Quick Mac Tip: Save Clicks with This Simple Trick

If you're like me and rarely power down your MacBook or iMac—usually only when there's a software update—you might not think much about what happens when you do restart. But if you're in the habit of shutting down your Mac regularly, perhaps for travel or just as a routine, you'll want to streamline your startup process. One way to do that is by setting certain applications to launch automatically upon login.

For instance, if you know you'll jump straight into your web browser every time you start up, why not have it ready and waiting for you? I personally set my browser and email client to open at login to save those few extra clicks and get straight to work.

But how do you set this up? Let me walk you through it.

How to Add Apps to Startup on Your Mac

What You'll Need: Just a Mac running macOS and the apps you want to auto-start installed. I'll use a MacBook Pro M1 with Arc browser and Apple Mail as examples.

On my MacBook Pro and iMac, I've set up apps like Rectangle for advanced window management and Bartender 5 for customizing the top bar to start at login. These aren't apps I interact with directly, but they're crucial background services that enhance my Mac's functionality. You can do the same with apps you use directly or those that work behind the scenes.

1. Open Settings

First, log into your Mac. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner, then select System Settings. Alternatively, you can access System Settings from the Launchpad on your Dock.

2. Navigate to Login Items & Extensions

In the System Settings app, click on General in the left sidebar. Scroll down to find Login Items & Extensions and click it.

3. Add Your First Item

Under "Open at Login," click the + button to open the file picker. Select Applications from the left pane, then scroll to find the app you want to add. Click the app and then click Open to add it to the list. Repeat this for each app you want to launch at login.

You can also toggle apps to run in the background on this page.

While you can add numerous apps, be cautious not to include too many, especially resource-heavy ones that rely on databases, as this could slow down your login process.

Once you've set everything up, close System Settings. You can either continue what you were doing or restart your Mac to test if the setup works (it should).

Congrats! You've now optimized your Mac's startup to save time and get straight to work as soon as you log in.