How to Turn Off "Background Items Added" Notification on Mac

System notifications generated by macOS are meant to be helpful, keeping you informed about security alerts, system updates, and overall performance. They help you stay on top of your Mac’s security and health.

But sometimes, these notifications can get annoying, especially when they keep popping up after every restart or show up multiple times a day while using certain apps. One common example is the "Background Items Added" notification. In this article, we will show you how to stop the "Background Items Added" notification on your Mac.

Why Does the "Background Items Added" Notification Keep Coming Back?

Background items on a Mac are processes that start automatically and run in the background without your direct interaction. They handle tasks like checking for updates, syncing files, managing notifications, and supporting app functions. The "Background Items Added" notification appears when the process is created for the first time and should disappear once you close it.

However, many users have noticed that the same notification keeps popping up over and over. Even worse, several "Background Items Added" notifications can show up on the right side of the Mac screen at once. This isn’t normal and usually signals a problem.

This issue mainly affects Macs running macOS 13 Ventura, and many experts, including ourselves, believe it is caused by a bug in the system. The bug prevents macOS from properly managing or recognizing background processes, resulting in repeated "Background Items Added" notifications. While not all users are affected, it can be frustrating for those who are, as it disrupts workflow and clutters the screen.

How to Fix the "Background Items Added" Notification on Mac

The "Background Items Added" notification is generated by macOS, so it can't be disabled through the Notification Center settings. To prevent this notification from appearing, you can try the following methods.

Fix 1. Turn off permission in "Allow in the Background"

The simplest way to stop the notification is by preventing the application that triggered the background item from running background processes.

Step 1. Click the Apple logo and choose System Settings.

Step 2. Select General and choose Login Items.

Step 3. In the "Allow in the Background" settings, turn off the app you don’t want to allow to run background processes.

Fix 2. Delete the item's plist files

macOS uses property list (plist) files to manage and load background processes, services, and applications when a user logs in. If a plist file becomes corrupt or glitches, it can cause notification issues. You can try manually removing these files to see if the problem is resolved.

Step 1. Open the Finder app on your Mac.

Step 2. Click the Go option at the top menu bar and choose Go to Folder.

Step 3. Paste each of the paths below in the text box and press return:

• /Library/LaunchAgents
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons
• /Library/LaunchDaemons

Step 4. In each folder, locate the file named after the app whose background items you want to disable. Once you find it, simply drag the file to the Trash.

Step 5. Empty the Trash.

Fix 3. Uninstall and reinstall the app

If the endless "Background Items Added" notification still persists for a specific app, the best way to fix it is to uninstall and reinstall the app. This will install a fresh version, which can help resolve any errors in the current version that may lead to the issue.

While you can manually uninstall an app on your Mac, it often involves digging through multiple folders and can leave behind cached data or support files. Some of these, like background process files, may be hidden and hard to find. We recommend you use a professional app uninstaller like BuhoCleaner for a quick, complete uninstallation.

Here is how:

Step 1. Click the button below to download BuhoCleaner for free on your Mac, then follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Step 2. Open BuhoCleaner, go to the App Uninstall section, and select the app causing the added background item notification.

Step 3. Click Remove, then click Remove again to confirm.

Step 4. Download and install the app on your Mac from a trustworthy resource.

Fix 4. Reset background task management database

macOS uses the Background Task Management (BTM) database to track, manage, and control background tasks and processes. If the database becomes corrupted or has errors, it can lead to issues such as repeated "Background Items Adde" notifications or background processes not functioning properly.

Resetting the MTB database will force macOS to create a fresh version of the database when you restart your Mac. This may make the "Background Items Added" notification disappear.

Step 1. Open Finder, and in the menu bar, click Go > Go to Folder.

Step 2. Copt this path: ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.backgroundtaskmanagementagent/ in the text box and press return.

Step 3. Look for the file named backgrounditems.btm or similar.

Step 4. Move these files to the Trash and empty the Trash.

Step 5. Restart your Mac.

Alternatively,

Step 1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac.

Step 2. Type in: sfltool resetbtm and press return.

Step 3. Exit the Terminal and reboot your Mac.

Fix 5. Upgrade macOS

The persistent 'Background Items Added' notification on Mac is mostly seen in macOS 13 Ventura versions. When the problem first appeared, users didn’t have this option since Ventura was the latest version. Now, with macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia available, you can easily get rid of this notification by upgrading to a newer version of macOS.

Step 1. Open the Apple logo and choose System Settings.

Step 2. Select General > Software Update.

Step 3. If macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia is available, click Upgrade Now.

Can I Remove Allow in Background Items on Mac?

The items in "Allow in Background" are processes from apps that run in the background to support certain functions. Deleting them could prevent the apps from launching, stop files from syncing, or cause update detection to fail. Most, if not all, apps don’t allow you to delete or alter these files to ensure they continue to function properly.

The only way to remove Allow in Background items on Mac is to completely remove the app and its associated files. With BuhoCleaner, you can easily remove these background items along with the app in just a few clicks. You don't need to locate these background items in system folders.

Conclusion

The "Background Items Added" notification can usually be managed by turning off the app's background permissions. However, if you constantly see a notification that says "Background Items Added", considered a system glitch in macOS Ventura. You can tackle it by deleting the app’s preferences file, reinstalling the app, resetting the BTM database, or upgrading your macOS.

For a fast and thorough app uninstallation and background item removal, let BuhoCleaner handle it for you.