When an application on your Mac becomes unresponsive, it can disrupt your workflow and be frustrating. You might find yourself clicking endlessly with no result, and the usual method of quitting an application just won’t work. This is when force quitting becomes necessary. Fortunately, macOS provides several straightforward ways to force quit applications and get your system back on track. This guide will walk you through the steps to effectively force quit applications on your Mac, ensuring you can quickly resolve unresponsiveness and continue using your computer smoothly.
To normally quit an application on your Mac, you would typically select “Quit” from the application’s menu in the menu bar, or use the keyboard shortcut Command + Q. However, when an app is frozen or not responding, these methods fail. That’s when you need to take more direct action to close the problematic application.
Method 1: Using the Force Quit Applications Window
The most common and user-friendly method to force quit with Mac is through the “Force Quit Applications” window. Here’s how to access and use it:
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Press the Magic Keys: Simultaneously press and hold these three keys: Option (Alt), Command, and Esc (Escape). You’ll find the Option key labeled as “Option” or “alt,” the Command key with the “⌘” symbol, and the Escape key usually labeled “esc.” Pressing these keys together will bring up the “Force Quit Applications” window. Alternatively, you can access this window through the Apple menu.
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Access via Apple Menu: Click the Apple menu () located in the top-left corner of your screen. From the dropdown menu, select “Force Quit…”. This option will also open the “Force Quit Applications” window.
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Select the Unresponsive Application: In the “Force Quit Applications” window, you will see a list of currently running applications. Identify the application that is not responding. It will often be labeled as “(Not Responding)” in red next to its name, making it easy to spot.
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Force Quit the Application: Select the application you wish to close from the list. Once selected, click the “Force Quit” button at the bottom of the window. macOS will then immediately terminate the selected application.
Force Quit Applications window
It’s important to note that force quitting an application will close it immediately, and you may lose any unsaved changes or data within that application. Therefore, it’s advisable to use force quit only when an application is truly unresponsive and you cannot quit it normally.
Special Case: Force Quitting Finder
Finder is the default file manager on macOS and is always running. Occasionally, Finder itself might become unresponsive. You can also force quit and relaunch Finder using the “Force Quit Applications” window:
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Open Force Quit Window: Use either the keyboard shortcut (Option + Command + Esc) or the Apple menu (“Force Quit…”) to open the “Force Quit Applications” window.
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Select Finder: In the list of applications, find and select “Finder”.
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Relaunch Finder: Instead of a “Force Quit” button, when Finder is selected, you’ll see a “Relaunch” button. Click “Relaunch”. This will force Finder to quit and then automatically restart, which can resolve issues where Finder is frozen or not behaving as expected.
What to Do If Force Quit Doesn’t Work
In rare cases, the “Force Quit Applications” window might not be enough to close an extremely unresponsive application. If you find that you still can’t force quit the app using the methods above, you have a couple of alternative options:
Restart Your Mac
Restarting your Mac is a more forceful way to close all applications and processes, including any unresponsive ones.
- Restart via Apple Menu: Click the Apple menu () and select “Restart…”. Your Mac will initiate the restart process, closing down all running applications and then rebooting the system. This is generally a safe way to resolve most software issues.
Force Shut Down (Hard Reset)
If your Mac is completely frozen and even the restart option is unresponsive, you may need to perform a force shutdown, sometimes known as a hard reset. This should be used as a last resort as it can potentially lead to data loss if files are being written during the shutdown process.
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Press and Hold the Power Button: Locate the power button on your Mac. For most modern Mac laptops, the power button is integrated into the top-right corner of the keyboard, often doubling as the Touch ID sensor. For desktop Macs, it’s typically on the back or front of the computer case.
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Hold for 10 Seconds: Press and hold the power button down for about 5-10 seconds. This will force your Mac to turn off.
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Turn Mac Back On: After your Mac has completely shut down, wait a few seconds, and then press the power button again to turn your Mac back on.
Using How To Force Quit With Mac techniques is an essential skill for every macOS user. Whether you are dealing with an application that is simply stuck or completely frozen, knowing how to force quit ensures you can maintain control over your Mac and quickly get back to being productive. Remember to use force quit judiciously, primarily when normal quitting methods fail, and be mindful of potential unsaved data loss.
