Easy methods to launch a macOS app at login?

Replace: you need to merely add the LaunchAtLogin library to your undertaking. It’ll handle the whole lot and it has another cool utility options.

Undertaking setup

Let’s begin this tutorial by creating a brand new Xcode undertaking with a macOS app template. Identify it for instance MainApplication, use storyboards and naturally choose Swift because the default language, we don’t want checks for this undertaking in any respect.

Now that we now have the primary utility goal, there may be this good little operate accessible known as SMLoginItemSetEnabled. With that operate you possibly can register an utility bundle identifier to auto begin when the consumer logs in, however you can’t register your individual app identifier. Sounds loopy, huh? 😜

You may register a bundle identifier embedded into your essential utility to get auto-launched by the system. To do that you’ll have to create a brand new launcher utility which will probably be launched later by your essential utility.

You additionally need to code signal your utility along with your Developer ID, in any other case it gained’t begin after you log in to macOS. Sandboxing is a vital a part of the method, so just be sure you comply with each instruction fastidiously.

Targets & configurations

Create a brand new goal inside your present undertaking. Identify this new goal for instance LauncherApplication. Allow sandbox and code signing for each targets (essential and launcher apps) below the Signing & Capabilities tab. For the LauncherApplication goal within the construct settings set skip set up to sure.

For the launcher app add a brand new entry to the Information.plist file: Software is background solely with the worth: sure. This can set your utility as a background app, we don’t really want consumer interface for a launcher instrument, proper?

Add a brand new copy file construct section to your essential utility goal to repeat your launcher utility into the bundle. The vacation spot ought to be wrapper and the subpath ought to be Contents/Library/LoginItems.

Hyperlink the ServiceManagement.framework to your essential utility and double verify that the launcher app is embedded into your essential utility.

From the LauncherApplication‘s storyboard file delete your window and your view controller, additionally you possibly can take away the ViewController.swift file from this goal. This can be a background app in any case, so we don’t want these silly issues to put round.

Creating the launcher programmatically

Someplace in your essential utility you need to register your launcher utility’s identifier. When your essential utility begins you need to kill the launcher utility if it’s nonetheless working. You are able to do this by sending a notification to that particular app with the NSDistributedNotificationCenter class.

import Cocoa
import ServiceManagement

extension Notification.Identify {
    static let killLauncher = Notification.Identify("killLauncher")
}

@NSApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: NSObject {}


extension AppDelegate: NSApplicationDelegate {

    func applicationDidFinishLaunching(_ aNotification: Notification) {

        let launcherAppId = "com.tiborbodecs.LauncherApplication"
        let runningApps = NSWorkspace.shared.runningApplications
        let isRunning = !runningApps.filter { 
            $0.bundleIdentifier == launcherAppId 
        }.isEmpty

        SMLoginItemSetEnabled(launcherAppId as CFString, true)

        if isRunning {
            DistributedNotificationCenter.default().publish(
                title: .killLauncher, 
                object: Bundle.essential.bundleIdentifier!
            )
        }
    }
}

Within the launcher utility you need to begin your essential utility if it’s not working already. That’s it. You must also subscribe for the notifications from the primary app to terminate if the launcher isn’t wanted anymore.

import Cocoa

extension Notification.Identify {
    static let killLauncher = Notification.Identify("killLauncher")
}

@NSApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: NSObject {

    @objc func terminate() {
        NSApp.terminate(nil)
    }
}

extension AppDelegate: NSApplicationDelegate {

    func applicationDidFinishLaunching(_ aNotification: Notification) {

        let mainAppIdentifier = "com.tiborbodecs.MainApplication"
        let runningApps = NSWorkspace.shared.runningApplications
        let isRunning = !runningApps.filter { 
            $0.bundleIdentifier == mainAppIdentifier 
        }.isEmpty

        if !isRunning {
            DistributedNotificationCenter.default().addObserver(
                self, 
                selector: #selector(self.terminate), 
                title: .killLauncher, 
                object: mainAppIdentifier
            )

            let path = Bundle.essential.bundlePath as NSString
            var elements = path.pathComponents
            elements.removeLast()
            elements.removeLast()
            elements.removeLast()
            elements.append("MacOS")
            elements.append("MainApplication") //essential app title

            let newPath = NSString.path(withComponents: elements)

            NSWorkspace.shared.launchApplication(newPath)
        }
        else {
            self.terminate()
        }
    }
}

That’s it, we’re able to launch. Export your essential utility and right here is crucial factor: code signal it along with your Developer ID. Begin it, shut it, log off and again into the system. Hopefully your essential utility will probably be working once more.