Our Mac allows us to open apps automatically when we turn it on. However, there may come a time when too many apps have this behavior, making us dedicate time to close a number of windows just after logging into the Mac.
There are several different settings that can cause this behavior, so we need to go to different places to prevent certain apps from opening automatically when the Mac is turned on. Fortunately, it's quite simple.
Reopen Windows When Logging Back In
The main reason why various apps open automatically along with the Mac is a small setting in the shutdown dialog box.
As we can see in the image above, with the "Reopen windows when logging back in" option activated, we are telling the Mac to reopen all the apps that we had open when we shut it down.
In this case, we can do two things. The first is to deactivate this option the next time we shut down our Mac, and it will remain deactivated until we manually reactivate it, also when shutting down the Mac. The second is to remember to close certain apps before shutting down the computer.
System Settings
Another reason why apps can open automatically is that they are configured to do so. In this case, the previous step does not affect this behavior at all. So, to change it, we will go to the System Settings. The steps to follow are as follows:
- In the Apple menu () choose System Settings.
- We go into General.
- We click on Startup Items.
- In the list, we select the application we want to stop opening automatically.
- We tap the "-" button at the bottom of the list.
By removing the application from the list of those that should open as soon as we log in, we will avoid just that behavior. If later we want to recover it, all we have to do is tap the "+" button and choose the app we want to open automatically.
Individual App Settings
Finally, keep in mind that some specific apps, especially if we have not downloaded them from the Mac App Store, can use alternative mechanisms to open automatically.
If it is the case that a particular app continues to open automatically despite having completed all the previous steps, the best thing to do is to open that app and look in its settings for an option like "Open Automatically" or similar to be able to deactivate it.
Automatic opening of apps can be very useful, especially if we know how to manage it. Having always available the apps we use the most is one thing and having dozens of apps open without prior notice is quite another. Fortunately, our Mac offers us the tools to have only the apps we decide open automatically.
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