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Mac desktop and laptop computers are equipped with several features that are designed to make the user’s experience easier and more convenient. One of these features is the mac automatically launching one or more programs on startup; usually ones that are used regularly or were still open when the mac was shut down or entered sleep mode. While this might be helpful on occasion, it can also be quite irritating to always have to close programs you don’t intend to use, like Photoshop.
In this article, we will provide a brief but detailed guide on how to stop Photoshop from opening on startup on your Mac device. As you read, you’ll learn what settings to alter in the various methods we listed to help solve this issue.
Turn off the “Open at Login” Setting on Photoshop
There are a few ways that Photoshop might be triggered to open on startup on your Mac, and the easiest place to start is to alter Photoshop’s settings directly from your dock.
For this method to work, you’ll need to have a Photoshop icon present in your Mac dock. You’ll then right click on the Photoshop icon and then hover over the “Options” menu. From here, you’ll see a setting listed as “Open at Login.” If this setting has a checkmark next to it, you’ll want to uncheck it.
After you’ve done this, quick restart your Mac device or log out and then log back in to your profile to see if this setting alteration has solved the problem.
Remove Photoshop From Your List of “Login Items”
Another setting that might be responsible for this irritating problem is the Mac’s “Login Items” feature, which automatically triggers any listed programs to open when the Mac starts up. Usually, these are standard programs your device needs in order to operate properly, or ones you’ve manually added.
However, sometimes a program will find its way onto the “Login Items” list if you’ve been using it regularly.
To remove Photoshop from your Mac’s “Login Items” list, follow the steps below:
- Open the Apple menu
- Select the “System Preferences” option
- Choose the “Users & Groups” option
- Click the appropriate account name (ex. Current User)
- Open the “Login Items” menu found at the top of the window
- Select Photoshop and click the “Remove” button
If you notice there are several programs, websites, and/or applications within this list that you don’t want to open when your Mac starts up, you can alternatively select all of the login items found within this menu, click the “Remove” button, and them restart your device.
Disable Adobe Creative Cloud
Another setting option that might be responsible for your Photoshop persistently opening when your first turn on your Mac is Adobe’s “Creative Cloud” application. Normally, this application will automatically open to the Creative Cloud menu, but it might trigger Photoshop instead.
The easiest way to resolve this issue is actually to follow the steps listed above and remove Creative Cloud from your Login Items list. However, sometimes this setting alteration won’t work, and you’ll have to change the preference settings within the Creative Cloud application itself.
To disable Adobe’s “Creative Cloud” from opening on your Mac’s startup, follow the steps listed below:
- Open Adobe’s “Creative Cloud” application
- Click the icon for your account in the upper right-hand corner
- Select the “Preferences” menu
- Toggle off “Launch Creative Cloud at login”
- Press “Done”
Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to launch Adobe’s Creative Cloud application manually by opening the Apple menu, then selecting the “Applications” menu and double clicking the “Adobe Creative Cloud” folder.
Uninstall and Reinstall Photoshop
In most cases, the methods listed above will ensure Photoshop no longer opens automatically when your Mac starts up. If yours seems to be the exception and you notice the program is still being triggered at login, a last resort might be to uninstall the program completely and reinstall it.
To uninstall Photoshop on your Mac device, open the “Applications” folder, and double-click Creative Cloud to launch the application. Within Creative Cloud, select the “Apps” tab and find Photoshop. Lastly, click the “More” button (three dots) next to “Open” and click “Uninstall.”
If you don’t intend to use Photoshop ever again, then this is the ultimate solution to your problem. Of course, since Photoshop is a popular and pricy program, we can imagine you’ll want it back. You can do this by opening and logging in to your Creative Cloud application again and following the same steps listed above but selecting the “Install” option instead.
Final Thoughts
After trying one or more of these methods, your Mac’s Photoshop application should only open when you manually select its folder or icon. If the issue continues, your best option would be to either reach out to Adobe’s team at Adobe Support Community or contact one of Apple’s customer support options for assistance.
