How do I start applications automatically on login?

How can I make an application automatically start when I have logged in?

26.04 and later

The Gnome Startup Applications is no longer installed by default and is not available for installation.

If you need an app to open at launch, you may manage autostart apps on from the Settings app.

1. Open the Settings App
2. Go to the Apps on the left panel
3. Select the app you want to start (or stop) from running at login
4. Slide the ‘Autostart’ toggle on (or off).

20.04 and later

1. If not yet done by default install gnome-startup-applications

2. Search and open "Startup Applications"

   

3. click add to enter the command including options of your application as you would run it from terminal (you may have to give in the full path if it runs from a non-standard location)

   

• This will add a .desktop file in your ~/.config/autostart

  

14.04 and later

1. Open the Dash and search for "Startup Applications"

   

2. Now click on Add and give in the command to run the application. This can be found in Main Menu if installed (see below)

Using Main Menu (alacarte) to find the terminal command to run a given program:

1. Firstly open the program 'Main Menu' (type Menu in the Dash)

   

2. Now select the program which you want to add to startup and click on properties .

   

3. Now note the command for that program .

   

Non GUI approach

Advanced users may want to manually put a myApplication.desktop file in ~/.config/autostart to run applications after a user login. This may have following content:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=<Name of application as displayed>
Exec=<command to execute>
Icon=<full path to icon>
Comment=<optional comments>
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

You may have to give this file execute permission.