Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services these days. Although many of its users love the app for its convenience and user-friendly interface, some experience difficulties, especially when it comes to controlling the app. One of the most common complaints is that Spotify automatically starts up every time you turn on your Mac. This can be frustrating, especially if you don’t always want to listen to music. Fortunately, there are ways to turn off Spotify on startup Mac. In this article, we’ll discuss several of those methods and provide step-by-step instructions for each.
Video Tutorial:
Why You Need to Turn Off Spotify on Startup Mac
Spotify is an app that most people use daily, but not everyone wants it to be running in the background all the time. Having Spotify start automatically whenever your Mac turns on can be a problem, especially if you’re trying to conserve battery life or reduce the number of apps that run in the background. Moreover, some Mac users may not have internet access and prefer to work offline without interruption.
Therefore, it is vital to know how to turn off Spotify from starting up automatically and save your battery, eliminate an unnecessary background process, or avoid getting distracted by music while you’re working.
Method 1: Stop Spotify from Launching at Startup Via Spotify
Spotify has its own feature to control how the app starts when you launch your Mac’s system. Therefore, you can disable the Spotify app from starting up in Spotify settings and avoid unwanted operations when starting your Mac.
Here are the steps you can follow:
1. Open Spotify by clicking the Spotify icon in your dock or by searching for the app in your Applications folder.
2. Go to the ‘Spotify’ menu in the top left corner of the screen and select ‘Preferences’.
3. Scroll down and look for the ‘Startup and Window Behaviour’ section.
4. Toggle off the ‘Open Spotify automatically after you log into the computer’ option to prevent Spotify from opening when logging in to your account.
5. Close the Spotify app and restart your Mac to test the change.
Pros:
– Easy and simple steps to follow
– No installation of extra apps are required
Cons:
– It only works for Spotify app
Method 2: Stop Spotify from Launching at Startup Via User Login Item
Another approach is to disable Spotify from starting up in the System Preferences Users and Groups. This process applies to all the apps that load on your Mac after the login process.
Here’s how to disable Spotify from starting up in the Users and Groups settings:
1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of your screen.
2. Go to System Preferences, and select ‘Users & Groups’.
3. Choose your account on the left-hand side, and select the ‘Login Items’ tab.
4. Find the Spotify app in the list and select it.
5. Click on the ‘-‘ button below the list to remove Spotify from your login items.
Pros:
– Universal approach to remove any specific app from launching at startup
– You can enable the app’s startup again any time by adding it to the login items again
Cons:
– It may affect other apps that depend on Spotify
Method 3: Stop Spotify from Launching at Startup Via Terminal Commands
Running specific Terminal commands can be an effective way to stop Spotify from launching at startup. It may seem intimidating to some people, but it is a simple process that involves copying and pasting a few lines of codes to the Terminal app.
Here are the steps you can follow:
1. Open the Terminal app. You can do this by pressing Command + Space and typing "Terminal" into the search bar.
2. Copy and paste the following command into the Terminal and press Enter: "launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.spotify.webhelper.plist"
3. Restart your Mac to make sure that the changes are applied.
Pros:
– It is efficient and fast, and no additional apps are required
– It also works on other launch agents and daemons
Cons:
– The Terminal can be intimidating to some users
– You need to have the correct spelling for the command to work
What to Do If You Can’t Turn Off Spotify on Startup Mac
Sometimes none of the above methods works for stopping Spotify from launching at startup. Here are some fixes that you can try:
– Reset Spotify preferences: Go to ‘Library’ > ‘Preferences’ folder and delete the com.spotify.client.plist file.
– Update your Spotify app: Sometimes, updating the app may solve the problem and allow you to turn off the Spotify launch at startup option.
– Restart your Mac: This may sound too simple, but simply restarting your Mac may eliminate the problem.
Bonus Tip
If you don’t always want to see Spotify in your dock, you can also hide it by right-clicking on the Spotify app icon and selecting "Options" > "Hide" from the dropdown list. This way, you can still access Spotify when you want it by searching for it in your Applications folder or using Spotlight search.
5 FAQs
Q: Is it possible to keep Spotify but prevent it from streaming music when my Mac starts?
A: Unfortunately, Spotify does not offer this feature, and you can only disable it from launching the app.
Q: How can I add an app to my Login Items list?
A: Open ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Users & Groups’ > unlock the lock icon to make changes > click the ‘+’ button below the list of login items > select the app > click ‘Add’.
Q: Is it safe to run Terminal commands?
A: Yes, it is safe to run Terminal commands as long as you copy the command correctly.
Q: I can’t locate the ‘Library’ file. Where is it?
A: You can access the Library folder from the Finder menu by holding the ‘Option’ key.
Q: Do I need to restart my Mac every time I make changes to the startup items?
A: Yes, it is necessary to restart your Mac to make sure that the new changes take effect.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, turning off Spotify on startup Mac is an easy but vital process that most Mac users should know. There are several methods that you can use to prevent Spotify from launching when you start up your computer. You can either use the app’s feature to disable auto-start, stop it by modifying the login items list, or use Terminal commands. If none of the methods work, there are fixes that you can do to solve the problem. Lastly, hiding Spotify using the "Options" feature is also a convenient way to use the app when needed without crowding your dock.