Cannot stop chrome from starting up with the OS

[Gregintosh]

I am using Mac OS and every time I start up the computer, Chrome starts up with it. Removing it from Login Items or going to the Dock and de-selecting startup from the options there doesn't work. As soon as I exit Chrome and launch it again voluntarily, it just puts itself right back to my start up items.

Seems weird that Google feels that you absolutely MUST start up chrome with your computer every time and you cannot get out of it.

Can anyone help?

 

[russell_314]

I am using Mac OS and every time I start up the computer, Chrome starts up with it. Removing it from Login Items or going to the Dock and de-selecting startup from the options there doesn't work. As soon as I exit Chrome and launch it again voluntarily, it just puts itself right back to my start up items.

Seems weird that Google feels that you absolutely MUST start up chrome with your computer every time and you cannot get out of it.

Can anyone help?

Have you tried Firefox? I refuse to put chrome or anything google on my Mac. I like it because it’s the only non-chromium browser still around.

The problem is is if it’s adding it by design then I don’t think you can prevent a program from doing that. Maybe someone with more expertise in that area knows a way.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

There’s not even an option in Chrome to do that on Windows or Mac so sounds like you have something else going on

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Have you tried Firefox? I refuse to put chrome or anything google on my Mac. I like it because it’s the only non-chromium browser still around.

The problem is is if it’s adding it by design then I don’t think you can prevent a program from doing that. Maybe someone with more expertise in that area knows a way.

How does this help OP? I get a lot of people are scared of Chrome but you literally admit you have no experience so you just came here to say “install Firefox” in far too many words. Relax, it’s just a web browser.

 

[russell_314]

How does this help OP? I get a lot of people are scared of Chrome but you literally admit you have no experience so you just came here to say “install Firefox” in far too many words. Relax, it’s just a web browser.

Removing Chrome would prevent it from starting with the system. It was just a suggestion and he doesn’t have to follow it.

I never said I had no experience. What I said was “Maybe someone with more expertise in that area knows a way.”. Clearly that’s you, so what is the solution?

 

[kryten2]

A possible workaround might be a script to launch the application and to remove it from the Login Items.

Example:

tell application "Google Chrome" to launch

--delete login item
tell application "System Events" to delete login item "itemname"

--list loginitems
--tell application "System Events" to get the name of every login item

Info: macos: manage add list remove login items apple script

Note: Not tested as I don't have a mac at my disposal for the moment. Sorry.

 

[MacGizmo]

I had that problem a long time ago when I was forced to use Chrome at work. I can't remember exactly how I fixed it, but I believe it had something to do with a launch daemon running in the background.

 

[kryten2]

Depending on where the property list file is stored, it should be easy to delete. More info about launchd here.

 

[yustas]

I have exactly the same issue with Chrome on Ventura.

 

[Fishrrman]

Best way to prevent chrome from starting up is to use AppCleaner to remove it from your Mac entirely...!

 

[yustas]

Best way to prevent chrome from starting up is to use AppCleaner to remove it from your Mac entirely...!

I would gladly do that, but the issue is that Safari is a pain when working with several Google accounts. If I bookmark two different Google accounts, it doesn't "remember" them, so I need to log in every time in Safari, but not in Chrome.

 

[bogdanw]

Go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ and replace the plist files that have Google in their name with folders with the same name, including the .plist termination, log out.
I have these

 

[andrewdouch]

I eventually found a fix. If you go to Chrome preferences, and extensions, turn off all your extensions. Then quit Chrome. Then go to (in Ventura, other versions may differ?) System Settings > General > Login Items, and delete Chrome from the list. Leave System Settings open so you can see the list of login items. Then launch Chrome. Then open the list of extensions in Chrome, and one by one, turn them on, until one of them adds Chrome back into the list of login items. For me it was an extension called 'Lookback Participate' that was causing it, but it has been other extensions for other people.

 

[appltech]

In the Chrome, open extensions and in the Search type close.
Disable option about run backhround extensions or something like that.
+ check and clear chrome items in LaunchAgents and Launch Deamons (/~Library and /Library)