Peekaboo · Startup Items
See everything that starts on its own, and turn it off
System Settings shows a vague “Allow in the Background” list of names you don’t recognise. Peekaboo’s Startup Items reads the files behind it, names the app each one belongs to, and turns it off in a step you can undo.
Download free trial14 days free · macOS 14+ · Updated
What it does
- Agents and daemons, one list
- Launch agents and daemons, the updaters and helpers that run without a window, from your own Library and the Mac’s, read straight from the launchd files that start them.
- Who owns it
- Each item is matched to the app it belongs to, so “com.xyz.helper” becomes the app you recognise. Items left behind by apps you already deleted are marked as leftovers.
- Turn Off, with a way back
- Turn Off stops the item and moves its file to the Trash, so Put Back restores it. Apple’s own items, security tools and device management are never offered.
- Part of Mac Health
- Startup Items sits in Mac Health next to the 0–100 score, the busy apps and what keeps your Mac awake, so a slow start has one place to look.
How to use it
- 1Open Mac Health.⌥⇧⌘H
- 2Open Startup Items and look for apps you don’t use or leftovers of apps you deleted.
- 3Click Turn Off. Changed your mind? Put it back from Activity.⇧⌘Y
When another app fits better
If an item belongs to a system daemon in /Library/LaunchDaemons that needs an administrator, or you want to edit launchd jobs by hand, a dedicated tool like Lingon gives full control. For one or two login items, System Settings › General › Login Items is enough, and our guide shows the rest.
Questions
Is it safe to turn off startup items on a Mac?
- For apps you don’t use, yes; the app still works when you open it, it just won’t start on its own. Peekaboo moves the item to the Trash instead of deleting it, and never offers Apple’s own items or security software.
What is the difference between a login item and a launch agent?
- A login item is an app that opens when you log in. A launch agent is a small background job, often an updater or helper, that launchd starts for you without a window. Both slow down startup and use memory.
Why do apps I deleted still start at login?
- Dragging an app to the Trash leaves its launch agent in ~/Library/LaunchAgents. Startup Items marks these as left behind, and the App Uninstaller removes them with the rest of an app’s leftovers.
Can it turn off items installed for every user?
- It shows them, from /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons, so you know what they are and which app owns them. Turn Off works on your own items in ~/Library/LaunchAgents; for the rest, uninstall the app or use its own setting.
Does it show apps set to Open at Login?
- Startup Items covers the background jobs launchd starts. Apps that open in a window at login are listed in System Settings › General › Login Items, where you remove them with the minus button.