Inspect and Restart Services with launchctl print

The modern launchctl interface — full state of any launchd job plus a restart that actually works.

macOSdaemonslaunchctllaunchdservicesMedium risk

Run `launchctl print gui/$(id -u)/<service-label>` to see a job's full state, and `launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/<label>` to restart it.

01Command

Command

$ launchctl print gui/$(id -u)/com.apple.Finder

02What it does

load/unload were deprecated years ago; modern launchd identifies jobs by domain: gui/<uid> for login items and agents, system/ for daemons. `print` reveals PID, last exit status, and whether the job is disabled, which is the fastest way to diagnose a service that silently refuses to start. kickstart -k kills and relaunches without touching the plist.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

!Warning: Never kickstart protected system daemons blindly — restart the Mac instead.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

macOS launchctl — interact with launchd
SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Documents launchctl print, kickstart, bootout and bootstrap targeting gui/ or system/ domains.

Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: System & Settings