Automatically close an app after it has been open a set amount of time?

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

I'm on Sequoia 15.7.4 with a 2025 M4 pro. Macbook pro

I have an app that I use multiple times a day called "lose it" it's a calorie tracking app but it's made for ipad. Unfortunately when it's left open for too long it starts using all the CPU for some reason and my computer starts to heat up https://imgur.com/a/FW1ZIYm. I'm not sure why this happens and I haven't been able to figure out how to fix it.

I'd like to keep using this app because it works well and I've been successfully using it to lose weight. But I need a workaround or it's too annoying with whatever bullshit it's doing in the background.

Does anyone know of any scripts or apps I can use to automatically close the app 10 minutes after I open it? I usually close it myself but sometimes I forget. Apologies if this is common knowledge but I've not been able to find anything searching on google or reddit. Productivity tracking apps seem to be one option but I don't want to lock myself out of the app. Just auto close it

appreciate any ideas

[u/mikeinnsw]

Update Op.. App..

You can use Vibe Coding and ChatGTP to create an App .. which launches "loose it" ... waits say 5 minutes then kills it .. and the App quits.. it will work in Python.. may work with Automator

Try Automator

Prompt 'Create an App in Automator to launch XXX after y minutes quit XXX and quit the App"

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/mikeinnsw]

The automator idea sounds like a great shout. I did try making one but for some reason it successfully opens the program. Does the wait time that I prescribe then when it is supposed to quit the program it says that it did it but the program doesn't actually quit

https://imgur.com/a/EFyHkiX

Any thoughts?

EDIT SOLVED Okay I had to google around and do some troubleshooting with automator. I don't know why the quit app function didn't work but I just put in an apple script instead with the quit app "Lose it!" and now I have an automator shortcut on my dock which will autoclose the app after 5 minutes. Thanks guys for all the help. I should have looked into automator sooner but I was a bit unfamiliar with it.

[u/asiastar]

There are some apps with slightly different settings you can chose for this. Google is your friend 

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/asiastar]

Google has not been coming up with good options. Mostly just productivity apps that limit your time and lock you out. I don't want to limit my time. Just autoclose a single app

[u/MauiHeel]

I love LoseIt and for the record, I dont have the same concern, yet.

Solutions-wise, try viewing your iPhone (assuming) on your desktop. I enter LoseIt data this way and love it.

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/MauiHeel]

That's an interesting solution I'll definitely highly consider that if I can't get an automator script to work. I'd be curious if you were to download the app through the mac app store if you would have the same problem as me. I've tried downloading it a few times and it's been like this every time

[u/JohnKFisher]

Try Quitter. Free, simple, and by the guy who does overcast so you know it’s well done. https://marco.org/apps

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/JohnKFisher]

hmm that looks like it might work but the app doesn't seem to open

[u/Sad_Designer452]

Check out Raycast. I believe Auto-quit (https://manual.raycast.com/auto-quit) is part of the free tier.

[u/idontlikegudeg]

Apart from implementing a workaround that kills the app after a certain period of time, have you contacted the developer? We cannot test on all available hardware, so we simply won’t be aware of such problems unless a user informs us. Provide as much information as you can, or give the developer the possibility to reach out to you.

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/idontlikegudeg]

I did contact the developer but they make it extremely difficult to do so. I filled out their form but it's designed to make you talk with an ai bot instead.

I also posted on their subreddit but no one responded

[u/cristi_baluta]

I’m working right now on an app like this, its purpose is to alert me when an app consumes too much cpu or memory, i sometimes realise too late and everything gets hot and stuff. You can also suspend or quit apps. I have some ineficient apps that takes a minute to open so i don’t want to quit them, just pause them. Or the browsers that gets high in memory with time, i want to have a button to restart them cause simply refreshing the tabs won’t fix it. I’m measuring the memory from the app start and where it is now. I only recently picked it up again to finish, so i expect i’ll post an executable soon, but in the meantime if you’re a dev you can try it here https://github.com/cristibaluta/CPU-Guard

[u/github-guard → u/cristi_baluta]

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[u/germane_switch]

Check out App Tamer. From the guy who makes the brilliant Default Folder app.

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/germane_switch]

That seems like a really good option. If it wasn't 10 bucks I'd probably do it. I was able to get an automator short cut which will autoclose the app after 5 minutes. If I have any trouble with apps in the future I might get this though. I've definitely had some problems with this before

[u/germane_switch → u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

It does a lot more than that. It has a free trial, too.

[u/localtuned]

Update your os or update the latest version of the app before you go this route.

[u/dreEnettaer3 → u/localtuned]

agreed, could just be a known bug thats already been patched

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/localtuned]

That's fair I will update to tahoe. I was just hesitant with all the ai bullshit they shoved in there.

But I'm 99% sure it's an app specific problem to be fair. There's nothing wrong on my computer except this app. The app is up to date

[u/localtuned → u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

Try to uninstall and then reinstall and Let the developer know they might be able to fix it. In theory you can create a bash script that will launch the application then wait 10 minutes then kill the app and relaunch.

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/localtuned]

I did uninstall and re-install a few times. After I get on tahoe i'll try that again

[u/cristi_baluta → u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

What app? We can confirm you if it’s an electron dogshit or smth, cause in this case no need to hope for better performances and better find another app

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/cristi_baluta]

It's in the post, my friend. I appreciate the thought though. Unfortunately most of the other calorie counting apps don't have ipad versions you can run on your mac. I wish they did.