Help › Login items
Mac slow to start? Too many apps open at login
Many apps add themselves to your login without asking. Each one uses memory and processor time from the moment you log in, even if you never open it. Turn off the ones you do not need, and your Mac starts faster and has more memory for your work.
Why login items slow your Mac
Chat apps, cloud drives, updaters and launchers like to start at login. One or two are fine. Many of them together make login slow, and they keep using memory all day. On a Mac with 8 GB of memory, every app counts.
Some apps also leave a helper running after you quit them, for example to sync files.
How to see what starts by itself
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions. On macOS 14 Sonoma, it is called Login Items.
- Open at Login lists the apps that open every time you log in.
- Allow in the Background lists apps that can work while they are closed. For example, they check for updates or sync data (Apple Support).
How to turn them off
- Under Open at Login, select an app that you do not need and click the remove button (−).
- Under Allow in the Background, turn off the switch for apps that you do not use.
- If an app adds itself again, turn off its own “Open at login” option in that app's settings.
- Restart your Mac to see the difference.
Which ones to keep
Keep the apps that you want ready at all times. Good examples are a password manager, a cloud drive that you use every day, and a security app that your work needs. Turn off updaters, launchers and helpers for apps that you rarely open. If you do not know what an item does, leave it on.
Sluggish shows which ones cost the most
When six or more apps start by themselves, Sluggish names them and shows how much memory they use together. One click opens Login Items settings.
Download SluggishYour first 10 checks are free, then $12 one time. macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.