The simplest way to open apps automatically on a Mac is Login Items: System Settings, General, Login Items, then add the app under Open at Login. For apps you want only some of the time, an Apple Shortcut or ClapSnap opens a whole set on demand, ClapSnap with a double clap and no keyboard.
There are two kinds of automatic: apps that open every time you log in, and apps that open together when you ask. Here are seven ways to do either, from the built-in basics to a hands-free trigger.
1. Login Items (built in)
The standard way, on macOS 13 Ventura and later:
- Open System Settings, then General, then Login Items.
- Under Open at Login, click + and choose the app.
Best for apps you want running all day: a chat app, a password manager, a menu bar utility.
2. The Dock menu
Right-click an app's icon in the Dock, choose Options, then Open at Login. It adds the same Login Item with two clicks.
3. The app's own setting
Many apps offer an "open at login" or "launch at startup" option in their own settings. It does the same job as Login Items, and the app manages it for you.
4. Reopen windows when logging back in
When you shut down or restart, macOS offers Reopen windows when logging back in. Leave it ticked and the apps you had open come back. It is automatic, but it reopens whatever was open last, not a set you choose.
5. Apple Shortcuts (on demand)
Make a shortcut with one Open App action per app and run it from a hotkey, the menu bar, Spotlight or Siri. Good for a set of apps you want only at certain times. The full steps are in how to open multiple apps with one shortcut.
6. Automator or launchd (for tinkerers)
An Automator application with Launch Application actions can itself be a Login Item. For full control, a launchd agent (a property list in ~/Library/LaunchAgents) can start an app on a schedule or at login. Powerful, but easy to get wrong.
7. ClapSnap (hands-free, on demand)
ClapSnap opens your chosen set of apps when you double clap or double snap, detected on your Mac. It suits apps you do not want open all day: clap for your work apps when you sit down, without a key. See how to make your Mac open apps when you clap.
Which should you use?
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| An app open all the time | Login Items, or the app's own setting |
| Yesterday's session back | Reopen windows when logging back in |
| A set of apps from a hotkey | Apple Shortcuts |
| A set of apps without touching anything | ClapSnap |
| A schedule or custom conditions | launchd or Keyboard Maestro |
For app-by-app instructions, see how to open specific apps automatically.
Questions
How do I stop an app opening at login on Mac?
Open System Settings, then General, then Login Items, select the app under Open at Login and click the minus button. Also check the app's own settings, since some apps add themselves back.
Why does an app still open after I removed it from Login Items?
Either the app has its own open-at-login setting, or macOS is reopening windows from your last session. Turn off the app's setting, and untick Reopen windows when logging back in when you shut down or restart.
Try ClapSnap. Double clap or snap to open your whole Mac workspace, and steer the cursor with your hand. Pay what you want, minimum €8, one-time purchase, with a 14-day refund. Get ClapSnap