What opens at login on my Mac, and how do I turn it off?

Q: An item only shows a company name. What does it run?

Each helper is a small.plist file that names the program it starts. List them: ls ~/Library/LaunchAgents /Library/LaunchAgents /Library/LaunchDaemons ~/Library/LaunchAgents runs for you only, /Library/LaunchAgents for every user, and /Library/LaunchDaemons for the whole Mac, even before anyone logs in. To see what one runs, read its ProgramArguments: plutil -p /Library/LaunchAgents/com.example.agent.plist macOS also keeps its own list, with the developer's name and the program's path for each item: sfltool dumpbtm If it says it needs administrator rights, run it as sudo sfltool dumpbtm.

Q: Can I delete the.plist files?

Only for apps you've already removed. If the program a.plist points to no longer exists, the file is a leftover and can go to the Trash; it stops loading after you log out or restart. For apps you still use, switch the item off in System Settings instead, or remove the app with its maker's uninstaller: deleting the file of an installed app often brings it back, or breaks the app.

Updated November 3, 2026

Some apps open the moment you log in, and others start helpers you never see: updaters, sync agents, menu bar tools. macOS lists them in one place, but the background list often shows only a company name.

The short answer: open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions. Open at Login lists apps that open when you log in: select one and click the minus button. App Background Activity (called Allow in the Background in macOS 15) lists helpers that run without a window: switch one off to stop it. The files behind those helpers are in the LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons folders.

Where do I see what opens at login?

Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then Login Items & Extensions. You may need to scroll down. The page has two lists:

Open at Login: apps, documents and server connections that open when you log in, with their kind. A yellow warning sign means the item was moved or deleted.
App Background Activity: programs that run after you close their app, to check for updates or sync data. They're grouped by app or developer.

How do I stop an app from opening at login?

In Open at Login, select the app and click the minus button.
If it comes back, the app adds itself: look in its own settings for an option such as "Open at login" or "Launch at startup" and turn it off.
For an app in the Dock, Control-click its icon and choose Options; a tick next to Open at Login means it starts with the Mac.

What are the items in App Background Activity?

Mostly updaters (Google, Microsoft, Adobe), sync and backup tools, VPN and security software, and helpers for apps such as Docker or Karabiner. Switching one off stops it from starting; switch it on again any time. An app may stop updating itself or stop a feature while its helper is off.

An item only shows a company name. What does it run?

Each helper is a small .plist file that names the program it starts. List them:

ls ~/Library/LaunchAgents /Library/LaunchAgents /Library/LaunchDaemons

~/Library/LaunchAgents runs for you only, /Library/LaunchAgents for every user, and /Library/LaunchDaemons for the whole Mac, even before anyone logs in. To see what one runs, read its ProgramArguments:

plutil -p /Library/LaunchAgents/com.example.agent.plist

macOS also keeps its own list, with the developer's name and the program's path for each item:

sfltool dumpbtm

If it says it needs administrator rights, run it as sudo sfltool dumpbtm.

Can I delete the .plist files?

Only for apps you've already removed. If the program a .plist points to no longer exists, the file is a leftover and can go to the Trash; it stops loading after you log out or restart. For apps you still use, switch the item off in System Settings instead, or remove the app with its maker's uninstaller: deleting the file of an installed app often brings it back, or breaks the app.