macOS · Apps

Manage Login Items and Extensions on Mac

Login Items & Extensions settings control which apps and documents open automatically when you log in, plus which system extensions — like Finder add-ons, sharing options, and background helper processes — are allowed to run.

How to open Login Items & Extensions

  1. Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions.
  2. Click the + button under Open at Login to add an app, folder, or document.
  3. Review the 'Allow in the Background' list and toggle off anything you don't recognize or need.
  4. Scroll to Extensions to enable or disable Finder, Share Menu, or other extension categories.

What you should know

  • Add apps, folders, or documents to 'Open at Login' so they launch automatically every time you sign in.
  • Allow or block background items that apps install themselves, shown in a separate list from ones you add manually.
  • Extensions are grouped by type: Finder, Share Menu, Actions, and more, each toggled independently.
  • A notification appears when a new app adds itself as a background login item, with a direct link to this settings pane.

Too many apps set to open at login meaningfully slows down startup and can quietly consume memory and battery in the background all day — review this list periodically rather than only when something first gets added.

Why it matters

Every app set to open at login adds to your Mac's startup time and consumes memory continuously afterward, so an unchecked list of login items is one of the more common, invisible causes of a Mac that 'feels slower than it used to.' Background items are also a meaningful security and privacy checkpoint, since some apps quietly add themselves without a clear prompt, and reviewing this list is one of the more effective ways to spot something unexpected running. Extensions extend what Finder and other system features can do, but each one adds a small amount of overhead, so enabling only the ones you actually use keeps things both faster and less cluttered.

Best practices

  • Limit Open at Login to apps you genuinely want running immediately every session, like a password manager or messaging app.
  • Review the 'Allow in the Background' list every few months and disable anything from an app you no longer use.
  • Investigate any background item you don't recognize before assuming it's safe, since malicious software sometimes tries to add itself this way.
  • Only enable Finder or Share Menu extensions you actually use, since each one adds a small amount of overhead to those menus.
  • Remove login items for apps you've uninstalled, since some leave a stale entry behind rather than removing it automatically.

Common problems and fixes

Mac takes noticeably longer to feel usable right after logging in.
Open Login Items & Extensions and remove non-essential apps from Open at Login, keeping only what you truly need running immediately.
An unfamiliar item keeps appearing in the 'Allow in the Background' list.
Identify which installed app it belongs to (often named similarly), decide whether you still use that app, and toggle it off if you don't recognize or want it.
A Finder extension or Quick Action isn't showing up in the right-click menu.
Confirm it's toggled on under Login Items & Extensions → Extensions, and that the parent app has been opened at least once after installation.
Removing an app from Login Items doesn't stop a notification about it running in the background.
Fully quit the app (not just close its window) via its Dock icon or Activity Monitor, since some apps relaunch a background helper independently of the login item toggle until they're force-quit once.

Tips and tricks

  • Drag an app directly into the Open at Login list from Finder instead of using the + button and file picker.
  • Check Activity Monitor's 'CPU' or 'Energy' tabs alongside this list if your Mac feels slow, since a runaway background process is sometimes the deeper cause rather than the login item itself.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between items I add and items in 'Allow in the Background'?

Items you add with the + button are ones you explicitly chose to open at login, while 'Allow in the Background' lists things apps registered themselves, often without an obvious prompt, giving you a chance to review and revoke them.

Does disabling a login item uninstall the app?

No, it only stops that app from launching automatically at login — the app itself stays installed and can still be opened manually anytime.

Will I be notified when a new app tries to run in the background?

Yes, macOS shows a notification the first time an app registers a background login item, with a shortcut straight to this settings pane so you can review or block it immediately.

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