List Disabled launchd Services in Your macOS User Session

Use `launchctl print-disabled gui/UID` to see which user-level services were switched off with launchctl disable.

macOSlaunchctlmacosTerminalsecurityMedium risk

Run `launchctl print-disabled gui/$(id -u)` to print every disabled service in your GUI session, and re-enable one with `launchctl enable gui/$(id -u)/<bundle-id>`.

01Command

Command

$ launchctl print-disabled gui/$(id -u)

02What it does

launchctl disable writes service names into a persistent disabled-services map; they stay off across reboots even if the LaunchAgent still exists. The print-disabled subcommand dumps that map for a given domain, and gui/$(id -u) targets your own login session (the UID of your user). This is the fastest way to audit why an agent such as com.apple.Finder or a third-party helper refuses to start.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

04Undo

Undo

$ launchctl enable gui/$(id -u)/com.example.service

05Sources

launchctl - Interfaces with launchd to manage services
SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Lists the `print-disabled` subcommand for the launchd domain, and shows domain-style targets such as `gui/504` (gui/UID) for per-user services.
launchctl(1) man page
Xcode Man Pages (keith.github.io) · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Documents `print-disabled <service-target>`: 'Prints a list of services which are disabled at the system or global level', with gui/ domain targets addressed as gui/UID.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: System & Settings

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