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I have a certain issue with my Mac, which is that in certain situations, "standard" system apps are started. For example, clicking on any link in MS Office will fire up Safari, which I never use while my "normal" Browser is configured as "default Browser" in the system's settings. Connecting a BT headset will start Music, which I never use.

As it appears, there is no way of simply "deactivating" this behavior. As there is apparently no way of "patching" the system by completely uninstalling system apps, I want to at least prevent them from being started.

What I want/need is a way to force-stop specific apps (quietly) as soon as they are started. Like watching if a specific process is started and immediately killing it.

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  • What OS are you on; what's your default browser; what version of Office?
    – benwiggy
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 11:01
  • MacOS 13.1, Brave (same problems exist with Chrome and Firefox, which are also installed), Office for Mac 365 (e.g. PowerPoint version 16.69)
    – Xenonite
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 12:13
  • This seems to look for a "let's get the big hammer" solution to solve various independent problems. Please ask questions focused on one problem only so it can be solved by suitable answers. Also(see apple.stackexchange.com/q/372948/9058 for the Music/Headset problem.
    – nohillside ♦
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 14:55
  • Perhaps ask a separate question about the default browser issue -- as said previously, it works as expected for me, so may be fixable at your end. I would test the behaviour in a new user account, for starters.
    – benwiggy
    Commented Feb 13, 2023 at 11:13
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    See this question/answer as well: apple.stackexchange.com/q/313373/119271
    – Allan
    Commented Feb 13, 2023 at 14:08

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Firstly, changing the default browser in Ventura's System Settings to MS Edge works for me when clicking on a link in Word version 16.69.

Apps that are bundled with the OS cannot be deleted: the OS cannot be altered in any way, as a security defence. Safari is a bit different, as it can be a separate install; however, it is also fairly core to the OS.

Given that I can't replicate the problem, and the difficulty of deleting apps, it may be that there's another solution to the problem.

I would try testing the problem in a new user account. If the correct behaviour occurs there, then you know that the cause is something in your old user account, rather than at the system level. You can then go back and investigate.

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  • I do understand that deleting a system app is a serious step to achieve this goal. Anyhow, I rather have something crashing then the aforementioned apps actually opening. Yes, that drastic. So the question for this forum is whether there is a step before force-deleting them via disabling SIPS (because yes, system apps CAN INDEED be deleted).
    – Xenonite
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 12:15
  • @Xenonite Your question is "Is there any more "humane" or "gentle" way to stop such behavior"; and that's the one I would look to address. The OS will not boot at all if it has been modified.
    – benwiggy
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 12:56
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Here goes the solution. It is a small tool someone programmed apparently having the same issue I have. It is only focussed on iTunes and Music, but its a start. More importantly, it shows that more people have this problem.

What it does is simply quitting iTunes and/or Music as soon as they are started, so they can never be open/used.

https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes

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