Startup Items and look for agents from apps you don’t use, or items left behind by deleted apps.
3Click Turn Off on an agent in your Library. Changed your mind? Put it back from the Trash.

Questions

Is it safe to remove all login items on a Mac?: Removing apps from Open at Login is safe: they just won’t open on their own. Be careful with background items and launch agents from security, VPN or backup software, which need them to work.
Why does an app keep coming back to Login Items?: The app re-adds itself through its own setting. Turn off “Open at login” inside the app, or uninstall it if you no longer use it.
What’s the difference between a launch agent and a launch daemon?: An agent runs in your login session, as you. A daemon starts with the Mac, before login, and runs with system privileges. Both are .plist files that tell macOS’s launchd what to start.