To open Slack automatically on a Mac, go to System Settings, General, Login Items and add Slack under Open at Login. To open it only when you start work, together with your other apps, use an Apple Shortcut or ClapSnap, which opens the whole set on a double clap or snap.
Slack is where many teams talk all day, so it is one of the most common apps people want open the moment they log in.
Open Slack at every login
macOS can open Slack each time you log in. Follow the steps below, or right-click Slack in the Dock and choose Options, then Open at Login.
Some apps also offer an "open at login" option in their own settings. If Slack does, use either that or Login Items, not both, or you may get duplicate windows.
Open Slack with the rest of your workspace
To open Slack only when you start work, together with your other apps:
- Apple Shortcuts: add an Open App action for Slack and each companion app, then run the shortcut from a hotkey or the menu bar. See how to open multiple apps with one shortcut.
- ClapSnap: add Slack to your app list and double clap or snap; everything opens together, with no keyboard. See how to make your Mac open apps when you clap.
When to open Slack on demand
If Slack at login pulls you into messages before you have started real work, leave it out of Login Items and open it with the rest of your workspace when you are ready, or later in the morning.
Apps people open with Slack
Slack is part of the developer workspace, designer workspace. For every method in one place, see 7 ways to open apps automatically on Mac.
Add Slack to Login Items
- Open System Settings. Choose Apple menu, then System Settings.
- Go to Login Items. Select General, then Login Items.
- Add Slack. Under Open at Login, click the add button and choose Slack from Applications.
- Restart to check. Log out and back in; Slack should open on its own.
Questions
Why does Slack open twice or show a blank window at login?
That usually means Slack is both in Login Items and set to open by itself. Keep one of the two and remove the other.
How do I stop Slack opening at login on Mac?
Open System Settings, General, Login Items, select Slack under Open at Login and click the minus button.
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