How to Stop Apps and Programs from Opening on Startup

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Prevent apps from starting automatically on PC or mobile

Co-authored by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: October 30, 2025

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Using Task Manager (Windows)

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Using Settings (Windows)

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Using Mac

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Using Safari (iPhone/iPad)

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Using Android

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Tired of apps on your computer or phone opening without your consent? If you have stubborn apps you want to stop, you can easily disable their startup settings using your Task Manager on Windows or Login Items on Mac. You can even adjust your smartphone settings. Here's how to stop apps from opening on startup using your Windows 11/10 or Mac computer, iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Disabling Startup Apps on a Computer

To stop apps from opening on startup on Windows, open the Task Manager and click the Startup apps tab. Select an app, and then click Disable. On Mac, open System Settings > General. Click Login Items, select an app, and then select the minus (-) button.

Section 1 of 5:

Using Task Manager (Windows)

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1
Open the Task Manager. Press the keyboard shortcut: CTRL + Shift + Esc to quickly open the Task Manager.
- You can also right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
- If you have stubborn apps that keep opening whenever you turn on your computer—such as Discord or Steam—you can easily disable them using the Task Manager.
2
Click the Startup apps tab. You can find this in the left panel, between App history and Users. On Windows 10, this tab will be at the top instead.
- If you don't see this option, click the three-lines menu to expand the options.
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3
Click an app to select it. You'll see these apps listed underneath Name. If any app is currently set to open on startup, you should see "Enabled" underneath Status.
4
Click Disable. This option is at the top-right corner. Clicking this option will stop the app from opening on startup.^{[1]
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- Be sure to restart your computer to make sure it takes effect.
- If the app continues to open when you turn on your computer, try disabling it in Windows settings instead.

Section 2 of 5:

Using Settings (Windows)

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1
Open the Windows Settings. Press the keyboard shortcut Windows key + I to quickly open this window.
- Alternatively, click the Start menu and select Settings (cog icon).
2
Click Apps, and then Startup. This will open a list of apps that may open on startup.
3
Click the switch next to an app. The switch will turn grey (off), and the app will no longer open when you turn on your computer or laptop.

Section 3 of 5:

Using Mac

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1
Click the Apple menu and select System Settings. On older devices, this will be System Preferences.
2
Click General. You can find this in the left sidebar.
3
Click Login Items. This will list apps that may open on startup.
4
Click the app you want to stop. This will select it.
5
Click - . This will remove the app and stop it from opening on startup.
- If apps continue to open on startup, select Restart from the Apple menu. In the window that pops up, uncheck the box for Reopen windows when logging back in, then click Restart.^{[2]
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Section 4 of 5:

Using Safari (iPhone/iPad)

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1
Open the Settings app. This is the grey cog icon.
- If you don't want links in other apps to open in Safari, you can easily change it in your settings.
- If a link in Safari redirects you to an app or another location, you can long-press on the link and select Open in New Tab or Open in Safari instead.
2
Tap Apps and select the app. This option is typically app-specific, so you'll need to change it for each app redirecting you to Safari.
3
Look for an "Open supported links" option. This will be different depending on the app, but this option should specify Safari or another browser.
4
Disable this option. Once disabled, you'll no longer be redirected to Safari when browsing another app.

Section 5 of 5:

Using Android

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1
Open the Settings app. If you have a slow Android, you may have a lot of apps running in the background. You can easily stop apps from opening or loading while you're idle.
2
Tap About or similar. This may look like About this device or About this phone.
3
Find the "Build number" and tap it 7 times. This is how you can enable developer mode on an Android.
- You should see the message "You are now a developer!"
4
Tap Running services. This will open a list of apps.
5
Tap an app. This should be an app you don't want to start automatically.
6
Tap Stop. This will stop the app from starting or restarting automatically. Repeat these steps for any other apps you want to stop.