How to Force Quit Apps on a Mac?

Last Updated on 6 years ago by Sumi

Sometimes, it happens that apps on Mac don’t always respond to user commands, the active processes occupy the system memory and you get stuck. To fix a frozen Mac you might need to force quit apps. If you encounter an unresponsive app you might need to close if forcefully. In this article, I am going to share with you the various ways in which you can force quit apps on a Mac. 

How to force quit on a Mac using a shortcut

To call the force quit applications windows, press Command+Option+Esc on your Mac keyboard. This shortcut will open the window where you can select running apps and close them.

Also, you can call the Force Quit window using the Menu Bar

1. In the top corner of the desktop you’ll find the Apple icon, click on it.
2. And select Force Quit. It will purpose to close the active app.
3. Again click on the Force Quit button to confirm it.

How to force quit apps on Mac using an Activity monitor

If you’re using the Activity Monitor to see how much system resources a sluggish or unresponsive app is consuming. You can also force quit the app from right within the Activity Monitor. Follow these steps to force quit apps using Activity Monitor:

1. Open Activity Monitor from Launchpad.
2. Then, go to the CPU tab.
3. Select the “hovering” process from the list.
4. And in the top left corner, you’ll find the Force a Process to Quit(X) then click on it.
5. Finally, confirm the operation

How to force quit an app using the Dock Panel

Dock Panel is an alternative method for Mac Force Quit command. Here’s how to force quit an app right from the Dock Panel:

1. Firstly, hold the Alt key and right-click on the app’s icon in the Dock.
2. Select Force Quit from the context menu.

How to force stop programs on Mac using Terminal

If all of the above-mentioned steps do not do the trick for you, then you can force shut down the application through the command file. Follow these steps to force quit using the Terminal app:

1. Open your application folder, and launch the terminal
2. Type the following command: Killall [application name]
3. Click Enter

What to do when the Force Quit command still not responding

In case, the above methods didn’t work successfully, then it’s time to force quit with Memory cleaner. Actually, Memory cleaner was designed to clean inactive RAM and speed up your Mac. Follow these steps to force quit app using the Memory cleaner app:

1. At first, download and install the Memory Cleaner.
2. Then click on the Memory Cleaner icon in the toolbar
3. Just click right on the app you want to close
4. Lastly, select Force Quit.

We have provided various ways to force quit apps on a Mac. Use the way that you feel is most convenient.

Also Read: How to Create a Folder on Mac?