Startup Items

Many apps start when you turn on or sign in to your Mac, or keep running in the background. Startup Items lists them in one place so you can turn off what you don't need and clean up startup settings left behind by deleted apps.

#Scan startup items

Open Startup Items and click Scan Startup Items. The scan only reads the current configuration and does not change any settings. You can click Scan Again at any time.

Results are grouped by app. Use the search box to find a program or publisher, or filter by All, Enabled, Disabled or Leftovers. Items that come with macOS are hidden by default; select Show system items to see them.

If you see Check Full Disk Access, some background login items could not be read. Click Open Full Disk Access settings, allow access for WashBear, then scan again for more complete results.

#View details

Click a row to see When it starts, Startup type, Startup configuration, Runs, Current runtime state, Digital signature and Configuration modified. You can copy the configuration path and what the item runs, or click Show in folder to find it in Finder.

#Turn items on or off

Use the switch at the end of each row to control automatic startup. If an app has several startup entries, expand it to change each one. When you switch a whole group, WashBear first shows Confirm changes with the change for each entry.

• Turning off automatic startup does not uninstall the app or stop a program that is already running. Items marked Startup disabled; still running stop starting automatically after your next restart or sign-in.
• Items in /Library apply to all users, so macOS asks for an administrator password before they change. If you cancel, nothing changes.
• Items managed by macOS are view-only, and WashBear does not bypass system protection. Click Open Login Items Settings to manage them in System Settings.

Security software, input methods, and sync and backup tools usually need to stay on. If you are not sure about an item, leave it unchanged.

#Delete a startup item

For startup items stored as configuration files, you can click Delete Startup Item. The confirmation explains that only the startup settings are deleted and the app's files remain. The configuration file is deleted directly and does not go to the Trash. Some apps create it again the next time they open.

#Clean up leftovers

When an app has been deleted but its startup configuration remains, it appears under Leftovers, and you can remove it with Delete Startup Item or Delete leftover record. Some login records can only be removed in the Login Items settings of macOS. Expand the item and follow How to handle this, then return to WashBear and scan again.

#Ask AI about unfamiliar items

If you don't recognize a startup item, hover over its row and click AI explanation to learn which app it belongs to and how turning it off could affect syncing, updates or other features. AI only explains; you decide whether to make a change. See AI Explanations to set it up.

Every time you turn a startup item on or off or delete it, the result is recorded in Operation History.