If one Mac app keeps bringing back the windows you had open, first identify whether macOS is restoring the previous session or launching the app as a login item. Deselect “Reopen windows when logging back in” when you shut down or log out to stop session restoration; remove the app from Login Items if the app itself launches at every login. If it opens later when you launch it yourself, change the window-restoration setting instead.

First, tell what is reopening

Notice whether the app launches by itself as soon as you sign in, or whether it appears only after you open it. Also check whether other apps’ windows return. These clues help you choose the setting that matches the behavior: macOS has a login-time session option, a list of apps that open at login, and a separate preference for restoring an app’s windows when that app opens. Apple’s guide to preventing apps and windows from reopening describes these as distinct controls.

If several apps and their windows return after a restart or logout, start with the session checkbox. If only one app launches automatically, inspect its login item. If the app is already open, but its old documents or windows appear when you open it, adjust window restoration.

Stop restoring the previous login session

When you shut down, restart, or log out, macOS may show a confirmation dialog with “Reopen windows when logging back in.” Deselect that checkbox before you continue. This setting applies to the next login session, so it is the right first step when you want the Mac to stop bringing back the previous set of apps and windows. Apple documents this option.

It is a session-wide choice, not a per-app switch. It may therefore suppress reopening other apps’ windows too. If you want to keep session restoration for everything else and prevent just one app from starting, check that app’s login item and its own preferences instead.

If the Mac shuts down or restarts without showing the confirmation dialog, Apple says it uses the most recent setting. The same applies if you bypass the dialog by holding Option while choosing Log Out, Shut Down, or Restart from the Apple menu. Apple explains this behavior.

Remove the app from Open at Login

If the app opens on its own after you sign in, check the login items list. On current macOS versions, choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login, select the app you want to stop launching and click the Remove button. This removes the automatic launch entry; it does not uninstall the app. Apple’s Login Items instructions cover adding and removing these items.

Be precise about which entry you remove. Login Items may include documents, folders, or server connections as well as apps. Removing a document entry, for example, stops that item from opening automatically, but does not change how the app restores its own windows. Apple also distinguishes Open at Login from background activity, which can allow an app to perform tasks while it is not open. Turning off background activity is not the documented control for stopping an app window from launching.

Stop the app from restoring windows when you open it

If you open the app yourself and its previous windows return, enable Close windows when quitting an application. On macOS Ventura or later, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock, scroll down, and turn on Close windows when quitting an application. In earlier macOS versions, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > General and select Close windows when quitting an app. Apple lists the version-specific paths.

This is a system preference affecting app window restoration, not a control limited to one named app. If your aim is to keep the behavior for most apps but change one, check that app’s own settings; some apps offer their own choices for startup or window restoration. Apple cites Safari as an example, but the available options vary by app. Avoid assuming every app has an equivalent preference.

For a one-time test, Apple also documents opening the app while holding Shift: this makes it forget the windows that were open the last time you quit, without changing the setting. That can help determine whether window restoration is the cause, but it is not a persistent per-app setting. See Apple’s other suggested options.

If the app still appears at login

If you removed the app from Open at Login and unchecked session restoration, but it still launches at sign-in, check the app’s own documentation for an automatic-start setting. Apple notes that an app which is not listed as a login item may have installed other software that causes it to open; Apple recommends checking the developer’s documentation or contacting the developer. Apple’s troubleshooting guidance does not name a universal setting for this case.

For a focused fix, match the control to the symptom: use the login checkbox for the restored Mac session, remove the app from Open at Login when the app launches on its own, and change window-restoration preferences when the app opens with old windows after you launch it. These controls address different parts of startup, so one may not replace the others.

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