How do I keep app windows open when I restart my computer?
Quick answer
On a Mac, select “Reopen windows when logging back in” in the shutdown or restart confirmation dialog to have macOS reopen apps and windows after you sign in. Some apps have separate window-restoration settings, and login items can open apps at sign-in. These options reopen apps or windows; they do not establish that unsaved work is saved. Save important work and check each app’s recovery behavior first. [S1]
The question, the details, the next step.
How do I keep my app windows open when I restart my computer?
If you’re using a Mac, look for “Reopen windows when logging back in” in the restart confirmation dialog and select it before restarting. macOS may reopen apps and windows when you next sign in. Some apps also have their own window-restoration settings, and login items can open apps at sign-in. [S1]
Treat this as a way to restore your workspace, not as a way to save it. The setting does not establish that unsaved work is saved, so save important documents and check how each app handles recovery before relying on it. [S1]
Is that the same as making sure I don’t lose what I was working on?
No. Reopening an app or window and preserving the latest contents of a document are different things. Apple’s guidance describes reopening apps and windows; it does not say that this saves unsaved work. [S1]
Before restarting, use each app’s save option for work you need to keep. If you are unsure what an app will recover, check its own recovery or window-restoration behavior before you close it. Don’t use the reopen-windows option as a substitute for saving.
What if I don’t see the checkbox, or I want only a few apps to reopen?
First, distinguish the options: the restart dialog is macOS’s session-restoration choice; individual apps may offer their own window-restoration settings; and login items may open apps at sign-in. [S1] These are separate places to check, so an app’s own behavior may matter even if you change the system setting.
The available guidance does not specify how every macOS version or app presents these controls, so use the wording available on your Mac and in the app rather than assuming one control governs everything. If you want only certain apps back, check those apps’ own settings; the system option is described as reopening apps and windows, not as a per-app selection.
Can you show me a quick restart routine I can follow?
Assuming you’re restarting a Mac and want a particular set of apps back afterward, use this routine:
- Save important work in each open app.
- Check any app whose recovery or window-restoration behavior you don’t know.
- Choose Restart and select “Reopen windows when logging back in” if you want macOS to reopen apps and windows.
- After signing in, check that the apps and work you need are available; don’t assume an unsaved change was preserved.
For example, if you want a writing app and a calendar open again, save the writing first, check the writing app’s recovery behavior, then select the reopen-windows option. This is a workflow, not a guarantee that every app will restore the same state.
A practical checklist
Save important work in each app before restarting.
Check an app’s own recovery or window-restoration behavior if you are unsure what it will reopen.
Select “Reopen windows when logging back in” in the Mac restart dialog if you want macOS to reopen apps and windows.
After signing in, verify that the apps and work you need are available.
A few more useful answers
Does “Reopen windows when logging back in” save unsaved changes?
The window-restoration setting does not establish that unsaved work is saved. Save important work separately before restarting. [S1]
Can an app have its own restore setting?
Yes. Some apps have their own window-restoration settings, so check the app itself rather than relying only on macOS’s restart choice. [S1]
What if I restart without seeing the confirmation dialog?
Apple notes that a forced restart or bypassing the confirmation dialog uses the most recent setting. Save important work first, and don’t assume the setting matches what you want now. [S1]
Sources
References used for this guide.
- [S1] Prevent apps and windows from reopening on Mac support.apple.com · Checked