How to Force Quit on Mac: Shortcut for Frozen Apps

Every Mac user hits it sooner or later: the spinning wheel appears, the window stops reacting, and clicking does nothing. Knowing how to force quit on Mac gets you out of that spot in a few seconds without restarting the whole computer. People also search this as "force close" on a Mac — that is the same action as force quit. This guide covers every method Apple documents, including the Option-Command-Esc shortcut (the one people type as "command option escape"), the Apple menu, the Dock and Activity Monitor, plus Terminal, how to force quit Preview, what to do on a MacBook when the keyboard or trackpad is stuck, and what to try when even force quitting doesn't work.

Quick answer: press Option-Command-Esc together. The Force Quit Applications window opens. Select the app that isn't responding and click Force Quit. That is also how you force close a Mac app, including Preview, Safari or Chrome. No keyboard? Click the Apple menu and choose Force Quit instead. If the whole Mac is frozen, hold the power button (or Touch ID button) for up to 10 seconds until it turns off, then press it again to turn it back on.

Every step below matches Apple's guides to forcing an app to quit on Mac, quitting an app or process in Activity Monitor, what to try if an app freezes or quits unexpectedly and the Mac keyboard shortcuts list (which names Option-Command-Esc as "Force quit an app"). I checked them again on November 8, 2026. Apple's force-quit steps are the same on macOS Tahoe 26 and older versions; the support article does not list a Tahoe-only change for this.

One quick warning before you start. Force quitting closes an app immediately, so any unsaved changes in that app can be lost. If the app is only slow, give it a minute first. Apps that are saving a big file, exporting video or installing an update often look frozen when they're just busy.

Which force quit method should you use?

Pick the row that matches what's happening on your Mac, then jump to that section.

Force close vs force quit on Mac

If you came here by searching "force close Mac," you're in the right place. macOS labels the action Force Quit. Windows users often say force close, and some Mac menus still show Quit until you hold Option to reveal Force Quit. The result is the same: the app stops immediately, without getting a chance to save or tidy up.

A normal quit is different. Command-Q, or App menu > Quit, asks the app to close itself. That's the safer first move, because the app can write your unsaved changes to disk. Force quit (force close) is the backup for when the app is marked (Not Responding) or ignores that request.

Force quit is also not the same as shutting the Mac down. Force quit closes one app, or a few you select. A forced shutdown, where you hold the power button, turns the whole computer off and can lose unsaved work in every open app. Use force quit first whenever the pointer still moves.

Try quitting normally first

Apple recommends trying a normal quit before forcing anything. When an app quits normally, it can finish what it needs to do, such as saving your changes.

1. Press Command-Q while the app is in front.
2. Or choose Quit from the app's menu in the menu bar. For example, to quit Safari, choose Safari > Quit Safari.

If nothing happens because the app isn't responding, move on to one of the methods below.

How to force quit on Mac with the keyboard shortcut

The fastest way is the force quit shortcut on Mac: Option-Command-Esc. People also search this as "command option escape." It is the same three keys, pressed together.

1. Press Option (or Alt), Command and Esc together.
2. The Force Quit Applications window opens.
3. Select the app that isn't responding. Apps that macOS knows are stuck are often marked (Not Responding).
4. Click Force Quit, then confirm if asked. macOS warns that you will lose any unsaved changes.

If your Mac has a Touch Bar, the Esc key is on the left side of the Touch Bar. The shortcut works even when the frozen app is still in front, which makes it the best first move. You can select several apps at once in the Force Quit window by holding Command while you click them, then force quit the selection together.

On a keyboard made for a Windows PC, Apple says to press Alt instead of Option, and the Ctrl key or the Windows logo key instead of Command. So the same shortcut is Alt-Windows-Esc or Alt-Ctrl-Esc, depending on how that keyboard is mapped.

Is there a Control-Alt-Delete on Mac?

Not exactly, but Option-Command-Esc is the Mac equivalent. If you're coming from Windows, think of it this way: Control-Alt-Delete and Task Manager on a PC map to the Force Quit window and Activity Monitor on a Mac. The Option key is the Mac's Alt key, which is why some keyboards label it "alt option."

Force quit from the Apple menu

If the keyboard isn't cooperating, use the mouse or trackpad instead.

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
2. Choose Force Quit.
3. In the window that opens, select the unresponsive app.
4. Click Force Quit.

This opens the same Force Quit Applications window as the shortcut, so the result is identical. I use this route on a MacBook when a freeze has locked the keys but the trackpad still moves.

Force quit from the Dock

The Dock offers a quick shortcut too.

1. Find the frozen app's icon in the Dock.
2. Control-click (or right-click) the icon.
3. Choose Force Quit from the menu. You may lose unsaved changes.

Apple's Dock guide lists Force Quit in this menu when an app stops responding. If you only see Quit, hold Option while the menu is open and Quit changes to Force Quit.

How to force quit Preview on Mac

"How to force quit Preview on Mac" is a real search, and it comes up for a reason. Preview is the built-in app for PDFs, images and scans, and a large or damaged file can leave it spinning while the rest of the Mac still works.

The steps are the same as any other app:

1. Press Option-Command-Esc.
2. Select Preview in the Force Quit Applications window. It is often marked (Not Responding).
3. Click Force Quit.

You can also Control-click the Preview icon in the Dock and choose Force Quit, or quit it from Activity Monitor if it doesn't appear in the Force Quit list. After it closes, open Preview again and try a different file first. Apple's freeze guide notes that the original file may be the problem, not the app. If another PDF or photo opens fine, the first file is likely damaged, still downloading, or too large for a smooth preview. Try opening that file in Safari or Chrome to confirm, or download a fresh copy.

If Preview immediately reopens the same stuck document and freezes again, close the restored window as soon as it appears, or hold Option while you quit and reopen so it doesn't reload the previous file. In Activity Monitor, search for Preview and quit any leftover Preview processes before you try again.

Safari and Chrome follow the same pattern. Force quitting the browser closes all of its windows, not just the frozen tab. Chrome also runs helper processes; if the Chrome app isn't listed, search Activity Monitor for Google Chrome and quit the main process there.

Force quit with Activity Monitor

Activity Monitor is the most powerful option because, as Apple puts it, it can quit a process "even if it's in a loop or not responding." It also shows background processes that never appear in the Force Quit window. Find it in Applications > Utilities, or open Spotlight (Command-Space) and type "Activity Monitor."

1. Open Activity Monitor.
2. In the Process Name list, select the app or process you want to quit. An unresponsive process is marked (Not Responding) and appears in red.
3. Click the Stop button (the X) in the upper-left corner of the window.
4. Choose Quit to let it close when it's safe, or Force Quit to stop it immediately.

Apple explains the difference clearly. Quit is the same as choosing File > Quit inside the app, and the process won't quit if that could cause data loss or interfere with another app. Force Quit stops it at once, so you may lose data if it has files open, and other apps that rely on that process could have problems. If you try to stop a process you don't own, you may need an administrator password.

Tips for using Activity Monitor

• Sort by CPU or Memory. Click the % CPU or Memory column header to bring the heaviest process to the top. A frozen app is often the one pinned near 100% CPU.
• Check what depends on what. Choose View > All Processes, Hierarchically to see whether other processes rely on the one you're about to stop.
• Search the list. Type part of the app's name in the search field at the top right.
• Send a signal. Advanced users can select a process and choose View > Send Signal to Process, pick a signal and click Send.
• Note the PID. The PID column shows each process ID, which you'll need for the Terminal method below.

Note that the Process Name list isn't available in the Cache tab, so switch to CPU or Memory first.

How to force quit on Mac with Terminal

If you're comfortable with the command line, Terminal can close an app that refuses to quit any other way. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities and use one of these commands:

1. Quit by name: type killall "App Name" and press Return, using the app's exact name as it appears in Activity Monitor, for example killall Safari or killall "Google Chrome".
2. Find the process ID: type pgrep -l name, for example pgrep -l Chrome, to list matching processes and their IDs.
3. Quit by ID: type kill PID, replacing PID with the number. If it still won't close, kill -9 PID stops it immediately, with the same risk of losing unsaved work as Force Quit.

Be careful with these commands. Stopping system processes you don't recognize can log you out or make macOS unstable until you restart. Stick to the app you know is frozen.

How to relaunch a frozen Finder

The Finder is always running, so it doesn't have a normal Quit option. If it stops responding:

1. Press Option-Command-Esc.
2. Select Finder in the list.
3. Click Relaunch.

The Finder closes and reopens on its own, and your desktop and windows come back. You can also Option-Control-click the Finder icon in the Dock and choose Relaunch. That relaunch is not the same as quitting Finder for good — macOS starts it again automatically, which is what you want.

How to force quit on a MacBook when the keyboard or trackpad is stuck

On a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro the force quit steps are the same as on any Mac, but a freeze can lock up the built-in keyboard or trackpad as well. Searches like "force quit a MacBook" are looking for this situation, not a different shortcut.

• Keyboard frozen, trackpad works: use Apple menu > Force Quit or the Dock method.
• Trackpad frozen, keyboard works: press Option-Command-Esc, use the arrow keys to select the app, then press Return to force quit it.
• Both frozen: wait a minute in case the Mac catches up, then use the forced shutdown steps in the next section.
• Touch Bar MacBook Pro: Esc lives on the left side of the Touch Bar. If the Touch Bar itself is blank or stuck, skip the shortcut and use the Apple menu or the Dock instead.
• Wireless keyboard or mouse: check that it's charged and connected. A dead Bluetooth mouse can look exactly like a frozen Mac.

A MacBook that is simply running hot or very low on storage can also feel frozen. If force quit works but the same freeze comes back, check Activity Monitor's Memory and CPU tabs and free some disk space before you assume the app is broken.

What to do when force quit doesn't work

Sometimes an app is so stuck that even force quitting doesn't close it, or the whole Mac freezes. These are Apple's steps for that situation:

1. Restart your Mac. Choose Apple menu > Restart.
2. If your Mac won't restart, force it to turn off. Press and hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until the Mac turns off. Every Mac has a power button. On laptops with Touch ID, press and hold the Touch ID button.
3. Turn it back on. Press and release the power button.

A forced shutdown is the last resort because every open app loses its unsaved work, not just the frozen one. When the Mac starts again, some apps offer to reopen your windows, and apps with autosave, like Pages or Microsoft Word, often recover recent changes. If the crash dialog appears after you reopen the app, you can click Reopen there too.

Troubleshooting force quit problems

Use this table when the usual shortcut doesn't play out the way you expect.

If the same app keeps freezing

• Update the app and macOS. Check for app updates in the App Store or on the developer's site, and install macOS updates from System Settings > General > Software Update.
• Check that the app supports your macOS version. Apple's freeze guide asks you to make sure the app is compatible with your version of macOS. An older app that hasn't been updated for macOS Tahoe 26 is a common reason it hangs.
• Open another file in the app. There may be a problem with the original file, not the app itself.
• Watch your storage. A nearly full drive can slow apps down. Clearing old downloads and cached files often helps, and our guide on how to clear cache on Mac shows how to do it safely.
• Close what you don't need. Lots of open browser tabs and heavy apps compete for memory. Activity Monitor's Memory tab shows which ones use the most.
• Disconnect a device you just plugged in. Apple notes that a newly connected peripheral, such as a printer, may not be compatible and can make an app misbehave.
• Remove third-party plug-ins. If the freezes started after you installed an app plug-in or enhancement, uninstall that add-on. Apple also warns that a plug-in can break after you update the app or macOS.
• Check for a pattern. If one app freezes every day, watch it in Activity Monitor to see if it's using heavy CPU or memory, and contact the developer if it keeps happening.
• Remove and reinstall the app. Delete it from the Applications folder and download a fresh copy from the App Store or the developer.
• Reconnect your accessories. After a forced restart, Bluetooth headphones sometimes refuse to reconnect. Our guide on how to reset AirPods walks you through pairing them again.

When you need to show a support team what's going wrong, a quick capture of the error helps. See how to screenshot on Mac for every shortcut. And if the App Store or iCloud keeps asking for a password you can't remember after the restart, follow our steps to reset or change your Apple ID password.

Force quit on Mac vs iPhone

The idea is the same on your phone, but the steps are different. On an iPhone you swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause to open the app switcher, then swipe the frozen app up and off the screen. If the whole phone is stuck, our guide on how to hard reset an iPhone covers the button sequence, and how to clear cache on iPhone helps when apps keep slowing down.

FAQ

Final thoughts

For most frozen apps, how to force quit on Mac comes down to one shortcut: Option-Command-Esc, select the app, click Force Quit. That same action is what people mean by force close, whether the stuck app is Preview on a MacBook or Safari on a desktop Mac. Keep Activity Monitor for background processes and repeat offenders, and save the forced shutdown for when nothing on screen responds at all. If an app keeps misbehaving after you force quit it, update it, try a different file, free up some storage and clear its cache before you reach for a reinstall.