Hey, friends Today you will learn How to stop apps from opening on startup on Windows and Mac. We understand why you want to know how to stop apps from opening on startup: it’s one of the most inconvenient aspects of installing software on a Windows or Mac device.
Yes, you may want Spotify or Steam to start up with your computer, but if every app does it against your will, you’re just wasting memory and system resources, delaying boot-up times and lowering performance.
While each app will likely have a setting hidden away to prevent it from starting up with macOS or Windows, there are also ways of disabling everything globally. Here’s how to stop apps from opening on startup, in both Windows and macOS.
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How to stop apps from opening on startup in Windows
Note: The steps are the same for both Windows 10 and 11, though the screenshots below are from the latter.
1. Select Settings from the Windows Start menu.
2. Select Apps from the submenu that appears.
3. Click Startup from the available options. In Windows 11, it’s at the very bottom of the list.
4. You’ll be presented with a list of every optional app that’s asked to start with Windows, along with a toggle to turn it on or off.
Apply these as you see fit, but keep in mind the ‘impact’ text to the right of each one, as it will tell you the benefit of disabling any given piece of software. “No impact” or “low impact” may not be worthwhile, whereas “high impact” will significantly improve startup times — at least according to Windows.
How to stop apps from opening on startup in MacOS
1. On your Mac, press the menu button (the one shaped like the Apple logo in the top left-hand corner of the screen). Select System preferences from the list.
2. From the menu that opens up, select Users & Groups.
3. Change the view to show Login Items in the top bar. Click an item you don’t want MacOS to start with, and then click the minus button at the bottom of the window to remove it.
4. There’s also an easier way to do this app by app. Simply right-click an open item in the dock, select Options, and then check or uncheck Open at Login.
In either case, the result will be a much faster boot-up process and no time wasted closing down unwanted apps.