How to Close Apps on Mac

Closing apps on your Mac is a fundamental skill that every Mac user should know. Whether you want to free up system resources or simply tidy up your desktop, knowing how to close apps efficiently can greatly enhance your productivity. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the various methods of closing apps on your Mac.

Method 1: Closing Apps from the Dock
The most common way to close an app on a Mac is by using the Dock. The Dock is the row of icons located at the bottom (or side) of your screen. Follow these steps to close an app from the Dock:

Step 1: Locate the app icon in the Dock. Step 2: Right-click (or Control-click) on the app icon.

Step 3: From the contextual menu that appears, select “Quit” or “Close”. Note: Some apps may have different wording for quitting or closing, such as “Exit” or “Shut Down”.

Method 2: Closing Apps from the Menu Bar
Another way to close apps on a Mac is by using the menu bar at the top of your screen. Here’s how:

Step 1: Click on the app name in the menu bar.
Step 2: From the drop-down menu, select “Quit” or “Close”.
Note: Similar to method 1, some apps may have different wording for quitting or closing.

Method 3: Using Keyboard Shortcuts
If you prefer using keyboard shortcuts for efficiency, Mac offers several shortcuts to close apps quickly. Here are some commonly used keyboard shortcuts:

– Command + Q: This shortcut will quit (close) the currently active app.
– Command + W: This shortcut will close the currently active window within an app. If there is only one window, it will quit the app.

Method 4: Force Quitting Apps
In some cases, an app may become unresponsive or freeze, making it impossible to close using the above methods. In such situations, you can force quit the app. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Command + Option + Escape simultaneously. Step 2: The “Force Quit Applications” window will appear.

Step 3: Select the unresponsive app from the list. Step 4: Click on the “Force Quit” button.

Tips and Tricks:

• If you have multiple windows open in an app and want to close them all at once, hold down Option while clicking on “Quit” or “Close”. This will close all windows within the app.
• If you accidentally closed an app and want to quickly reopen it, press Command + Shift + T. This shortcut reopens the last closed tab or window in most apps.
• To prevent accidentally closing an important document in an app, make sure to save your work regularly by pressing Command + S.

Now that you know various methods of closing apps on your Mac, you can effortlessly manage your applications and keep your system running smoothly. Remember to save your work before closing any apps to avoid losing any unsaved changes.