How to Stop Tidal from Opening on Startup on Windows and Mac

Part 1. Why Does Tidal Open on Startup?

Before learning the tips to prevent Tidal from opening on startup on your computer, you need to know the reason behind it.

Like many desktop applications, Tidal includes a startup feature designed for convenience. When enabled, the application launches automatically upon login, giving you quick access to your music library and playlists.

Besides that, there are other reasons that may lead Tidal opens at startup, such as:

1. Tidal is registered as a startup application on Windows.
2. Tidal is listed as a login item on macOS.
3. Previous updates reset the startup preferences.
4. A background process has been configured to launch TIDAL automatically.

After learning the factors, now, it is time to stop Tidal running at startup. It is safe to disable startup as it won't affect your account, playlists, downloads or subscription.

By doing this, you will improve boot performance and reduce background resource consumption. Besides, you will get faster startup times, lower RAM usage, reduced CPU activity, less background network traffic and cleaner desktop environment.

Quick Overview:

Device	Recommended Method
Windows 11	Disable startup in Tidal and Windows Startup Apps
Windows 10	Disable startup in Tidal and Task Manager
macOS	Remove Tidal from Login Items

Part 2. How to Stop Tidal from Opening on Startup via Tidal App Settings

Tidal has the option to enable or disable startup in the settings section. Below is how you can disable Tidal startup automatically by modifying the settings in the Tidal application.

Step 1. Launch the Tidal app on your Windows or Mac device.

Step 2. Go to your profile icon, then tap the 'Settings' option.

Step 3. Scroll down to find the 'Startup' option under the Preferences section. Then turn off the 'Open Tidal automatically after you log into the computer' switch.

Step 4. After that, restart your computer and verify that Tidal no longer opens automatically.

Part 3. How to Stop Tidal from Launching at Startup on Windows 10/11

You can also change the settings on your computer system to stop Tidal from opening on startup. Take a quick look at the following section to learn how to do this on your Windows 10 and Windows 11 computer.

Method 1. Via Windows Startup Apps

Step 1. Go to the 'Settings' window on your Windows computer. Select 'Apps' from the displayed list.

Step 2. Then, select 'Startup' at the bottom.

Step 3. Then you can view a list of apps that are configured to start when you log in. Simply disable 'Tidal' by switching off the toggle switch in the right panel of the screen.

Method 2. Via Task Manager

Step 1. Open Task Manager, click the Startup Apps tab at the left-side panel

Step 2. Find the Tidal app from the list, right-click on it and choose 'Disable'.

Part 4. How to Stop Tidal from Opening on Startup on Mac

For Mac users, perform the following steps to disable Tidal startup automatically.

On macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and Newer Versions:

Step 1. Tap the Apple menu and choose the System Settings option.

Step 2. In the new window, choose General > Login Items and locate Tidal under Login Items.

Step 3. Choose the Tidal option and click the '-' button to remove Tidal from startup.

On Older macOS Versions:

Step 1. Click on the 'Apple' menu icon at the top left on your Mac. Then choose the 'System Preferences...' option.

Step 2. From the expanded items, select the 'Users and Groups' option and choose your user account.

Step 3. Then hit the 'Login Items' tab on the right side of the panel. From the displayed apps, choose the 'Tidal' app and press the '-' icon below to remove it from the startup list.

Part 5. How to Fix Tidal Still Opens after Disabling Startup

Why does Tidal keep opening on startup after the startup settings have been disabled? You can try the following troubleshooting tips to resolve the issue.

Fix 1. Double-Check Tidal's In-App Preferences

Sometimes, software updates can reset your custom preferences to default settings without notifying you. When troubleshooting, it is best to first verify whether the app's own settings have been unexpectedly altered.

Step 1. Go to the 'Settings' section in your Tidal app on the computer.

Step 2. Locate the 'Startup' option and ensure that the toggle is turned off.

Fix 2. Check Windows System-Level Startup Settings

Step 1. Go to Windows Settings, tap the Apps option from the left-side panel.

Step 2. Click the 'Startup' option, find the Tidal app and turn off the toggle for Tidal.

Fix 3. Check the Hidden Startup Folder Using 'shell:startup'

Some software shortcuts silently reside in deep startup directories, where Task Manager may fail to detect or block them. Press the 'Win + R' keys on your keyboard to open the "Run" dialog. Then type 'shell:startup' command exactly into the text box and click 'OK'. Next, locate and delete leftover items: This opens the current user's "Startup" folder in Windows. Look for a shortcut file named "Tidal". If found, right-click it and select 'Delete'.

Fix 4. Disable Underlying Services Using System Configuration (msconfig)

In addition to the main application, certain background auxiliary services associated with Tidal (such as auto-update or crash reporting components) may launch at system startup and trigger the main application to start up as well.

Press the 'Win + R' keys to open the "Run" dialog box. Then type 'msconfig' and press 'Enter' to open the "System Configuration" tool. Next, click the 'Services' tab at the top. Make sure to check the 'Hide all Microsoft services' box in the bottom-left corner. In the filtered list, carefully look for service entries where the manufacturer or name includes "Tidal". Uncheck them. Click 'Apply', then click 'OK'. Follow the system prompt to restart your computer and fully apply these deep-level changes.

Fix 5. Update Tidal App

Step 1. Go to Tidal app Settings, tap the About menu and check the current version number.

Step 2. If an update is available, download and install it at once.

Step 3. After that, restart Tidal app to check if the startup issue was fixed.

Fix 6. Reinstall Tidal App

When application files become corrupted, the software may fail to correctly read your saved preferences. So, you can completely removing old files and reinstalling the app to resolve deep-seated software conflicts.

Step 1. Completely uninstall Tidal from your computer via the Windows Control Panel (on Windows) or by dragging Tidal app to the Trash (on Mac).

Step 2. Restart your computer to clear out any remaining temporary system files.

Step 3. Download and install the latest version of the Tidal app from its official website.

Step 4. Once installed, disable the startup preference option instantly before playing any music.

Fix 7. Terminate Lingering Background Processes

Sometimes, even after you close the main window, the application may still have invisible processes running in the background. These lingering processes could unexpectedly trigger a full launch of the program the next time your computer wakes up or restarts.

Step 1. On Windows, go to Task Manager and look for any items named 'Tidal' under the 'Processes' section.

Step 2. On Mac, open 'Activity Monitor' and search for 'Tidal' under the 'CPU' tab.

Step 3. Select any unusual background processes you find and force quit them to ensure the application has stopped running completely.

Part 6. How to Listen to Tidal without Launching It at Startup

If you find the Tidal desktop app too bloated and resource-heavy, a more lightweight alternative is to download your favorite playlists as high-quality local files and listen using your preferred media player, freeing yourself entirely from the constraints of the official app.

To download music from Tidal and play it with other music players, you need AudFree Tidal Music Converter. As you know, Tidal songs are encrypted, so you can't transfer and listen to them on other platforms. Thanks to AudFree Tidal Downloader, you can remove this limitation and download Tidal music to your local area.

With a super-fast 37X download speed, it will retain 100% lossless sound quality and all ID3 tags. So, you can enjoy the original Tidal music with your local music player.

Please first install the AudFree Tidal Music Converter via the 'Try It Free' button above. Then we will guide you on how to use it to download Tidal songs and listen to them using other music players. In this way, you can stop worrying about the 'Tidal opens on startup' problem.

Step 1. Add Tidal tracks

When you launch AudFree Tidal Converter, find your favorite Tidal tracks or playlists. Then, click the '+' > 'Add to list' button to load them for downloading.

Step 2. Set Output Preferences

Press the icon of 'three horizontal lines' at the right top of the main screen and followed by 'Preferences' option. Go to 'Conversion' and change the attributes like output format, sample rate, bit rate, etc. depending on your needs. The default MP3 output format is compatible with most music players.

Step 3. Download Tidal music to computer

Tap the 'Convert' button displayed at the bottom right side of 'Converting' to start the conversion. Then wait for the conversion to complete successfully. The downloaded Tidal music files will be available in your local drives for offline access without considering quality factors.

Step 4. Play Tidal music with other music players

Now, you own the downloaded Tidal songs so you can listen to them with your local music player. You can listen to Tidal music offline on your computer. To play on your mobile device, simply copy and paste the Tidal music files onto your mobile device using a USB cable.

Part 7. In Conclusion

If you are tired of Tidal launching automatically every time you start your computer, you can disable its built-in startup option and then check your operating system's startup settings to ensure the app isn't configured to launch automatically. If the issue persists, troubleshooting startup or login items, or reinstalling Tidal, will usually resolve the problem.

If you prefer not to use the Tidal app, you can use AudFree Tidal Music Converter to download Tidal songs locally for offline playback anytime, anywhere.