Steam is a popular gaming platform that allows players to purchase and play games on their computers. However, one of the annoyances many Steam users face is the automatic launch of the Steam client. This can be especially frustrating when you’re trying to use your computer for other purposes. Fortunately, it’s possible to disable this automatic launch feature both on Windows and Mac computers. Here’s how you can do it.

Disabling Steam’s Automatic Launch on Windows

Step 1

Launch the Steam client on your computer. Once it’s launched, click on the “Steam” button on the top left side of the window.

Step 2

From the dropdown menu, select “Settings” to open the Steam settings window.

Step 3

In the left-hand panel of the window, select the “Interface” tab. In the interface settings, you should see a checkbox next to the option that says “Run Steam when my computer starts.” By default, this option is checked, indicating that Steam starts automatically when your computer starts.

Step 4

To disable Steam’s automatic launch, simply uncheck this box. Once you have unchecked the box, you can close the Steam settings window.

Disabling Steam’s Automatic Launch on Mac

Step 1

Launch the System Preferences app on your Mac by clicking on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and selecting “System Preferences” from the dropdown menu.

Step 2

In the System Preferences window, click on “Users & Groups.”

Step 3

In the Users & Groups window, select your user account from the left-hand panel, then click on the “Login Items” tab on the right side of the window.

Step 4

In the Login Items tab, you’ll see a list of programs that launch automatically when you log in to your account. Look for “Steam” in this list and select it.

Step 5

Once you’ve selected Steam, click on the “-” button at the bottom of the window to remove it from the list of login items. You can now close the System Preferences window.

Conclusion

Disabling Steam’s automatic launch is a simple process that can save you time and frustration. Whether you’re using a Windows or Mac computer, the steps outlined above are easy to follow and should have you up and running without Steam launching automatically in no time.