If your Mac takes ages to settle down after you log in, or you keep seeing Background Items Added notifications, you need to manage login items in macOS. Here’s the short answer: go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Use the – button under Open at Login to stop apps from launching at sign-in. Then use the switches under Background App Activity to control which apps keep running after you quit them.
This guide walks you through both lists on macOS 27. You’ll learn what’s safe to turn off and how to clean up entries left behind by apps you’ve deleted. If you’re coming from Windows, think of this pane as the Mac version of Task Manager’s Startup tab.
What Is Login Items & Extensions?
Login Items & Extensions is a built-in pane in System Settings. You don’t download or install anything. It controls two separate permissions that Windows bundles together:
- Open at Login: Apps, documents, folders, or server connections that open automatically when you sign in. You’ll usually see them in the Dock or menu bar.
- Background App Activity: Helper processes that let an app keep working when it isn’t open. They sync files, check for updates, or keep a menu bar icon running.
An app can use one, both, or neither. For example, a cloud storage app might not open a window at login but still sync in the background. Turning off one setting doesn’t turn off the other. That’s the main thing that trips up switchers. The same pane also lists extensions, which are add-ons for Finder, the Share menu, Quick Look previews, and more. Apple documents these settings in Change Login Items & Extensions settings (retrieved October 12, 2026).
How It Compares to Windows Task Manager’s Startup Tab
| Windows (Task Manager > Startup apps) | Mac (Login Items & Extensions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Ctrl + Shift + Esc > Startup apps | System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions |
| Structure | One list with Enabled/Disabled status | Two lists: Open at Login and Background App Activity |
| Turning something off | Right-click > Disable | Select > – button, or flip the app’s switch |
| Startup impact rating | Shows High/Medium/Low | No impact rating |
| New item alerts | Varies by Windows version; often no alert | Background Items Added notification |
The Mac has no “startup impact” score. You’ll need to judge apps by what you actually use. The upside is that macOS shows a Background Items Added notification when an app registers to keep running in the background after you quit it — Apple documents this specific alert, though it’s about background registration, not a general-purpose “anything new was added” alarm for every login item.
Before You Begin
- An Apple-silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 27 (Golden Gate). Intel Macs can’t run macOS 27. Check your version in Apple menu > About This Mac.
- An administrator account, or the password for one. Some changes ask for it.
- Optional but smart: a recent Time Machine backup before you remove leftover files. An inexpensive external SSD works well as a backup drive.
- If this is a work or school Mac, know that your IT department may lock some of these settings.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Device | Apple-silicon Mac (M1 or later) |
| OS version | macOS 27 or later (check in Apple menu > About This Mac) |
| Cost | Free, built into macOS |
| Account | Admin account recommended |
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Open Login Items & Extensions
- Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Choose System Settings.
- Click General in the sidebar.
- Scroll down if needed, then click Login Items & Extensions.
Expected result: You’ll see the Open at Login list at the top, Background App Activity below it, and an Extensions section further down.
Tip: You can also type “login items” into the search field at the top of the System Settings sidebar to jump straight there.
Step 2: Remove Apps From Open at Login
- In the Open at Login list, click the app you don’t want to launch at sign-in.
- Click the – (minus) button below the list.
- Enter your password if asked.
Expected result: The app disappears from the list. Next time you log in, it won’t open automatically. You can still open it yourself whenever you like.
Good candidates to remove include music players, chat apps you only use sometimes, game launchers, and vendor tools you rarely open. Examples are printer utilities or the companion software for a Thunderbolt dock. Keep anything you really want ready the moment you sign in, such as a password manager or clipboard tool.
If an item has a warning symbol next to it, the file it points to was moved or deleted. Select it and click – to remove the broken entry.
Step 3: Add an App to Open at Login
- Click the + (plus) button under Open at Login.
- In the Finder window that appears, open the Applications folder.
- Select the app, then click Open.
Expected result: The app appears in the list and launches the next time you log in. You can add documents, folders, and server connections the same way, which is useful if you always open the same spreadsheet or network drive.
Tip: Hold
Shiftwhile you log in to skip all login items for that one session. It’s a handy way to test whether a login item is slowing you down (Apple Support, retrieved October 12, 2026).
Step 4: Use the Dock Shortcut
The Dock gives you a faster way to do the same thing.
To toggle Open at Login:
- Control-click or right-click an app’s icon in the Dock.
- Hover over Options.
- Click Open at Login to add or remove the checkmark.
To stop an app running in the background (new in macOS 27): If an app is still active after you quit it, Control-click its Dock icon and choose Stop Running in Background. This option only appears for apps that are actually running in the background at that moment.
Expected result: The checkmark next to Open at Login shows the app’s current status, and the change also appears in System Settings. Stop Running in Background ends that app’s current background session right away — it’s a one-time stop, not a permanent setting. If the app relaunches a background helper later (on its next open, or after an update), it can start running again. Turning off its switch under Background App Activity in Step 5 is the main lever you control for curbing that going forward, but treat it as the best available control rather than a guaranteed permanent block: Apple distinguishes stopping a current background process from preventing all future background activity, and the Dock menu may also surface its own future-prevention choice if you stop the same app repeatedly.
Step 5: Turn Off Background App Activity
- Go back to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
- Find the app under Background App Activity.
- Click its switch to turn it off.
- Enter your password if prompted.
Expected result: The app’s helper stops running in the background. Some apps need a restart before the change fully takes effect.
Is it safe? Turning off background activity won’t corrupt files or damage your Mac, and you can switch it back on at any time. But Apple’s own guidance is more cautious than a flat “yes”: “If you turn off an app’s ability to run in the background, the app might not work as expected” (Apple Support, retrieved October 12, 2026) — so treat this as app-by-app, not a blanket switch. The real-world impact ranges from “nothing you’ll notice” to “a tool silently stops protecting or backing up your Mac until you reopen it”:
| If you turn it off for… | What might stop working |
|---|---|
| Cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive) | Files stop syncing until you open the app |
| Password managers | Menu bar icon and quick autofill |
| Backup tools (Time Machine–adjacent or third-party) | Scheduled backups silently stop running |
| Security and antivirus tools | Real-time scanning and threat definition updates can pause |
| Mouse, keyboard, or dock utilities | Custom buttons, display tweaks, firmware alerts |
| Auto-updaters (for example Adobe, Microsoft) | Automatic update checks, which can leave you on an outdated or unpatched version |
For anything in a security, backup, or sync category, open the app afterward to confirm it’s still doing its job — don’t assume the switch being off is harmless just because the Mac itself is fine.
Items here are often listed under the developer’s name, such as “Google LLC”, instead of the app name. Turn off one item at a time so you know exactly what changed if something stops working.
Step 6: Manage Extensions
Scroll down to the Extensions section of the same pane. Extensions are grouped by type, such as Added Extensions, Sharing, Quick Look, and File System Extensions.
- Click the Info button (ⓘ) next to a category.
- Turn individual extensions on or off.
- Click Done.
Expected result: Turned-off extensions disappear from places like Finder’s sidebar, the Share menu, or Quick Look previews. Turning off a Finder sync extension for a cloud app is a common fix for cluttered Finder windows. However, it also removes that app’s sync status badges.
Step 7: Clean Up Leftovers From Deleted Apps
Dragging an app to the Trash doesn’t always remove its background helper. You might still see its name, or its developer’s name, under Background App Activity.
Start with the safest options:
- Use the app’s own uninstaller. Many apps include one in their Applications folder or on the original disk image. Reinstall the app if needed, run the uninstaller, then delete the app.
- Turn the leftover switch off under Background App Activity. That stops it from running even if the file remains.
- Remove broken Open at Login entries (marked with a warning symbol) using the – button.
If a leftover still won’t go away, its launch-on-demand file (a small text file telling macOS to start the helper — not the helper program itself) usually lives in one of these folders:
~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Treat this as a last resort, not a general uninstall method — it removes the trigger for the helper, not necessarily every file the app left behind (support binaries, receipts, or privileged helper tools can still remain, and that’s normal; a full uninstall usually needs the app’s own uninstaller or dedicated removal software). To look, open Finder and choose Go > Go to Folder (Cmd + Shift + G), then paste a path. Only touch a file if its name clearly matches the app you deleted, such as com.examplevendor.updater.plist. Drag just that one matching file to the Trash instead of deleting it permanently, then restart. If something breaks or you’re not sure, put it back from the Trash — a plist you’re unsure about is safer left alone or disabled via the app’s own switch than deleted.
Warning: Never remove files starting with
com.apple, and don’t remove anything you can’t identify — some of these files register privileged system services, not just convenience helpers. When in doubt, just leave the switch off under Background App Activity instead of deleting the file. It does no harm sitting there.
Configuration: A Sensible Starting Setup
- Open at Login: Keep it to things you use every day. For most people that’s a password manager, maybe a cloud sync app, and one or two menu bar tools.
- Background App Activity: Leave sync, backup, security, and hardware utility apps on. Turn off updaters and launchers for apps you rarely open.
- Extensions: Turn off Share menu and Quick Look extensions you never use. Leave file system extensions alone unless you’ve removed the app.
- New-item notifications: When Background Items Added pops up, click it right away. You’ll know exactly which app just installed the item, so it’s easier to decide.
Common Issues
A toggle won’t stay off, or the item comes back after an update
Why it happens: Some apps register themselves again each time they launch or update. They often have their own “Launch at login” setting that overrides yours.
Fix: Open the app’s Settings or Preferences and turn off options like Launch at login, Start automatically, or Check for updates automatically. Then turn the switch off again in System Settings. If it still returns after every update, contact the developer or consider an alternative app.
A toggle is greyed out
Why it happens: Your Mac is managed by an organization through MDM (Mobile Device Management), which can lock login and background settings. This is common on work or school Macs. You can check for profiles in System Settings > General > Device Management.
Fix: This isn’t a bug, so don’t spend time troubleshooting it. Ask your IT administrator to change the policy.
A sync or menu bar app stopped working
Why it happens: Its background activity was turned off.
Fix: Switch it back on under Background App Activity, then quit and reopen the app.
Login is slow or you see a blank blue screen
Why it happens: A login item is failing or conflicting with another one.
Fix: Hold Shift at the login window to skip login items. If that helps, remove all items under Open at Login, then add them back one at a time, restarting after each, until you find the culprit (Apple Support, retrieved October 12, 2026).
An app keeps using resources after you quit it
Why it happens: It has background permission and keeps a helper running.
Fix: Control-click its Dock icon and choose Stop Running in Background to end the current session, then turn off its switch under Background App Activity to stop it from running in the background going forward. That’s the main way to curb it long-term, though macOS treats ending an active background process and preventing all future activity as separate things — if you stop the same app repeatedly, the Dock menu may also offer its own future-prevention option.
FAQ
What’s the difference between “opens at login” and “runs in the background”? Opening at login launches the app where you can see it, usually in the Dock or menu bar. Running in the background lets a hidden helper do work even when the app is closed. The two are controlled separately.
Where exactly is the setting in macOS 27? Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
How do I remove a login item for an app I already deleted?
Select the broken entry, which shows a warning symbol, and click –. For background leftovers, turn the switch off first. Only move the matching file from a LaunchAgents folder to the Trash if you’re sure it belongs to the deleted app.
Is there a Mac equivalent of Windows’ Startup tab? Yes, this pane. The difference is that macOS splits startup apps and background helpers into two lists.
Wrapping Up
You now know where your Mac hides its startup apps, how to trim them, and how to stop background helpers without breaking file sync or your password manager. Honestly, Apple’s two-list approach confuses switchers at first. Once it clicks, though, splitting “opens on screen” from “runs unseen in the background” into two separate switches is, in our experience, an easier mental model than Windows’ single on/off list — and the Background Items Added alerts give you a heads-up when an app registers new background activity.
| Step | Action | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Login Items & Extensions | All Macs on macOS 27 |
| 2–4 | Add or remove Open at Login items (pane or Dock) | Apps, documents, folders |
| 5 | Turn off Background App Activity | Helpers, updaters |
| 6 | Manage Extensions | Finder, Share menu, Quick Look |
| 7 | Clean up leftovers carefully | Deleted apps |