The Cluttered Startup Problem
One of the most defining features of macOS is its “resume” capability. When you shut down or restart your Mac, the operating system attempts to save your exact state. The next time you boot up, all the applications, browser tabs, and finder windows you had open previously will aggressively launch and scatter across your screen. While Apple designed this to help you pick up where you left off, many users prefer a fresh, clean desktop when starting their workday. Furthermore, reopening dozens of applications simultaneously can severely slow down your computer’s boot time.
How to Prevent Windows from Reopening During Restart
macOS actually prompts you about this behaviour every single time you attempt to shut down, but it is very easy to overlook.
1. Click the Apple logo () in the top-left corner of the screen.
2. Select Restart… or Shut Down… from the menu.
3. A confirmation dialogue box will appear in the centre of your screen, asking “Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?”
4. Look directly below that question. You will see a checkbox labelled Reopen windows when logging back in.
5. Untick this checkbox before you click the final Restart or Shut Down button.
Ensuring a Clean Boot Every Time
As long as you remember to untick that box, your Mac will boot to a completely empty desktop. If you find that certain applications (like Spotify or Slack) are still launching even after you untick the box, those specific apps have been added to your Login Items. To stop them, open System Settings, navigate to General > Login Items, highlight the offending application under “Open at Login,” and click the minus (-) button to remove it from your startup sequence permanently.