Change Login Items & Extensions settings on Mac
If you’re an administrator of your Mac, you can use Login Items & Extensions settings to select the apps, documents and server connections that open automatically when you log in to your Mac.
You can also turn Apple and third-party extensions on and off for your Mac, and select extensions to include in the Share menu. Extensions, such as Markup, add extra functionality to apps, the Finder and the Touch Bar.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Login Items & Extensions. (You may need to scroll down.)
Open Login Items & Extensions settings for me
Login Items settings
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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Open at Login | Choose login items that open automatically when you log in.
If you see next to an item, the item won’t open automatically because it was moved or deleted. | ||||||||||
Item column | View the names of apps, documents, folders or connections that open automatically. | ||||||||||
Kind column | View the type of item (app, document, folder, volume). | ||||||||||
Allow in the Background | Allow apps to perform tasks when the app isn’t open, such as checking for software updates or syncing data. |
Extensions settings
To change these settings, click next to an option, turn the option on or off, then click Done.
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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Added extensions | Extensions you installed on your Mac. These are extensions created by third-party developers. If the extension is a content extension that enables extra functionality in apps, an Actions tickbox is shown below the extension. If it’s a Finder extension, a Finder tickbox is shown. Select the tickbox to enable the extension. | ||||||||||
Actions | Content extensions installed on your Mac. Select a content extension to make it available in apps. For example, if Markup is turned on, you can draw on pictures and sign documents in apps such as Mail, TextEdit or Preview. | ||||||||||
Camera Extensions | Camera extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to install and use custom cameras. | ||||||||||
Colour Panels | Colour panel extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to select and view colours, copy and paste colour codes, create palettes and more. | ||||||||||
Dock Tiles | Dock tile extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to customise the dock by adding spacers, set quick actions, see previews and actions, and more. | ||||||||||
Drivers | Driver extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to install custom drivers to give apps access to system functionalities. | ||||||||||
Endpoint Security Extensions | Endpoint security extensions installed on your Mac. These enhance security functionality by monitoring system events for potentially malicious activity. | ||||||||||
File Providers | File provider extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to see local files and remote storage files in one view in Finder. | ||||||||||
Finder | Finder extensions installed on your Mac, such as iCloud Drive. Finder extensions enhance search and organisation functionalities for files, documents, images and more. Turn on extensions you want to access from the Quick Actions menu on the desktop, and in the Finder and the Finder Preview pane. See Perform quick actions in the Finder. | ||||||||||
Media | Media extensions installed on your Mac. These add new controls for playback, editing and sharing. Extensions can also be used for playing various formats. | ||||||||||
Network Extensions | Network extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to customise and extend core networking features such as configuring a VPN or content filter. | ||||||||||
Photo Projects | Photo project extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to create, edit and order print projects in Photos. Photos extensions installed on your Mac, such as Markup. Turn on a Photos extension to make it available in Photos while editing photos. | ||||||||||
Photos Editing | Photos extensions installed on your Mac, such as Markup. Turn on a Photos extension to make it available in Photos while editing photos. | ||||||||||
Quick Look | Quick Look extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to click on a file, then press the Space bar to preview the file. | ||||||||||
Sharing | Select the sharing extensions to include in the Share menu (available from in the Finder and in many Mac apps).
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Smart Card Readers | Smart card reader extensions installed on your Mac. These allow you to manage smart cards and certificates, authenticate and complete tasks across apps. | ||||||||||
Spotlight | Spotlight extensions installed on your Mac. These enhance search functionality by allowing your Mac to search and display content from many sources and apps. | ||||||||||
Touch Bar | If your Mac has a Touch Bar, turn on extensions that you want to access from it. (You need to first set Touch Bar options to show Quick Actions, or add the Quick Actions button to the Touch Bar.) |