LaunchAtLogin

Add "Launch at Login" functionality to your sandboxed macOS app in seconds

It's usually quite a convoluted and error-prone process to add this. No more!

-  1. Create a new target that will be the helper app that launches your app
-  2. Set `LSBackgroundOnly` to true in the `Info.plist` file
-  3. Set `Skip Install` to `YES` in the build settings for the helper app
-  4. Enable sandboxing for the helper app
-  5. Add a new `Copy Files` build phase to the main app
-  6. Select `Wrapper` as destination
-  7. Enter `Contents/Library/LoginItems` as subpath
-  8. Add the helper build product to the build phase
-  9. Copy-paste some boilerplate code into the helper app
- 10. Remember to replace `bundleid.of.main.app` and `MainExectuableName` with your own values
- 11. Copy-paste some code to register the helper app into your main app
- 12. Make sure the main app and helper app use the same code signing certificate
- 13. Manually verify that you did everything correctly
+  1. Install this package
+  2. Add a new "Run Script Phase"

It's App Store compatible and used in my Lungo and Battery Indicator app.

You might also find my create-dmg project useful.

Requirements

• macOS 10.10+
• Xcode 9.3+
• Swift 4.1+

Install with Carthage

github "sindresorhus/LaunchAtLogin"

Usage

Add a new "Run Script Phase" below "Embed Frameworks" in "Build Phases" with the following:

./Carthage/Build/Mac/LaunchAtLogin.framework/Resources/copy-helper.sh

Use it in your app:

import LaunchAtLogin

print(LaunchAtLogin.isEnabled)
//=> false

LaunchAtLogin.isEnabled = true

print(LaunchAtLogin.isEnabled)
//=> true

Note that the Mac App Store guidelines requires "launch at login" functionality to be enabled in response to a user action. This is usually solved by making it a preference that is disabled by default.

How does it work?

The framework bundles the helper app needed to launch your app and copies it into your app at build time.

Related

• DockProgress - Show progress in your app's Dock icon

License

MIT © Sindre Sorhus