What is launchd on Mac?
By Junaid, maker of Taskglass · Last reviewed
The first process macOS starts. It launches and supervises nearly every other background process.
launchd is process number 1: the kernel starts it at boot, and it then starts the rest of macOS. It launches background services when they're needed, restarts them if they crash, and runs scheduled jobs. There's one system-wide launchd plus one for each logged-in user, so you may see more than one. It's essential and normally uses almost no CPU.
- Category
- macOS system
- Made by
- Apple
- Safe to quit:
- No
Shown in Activity Monitor as launchd
Why is launchd using so much CPU or memory?
- A background job that keeps crashing and being relaunched over and over
- Lots of apps and services starting at once, such as right after login
- A third-party login item or launch agent misbehaving
What to do
- 1Wait a minute after logging in; startup activity settles quickly
- 2Look for a process that keeps appearing and disappearing in the list; that's usually the real culprit
- 3Review System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions and turn off items you don't need
- 4Restart your Mac
Safe to quit? No.
Don't quit it: ending the system launchd brings down macOS, and ending your user's launchd logs you out.
Typical usage
Rough ranges on Apple Silicon Macs. Yours will vary.
- CPU
- Near 0%
- Memory
- 10–60 MB
Related guides
Related processes
- UserEventAgentReacts to system events like network changes and device connections using Apple's plug-ins.
- backgroundtaskmanagementdTracks login items and background apps, and shows 'Background Items Added' notifications.
- kernel_taskThe core of macOS itself. It also holds busy apps back on purpose to stop your Mac overheating.
Part of the Taskglass Process Library