Forcing Mac to quit the application does resolve the problem but may have downsides. When you close an application in the traditional manner, it will clean everything it runs in the background and alert you to save the work. When you force close on Mac, you may end up losing files and data, or mess things up on the drive.
While working on Mac, if an application starts acting weird, you need to close it. But what if you can’t close the app, then the next solution is to forced shutdown the program on a Mac. This method is needed to be known by the Mac users as it can get handy. In this article, we solve this issue for you as we have stated five methods on how to force quit applications on Mac.
![]() Methods to force quit an application on Mac
Mac is a clean operating system with wonderful features, but sometimes, it can act strangely. This might be due to the fact of some error or outdated operating system. Remember to keep your system updated, and the disk storage decluttered. As it directly impacts the performance on Mac and issues like application refuses to close occurs.
1. Using Menu Bar
When you find yourself in this situation, the first thing to do, open the Menu bar. It is the given feature to force quit an application on Mac.
Here you will see the Force Quit option in the drop-down menu. Click on it, and this shows you the list of all the running applications.
Select the application you want to force close on Mac. Now click on the Force Quit button.
2. Using Dock Panel
To learn how to force quit an application on Mac using Dock, follow the option steps given below. Another secure method is to use the mouse together with your keyboard. Press the Alt key on your keyboard. When you see your application icon on the Dock, use the mouse to right-click on it.
Here you will see the Force Quit option appearing in the options visible. Click on it to force quit an application on Mac.
My photos app on mac wont close. Note: If you right click on the app icon on Dock without pressing the Alt key, the option only shows Quit option.
3. Using Activity Monitor
Activity monitor is the best bet when you want to learn how to quit a program on Mac. It shows all the running applications and comes with an option to quit. To open Activity Monitor, go to Launchpad.
Now to force quit a program on Mac you need to click on the CPU tab on Activity Monitor.
Here you will see the names of the applications, select the one which is hanging. Locate the cross icon on the top left, click on it.
You will see the prompt message appearing on the screen – “Are you sure you want to quit this process? “
Click on Force Quit option.
4. Using Terminal
If all of the above steps did not help, then you still can force shut down the application via the command line.
To learn how to close the application on Mac using Terminal, follow the steps given below:
1. Open Spotlight from the Menu Bar.
2. Now type Terminal and open it.
3. Launch Terminal.
4. Start the forced shutdown of the program on Mac by typing this command-
killall “Name of application”.
Note: This command is case sensitive, so please enter the name of the application as it is. For example Killall FaceTime
5. Click Enter.
6. Use TuneupMyMac
TuneupMyMac is a Mac cleaner tool that helps clear app cache which refreshes the app. This means when the app launches the next time, you can use it as new. It is one of the finest tools for Mac to clean the junk files interrupting the regular operation of closing applications. Once you install TuneupMyMac, it will thoroughly scan your Mac. It can remove junk files, unwanted log-in items or system files which are most likely to be causing trouble.
TuneupMyMac can also be used to uninstall an application on Mac completely. Owncloud desktop app mac. So, So if you looking for a way to refresh app or close any app try using TuneUpMyMac. This one click mac optimizer will do wonders.
Conclusion
So if you find yourself stuck with the application, use any of the above methods to force quit an app on Mac. Declutter the disk storage with TuneupMyMac, as it is a great application to clean your Mac and help it to run all functions smoothly. It is one of the methods to use when all others fail to force shut down an application on Mac.
We hope that this method helps you understand how to force quit an application on Mac. We would like to know your views on this post to make it more useful. Your suggestions and comments are welcome in the comment section below. Share the information with your friends and others by sharing the article on social media.
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by Sophie GreenUpdated on 2019-12-25 / Update for Mac OS
If your Mac apps stop responding or if they stay stuck at some point no matter what you do, it might be helpful to learn how to force quit an app on Mac. This way, you can force your apps to close no matter what they are doing and what their current status is. It helps you get rid of your unresponsive apps so you can focus and work on the ones that you actually want.
There are actually multiple ways to force quit an app on Mac. You can use any of the available methods to force an app to close, and regardless of which method you go for, they all ultimately do the same thing.
If you have any unsaved work in any of the apps that you are force closing, you might not want to close the app as this will make you lose your work. However, if you do not have any other option, then you can proceed to exit the app on your Mac.
Part 1. 5 Easy Ways to Force Quit an App on Mac
As said earlier, you have multiple ways to force quit an app on your Mac and here we show all of the available methods to do the task. You will want to use the one that you think is the best and most convenient for you. Here are some of the ways on how to force quit an app on a Mac.
1. Force Quit an App on Mac Using Keyboard shortcut
The easiest way to forcibly quit an app on a Mac is to use a keyboard shortcut. By just pressing the combination of three keys on your Mac, you can easily get rid of an app that is stuck on your screen for hours.
The keyboard shortcut for force quitting an app is Command + Option + Esc. While you are inside the app that you want to force quit, simply press these keys at the same time and the app will be forced to close.
2. Force Quit an App on Mac from Apple Menu
Another way to force close an app on your Mac is to use the default Apple menu on your system. It is located at the top part of your screen letting you access various system functions of your Mac.
Using the menu to close an app is pretty easy and the following is how do you force quit an app on Mac using this Apple menu.
Your selected app will be force closed. Apple mac reminders app.
3. Force Quit Mac App from Dock Panel
In addition to letting you launch apps, the Dock on your Mac also lets you force quit apps on your Mac. All you basically have to do is select the app, choose an option, and your app will be force closed.
4. Force Close Frozen App on Mac via Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor helps you keep a tab on your Mac's activities and you can use it to force close apps as well. If you have been wondering 'how do I force quit an app on Mac', this should answer it for you.
5. Force Close Frozen App on Mac Using Terminal
Terminal lets you force quit apps as well and the following shows how to do it.
Part 2. What Happens when Force Quit Doesn't Work on Mac?I tried option-cmd-esc, clicking force quit on the app, activity monitor and terminal. I read that sometime restarting helps, but it won't even do that. Everything works fine, except I can't shut down my laptop or use the app.
If force closing an app does not work for some reason for you, you can try force rebooting your Mac to see if that helps fix the issue.
Click on the Apple logo at the top and select Restart to reboot your Mac.
One More Tip: Best Mac Data Recovery Software – 2020
One of the issues you could come across while force closing is an app is losing your data. If this has already happened to you, you might want to do something to recover your lost data. There is a good app for that called Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery that helps you recover files on your Mac. It comes with the following features in it:
The following shows how you can use it on your Mac.
Your files are now recovered.
ConclusionApps Quit Unexpectedly On Mac
How would you quit/exit a program that is frozen or not responding on a Mac computer? Is one of the most asked questions by Mac users. The above guide aims to answer the question and offers some of the ways to fix stuck apps on your machine. And Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery is highly recommended if you want to recover data from Mac even if your Mac won't turn on, or get dead, crashed.
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