What is helper-tool Unix Executable File

In my System Settings Log In Items, there is an item that current has allow in the background status. Its name is helper-tool and it is a unix executable file and says it is from an "unidentified developer". My question is whether I should be allowing it to run in background and whether I should delete it. It was last updated in 2021. I have a MacBook Air running Ventura 13.3.1 (a). Thanks for any insights anyone can provide. (I googled it and found nothing).

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 13.3

Posted on May 23, 2023 11:20 AM

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Posted on May 23, 2023 11:58 AM

Delete it. Its appearance in Login Items is not normal.

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7 replies

Jun 18, 2024 7:09 PM in response to Cookie356

If this is under the "Background Items" section, then ignore it. Something you installed is using this utility. Unfortunately when Apple showed the "Background Items" to users, Apple did a terrible job implementing the feature and did not provide proper details to developers on how program their apps properly so the correct information would show up here. Changing any setting in the "Background apps" section will just break one of your installed apps. Unfortunately there is no way of determining what app that item may belong. There are multiple threads about this issue on this forum and one of our respected contributors who happens to be a third party developer @etresoft has said this many many times. Here is one example.....See the post by @etresoft here:

Perpetual "Background Items Added" --- @etresoft's explanation - Apple Community




Aug 19, 2023 2:42 PM in response to Cookie356

I found this thread when searching. My "Helper-Tool" login file seems to be related to Java. Its location is:


/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin/Contents/Resources/Helper-Tool


There are tons of nondescript login items in that list. I wish there was a better mechanism to find more info about some of them, because only half of them have the "Show in Finder" button, and many of them are named after a developer I've never heard of, rather than the name of the app itself.

May 29, 2024 8:29 AM in response to Cookie356

Applications which require execution of privileged operations need to install a helper tool which will show up in the Login Items section of System Settings. If done properly, the name of the developer would show with the helper tool. Some applications (for example those downloaded outside the app store and those not signed by developers) won't have a name associated, so it may be more tricky to identify to which app the helper tool belongs. Note that it is perfectly normal to see helper tools listed in Login Items.

What is helper-tool Unix Executable File

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