How to keep "Messages" from Opening Automatically

Hi,

Did you read any of the replies ?

I was thinking of my reply from 2 years ago with the pictures on the 3rd April

Re: How to keep "Messages" from Opening Automatically

The actual Thread was started in July 2013 (3 and 1/2 years ago)

I have not replied to it since 4th April 2015 (nor has anyone else)

This happens to be the 4th Email I have looked at today from Apple telling me of new posts that happen to have resurrected Mountain Lion threads of some vintage.

8:15 pm Monday; March 27, 2017

Hey,

This thread has loads of ideas why this might be so. Have you tried any of them ?

7:30 pm Monday; May 22, 2017

Check System Preferences>Users & Groups>your account>Login Items and see if Messages is listed.

Also make certain that you don't have 'reopen windows' ticked when you shutdown/restart.

Clinton

From the Messages menu bar, select

Hi,

Linc's advice will work if the app starts up and there are Messages from any source.

clintonfrombirmingham's advice may be the cause of it starting every time the computer is started.

You could also be in the position that the app is not closed before Shutting down the computer.

The Main Messages window (Interface and Tabbed Chat) window can be "hidden" by using the reb blob and it will not actually Quit the apps (As the red blob does in single window apps).

The same is true if you have the Buddy Lists (AIM, Jabber and Yahoo Accounts and possibly the Bonjour one) on display.

The red Blob will close/Hide the window but not Quit the app.

At this point because the app was not Quit, the option at Shut down to remember open apps kicks in ready for the next Restart.

8:34 pm Sunday; July 28, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

HI,

Are you getting any Messages form any source when the app Opens ?

The Setting Linc refers to stops the IMAgent app that supports Messages (and starts up when the computer does) from responding to Off line IMs or iMessages that need syncing.

If the app is starting up and there are no new messages at that time then the cause is something else.

9:50 pm Tuesday; July 30, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

I have same issue and neither suggestion is relevant.

Hi,

There were three suggestions from the three of us that replied to this thread.

Clinton's idea that it might be a Login item (Sysem Preferences > Accounts > Your Account > Login items)

Linc's suggestion that it might be stored "off-line" messages being sent to you (AIM, iMessages and some Jabber server can do this). Accessed in Messages > Preferences > General Section "When I Quit, set the Status to Off Line"

I suggested that it might be the way the app and then computer are shut down.

Messages, like iChat before it, is a multiple window app.

Closing one window does not Quit the app.

It is therefore possible to close all the windows and the App will start up again when you restart the computer as it was Open when the computer was shut down.

8:37 pm Monday; September 16, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Click and hold the imessage icon in the dock and wait for the options to come up, deselect "open at startup"

pandajam, you don't think that was already tried?

I'm having the same issue. Messages always launches at startup and I can't get it to stop. I tried the approaches recommended above and none of them have solved the problem. Any other ideas? Its really annoying.

Hi,

So it is not in this List ?

You don't leave the app Open when you Shut down and have this box ticked ?

AND you have other accounts Enabled so that you see the lower half of this pane ?

If you only have the iMessages Account Enabled and not the Bonjour one you will not see this and not be able to set the "When I Quit...." setting.

Whilst for AIM and Jabber and Yahoo Accounts this stop notifications as well it does not for iMessages.

However I do find even though I get Dock Badge notifications It does not Start the app up.

9:31 pm Friday; April 3, 2015

Thank you Ralph. I did try those things and they didn't correct the problem.

Until suddenly they evidently did. I came back to the computer this afternoon, turned it on, and the problem had disappeared. I can't account for why the problem was present earlier and then suddenly disappeared. But I am very much relieved that it did finally go away. Hooray!

Hi,

The Setting in Messages for "When I quit..." effects the IMAgent app.

This app Starts up when the computer does and you can't really change it's behaviours (what it Listens to regarding the incoming messages, IMs and FaceTime Calls) without a restart of the computer.

Glad to hear that another look at it helped.

8:00 pm Saturday; April 4, 2015