How to Force Quit a Frozen App on a Mac

When an app stops responding on your Mac, it can feel as though the whole computer has frozen. You might see a spinning pointer, find that a window will not close, or discover that clicks and keyboard commands are being ignored.

In many cases, you can close just the troublesome app without restarting your Mac. The force quit Mac options are built in, and this guide shows you how to use them and what to check before opening the app again.

What you’ll need

• Your Mac and its keyboard or trackpad.
• A moment to let the app respond, if it is only temporarily busy.

Step 1: Try closing the app normally first

An app can sometimes appear frozen while it is busy opening a large file, saving work, or loading a page. Give it a short moment before forcing it to close.

1. Click the app’s window to make it active, if you can.
2. Choose the app’s name in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
3. Select Quit [App Name]. The wording includes the name of the app, such as Quit Safari.
4. If the app closes, you are finished. If it does not respond, move on to the force quit method.

You can also press Command-Q to quit the active app. If the app is not responding, this shortcut may not work.

Tip: If you have unsaved work, give the app a little time to recover before forcing it to close. Force quitting can mean losing changes that have not been saved.

Step 2: Open the Force Quit window

The Force Quit window is a built-in macOS tool. It lists open apps and lets you close one that is not responding.

1. Press Option-Command-Escape together.
2. Wait for the Force Quit Applications window to appear.
3. Look through the list for the app that has stopped responding.
4. Click the app once to select it.

If you cannot use the keyboard shortcut, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose Force Quit.

Good to know: The app may be marked Not Responding in the list. This means macOS has detected that it is not responding normally. It does not necessarily mean the app or your Mac is permanently damaged.

Step 3: Force quit the frozen app

Once you have selected the app, you can ask macOS to close it.

1. In the Force Quit Applications window, select the app that is not responding.
2. Click Force Quit.
3. If a confirmation message appears, click Force Quit again.
4. Wait a few moments for the app to close.

Do not select an app just because you do not recognize its name. If you are unsure what an item does, leave it alone and select only the app you intended to close.

Careful: Force quitting closes the app without giving it the usual chance to save your work. Any changes since your last save may be lost. It is best used when the app will not close normally.

Step 4: Reopen the app and check your work

After the app closes, you can usually open it again in the usual way.

1. Wait a few seconds after the app disappears.
2. Open Finder, then select Applications, or click the app’s icon in the Dock if it is there.
3. Open the app.
4. If it offers to restore windows or recover a document, read the message and follow the options that suit you.
5. Check whether your recent work is still available. If the app has an autosave or recovery feature, it may be able to restore some changes.

If the app opens normally, you can carry on. If it freezes again, note what you were doing just before it stopped responding.

Step 5: If your whole Mac is not responding

Sometimes the problem is bigger than one app. If the pointer, menu bar, and keyboard all stop responding, the Force Quit window may not open.

1. First, wait briefly to see whether the Mac recovers.
2. If the menu bar still works, try the Apple menu and choose Restart.
3. If the Mac responds to the keyboard but not the trackpad, try a connected mouse or keyboard if you have one.
4. If nothing responds and you cannot restart normally, use the power button or Touch ID button to turn the Mac off as a last resort. The method can vary by Mac model.
5. Wait a few seconds, then turn the Mac back on.

A forced shutdown can cause unsaved work to be lost. Use it only when the normal controls are unavailable.

Troubleshooting: Force Quit is not working

The Force Quit window will not open. Try clicking the Apple menu and selecting Force Quit. If the entire Mac is unresponsive, follow Step 5 instead.

The app closes but freezes again. Check whether an update is available for the app and for macOS. You can also restart your Mac and see whether the problem happens again.

The app is not listed. It may already have closed, or it may not be responding in the way macOS detects. Check the Dock and try opening the app again only if the Mac is otherwise working normally.

My document has disappeared. Open the app and look for a recovery message or a Recent list. Some apps save work automatically, but not all do. Check the app’s own help information if you cannot find the file.

You’re back in control

For most frozen apps, Option-Command-Escape opens the Force Quit window and lets you close the app that is stuck. Use it only when normal quitting does not work, and remember to save your work regularly so you have less to lose if an app freezes.