To stop Zoom from opening when you start your Mac, remove it from your Mac’s login items: open the Apple menu, choose System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, select Zoom in the list of apps that open at login, and click the Remove (minus) button. Zoom stays installed and works normally; it just won’t launch by itself anymore.
If Zoom still shows up after that, check the Dock’s Options menu for Zoom, turn off Zoom’s background permission, and make sure macOS isn’t simply reopening windows that were open when you shut down. Each fix is covered below.
Quick Answer
- Quit Zoom if it’s open.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
- In the list of items that open at login, select Zoom (it may be listed as zoom.us) and click the Remove button (minus sign).
- Optionally, turn off Zoom in the background items list so it can’t run tasks when it isn’t open.
- When you shut down or restart, uncheck Reopen windows when logging back in if you don’t want open apps to come back.
- Restart your Mac to confirm Zoom no longer opens.
In This Guide
- Before you start
- Method 1: Remove Zoom from Login Items
- Method 2: Turn off Zoom’s background permission
- Method 3: Turn off Open at Login in the Dock
- Method 4: Check Zoom’s own settings
- Stop macOS from reopening Zoom after a restart
- Which fix do you need?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start
This guide covers the Zoom Workplace desktop app on a Mac running a current version of macOS, as of September 2026. The steps use System Settings, which replaced System Preferences starting with macOS Ventura. On older macOS versions, the equivalent list lives in System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items. Not sure which version you have? Our comparison of macOS Sonoma and Ventura explains the recent releases.
Two terms help here:
- Login items are apps, documents, or folders that macOS opens automatically when you log in to your user account.
- Background items are parts of an app that can run tasks, such as checking for updates, even when the app’s window isn’t open.
You need to be able to sign in to your own Mac user account. You don’t need to uninstall Zoom or change anything inside a meeting. If your Mac is managed by an employer or school, some items may be controlled by your organization and can’t be changed from your account.
Method 1: Remove Zoom From Login Items
This is the main fix and works for most people. Apple documents it on its page about opening items automatically when you log in.
- If Zoom is running, quit it: click zoom.us in the menu bar and choose the quit option, or press Command + Q while Zoom is active.
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.
- Click General in the sidebar. You may need to scroll up in the sidebar to see it.
- Click Login Items & Extensions. On some macOS versions this is labeled Login Items. Expected result: you see a list of items that open automatically at login.
- Select Zoom in that list. It may appear as zoom.us or Zoom Workplace.
- Click the Remove button (minus sign) below the list. Expected result: Zoom disappears from the list.
- Restart your Mac, or log out and back in, to check that Zoom no longer opens.
Removing Zoom here doesn’t delete the app or your meetings, settings, or sign-in. You can still open Zoom from the Applications folder, Launchpad, or Spotlight whenever you need it.
Method 2: Turn Off Zoom’s Background Permission
Below the login items list, the same settings page has a section for apps allowed to run in the background. Apple describes this as letting an app perform tasks when it isn’t open, such as checking for software updates or syncing data. If Zoom has a background item, turning it off can stop some helper processes from starting at login.
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
- Scroll to the list of apps allowed in the background.
- Find Zoom (or an item from Zoom’s developer, which may be listed under a company name).
- Turn off its switch. macOS may ask for your password.
Before you change it, know the tradeoff: background permissions can be how an app keeps itself updated. If you turn Zoom’s off, open Zoom now and then and check for updates yourself, from the Zoom menu or your profile menu inside the app. Keeping Zoom current matters for security and meeting compatibility.
Method 3: Turn Off Open at Login in the Dock
If Zoom’s icon is kept in your Dock, the Dock’s shortcut menu is another place the open-at-login setting can be switched on. Apple’s guide to using the Dock explains that you Control-click an app’s icon to reach its Options menu.
- Find the Zoom icon in the Dock. If Zoom isn’t open and isn’t kept in the Dock, skip this method.
- Control-click the icon (or right-click with a mouse, or click with two fingers on a trackpad).
- Point to Options.
- If Open at Login has a checkmark next to it, click it to remove the checkmark. If there’s no checkmark, this setting is already off.
This option and the Login Items list control the same behavior, so turning it off in one place should remove Zoom from the other. The exact wording in the Options menu can vary slightly between macOS versions.
Method 4: Check Zoom’s Own Settings
Zoom’s desktop app has its own auto-start setting, but Zoom’s help article, Enabling Start Zoom when I start Windows, documents it for Windows only. There, the toggle is called Auto-start Zoom Workplace and sits under Settings > General. Older app versions used a label such as “Start Zoom when I start Windows”.
On a Mac, the macOS login items setting is what controls startup. Still, it’s worth a quick look in case your version of Zoom shows a similar option:
- Open Zoom and sign in.
- Click your profile picture, then choose Settings.
- Click General.
- If you see an option to start or auto-start Zoom with your computer, turn it off. If there’s no such option, rely on Methods 1 to 3.
Using a Windows PC as well? The Windows version of this fix lives in that Zoom toggle and in Windows’ own startup list, which our guide to turning off startup apps in Windows 10 walks through.
Stop macOS From Reopening Zoom After a Restart
Sometimes Zoom isn’t a login item at all. It reappears because it was open when you shut down, and macOS reopened your apps and windows when you logged back in. Apple’s page on shutting down or restarting your Mac explains the checkbox that controls this.
- Choose Apple menu > Shut Down or Restart.
- In the confirmation dialog, deselect Reopen windows when logging back in.
- Confirm the shutdown or restart.
A simpler habit also works: quit Zoom with Command + Q before you shut down, so there’s nothing to reopen.
Skip all login items one time
If you only want to stop Zoom and everything else from opening for a single login, Apple suggests holding the Shift key. At the login window, press and hold Shift while you click the Log In button, then release it when the Dock appears. If your Mac skips the login window, restart and hold Shift when you see the progress bar, releasing it after the desktop appears.
Which Fix Do You Need?
| What you see | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom opens every time you log in, even after a clean shutdown | Zoom is a login item | Method 1 or Method 3 |
| Zoom opens only after you shut down with Zoom still running | macOS restoring open apps | Uncheck Reopen windows when logging back in |
| Zoom’s menu bar icon or helper appears without the main window | Background item or login item | Methods 1 and 2 |
| Zoom is back at startup after an update or reinstall | The installer or update added it again | Repeat Method 1 |
| You can’t remove Zoom or the switch is dimmed | Managed Mac | Ask your IT department |
Troubleshooting
Zoom isn’t in the Login Items list but still opens
Check the Dock’s Options menu (Method 3) and the background items list (Method 2). Then do a shutdown with Reopen windows when logging back in unchecked. If Zoom only opens after you click a meeting link in an email or calendar, that’s expected: a meeting link launches Zoom on purpose.
Zoom came back after an update
Some people report that Zoom adds itself back to startup after installing or updating. If that happens, repeat Method 1 after the update finishes.
The Remove button is dimmed or the item says it’s managed
On Macs managed by an employer or school, IT can set items that you can’t remove. Contact your IT team; they can change the setting centrally if company policy allows it.
I can’t find Login Items & Extensions
In System Settings, type “login” into the search field at the top of the sidebar and choose the login items result. On macOS versions before Ventura, look in System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items instead.
I want to remove Zoom completely
Stopping it at startup doesn’t require uninstalling. If you do want it gone, quit Zoom first, then remove the app; our article on apps that can’t be moved to the Trash explains what to do when macOS says an app is still in use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing Zoom from Login Items delete my meetings or account?
No. It only stops the automatic launch. Your meetings, contacts, settings, and sign-in stay in place, and you can open Zoom whenever you need it.
Will I miss meeting reminders if Zoom doesn’t open at login?
You may not see Zoom’s in-app reminders or chat notifications until you open the app. Calendar reminders from your calendar app still work, and clicking a meeting link opens Zoom automatically.
Why does Zoom keep adding itself back?
Installations and updates can re-enable open-at-login behavior. Check the Login Items list after a Zoom update and remove it again if needed.
Is there a Zoom setting for this on a Mac?
Zoom’s official help documents the auto-start toggle for Windows. On a Mac, use the macOS Login Items list. If your Zoom version shows a startup option under Settings > General, turning it off does no harm.
Does this make my Mac start faster?
Fewer apps at login usually means less work right after you sign in. The difference from one app like Zoom is often small, but it adds up if you remove several unneeded login items.
Can I turn it back on later?
Yes. Click the Add button below the login items list, choose Zoom from the Applications folder, and click Add. Or Control-click Zoom’s Dock icon and choose Options > Open at Login.
Summary
- Quit Zoom.
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
- Select Zoom in the login items list and click Remove.
- Optionally turn off Zoom’s background permission, and uncheck Open at Login in the Dock’s Options menu.
- Uncheck Reopen windows when logging back in when shutting down.
- Restart to confirm, and repeat the removal if a Zoom update adds it back.
Next step: open Login Items & Extensions now and review the rest of the list, removing any other apps you don’t need at every login.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.