Are you experiencing a frozen application on your Mac? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
In this tutorial, we’ll guide you on how to force quit on Mac using simple steps. So let’s get started.
What is Force Quit?
Force Quit is a useful feature on Mac that allows you to forcefully close unresponsive applications. It’s similar to the “End Task” feature in Windows. When an application freezes or becomes unresponsive, using Force Quit can help you close it without having to restart your Mac.
How to Force Quit on Mac
To force quit an application on your Mac, follow these steps:
- Option 1: Using the Apple Menu
- Select the Apple menu at the top-left corner of your screen.
- Click on “Force Quit”.
- A window will appear displaying all currently running applications.
- Select the unresponsive application from the list.
- Click on the “Force Quit” button.
- Option 2: Using Keyboard Shortcuts
- Option + Command + Esc:
- Command + Option + Shift + Esc:
- Option 3: Using Activity Monitor
- Launch the Activity Monitor application. You can find it in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
- In the Activity Monitor window, locate the unresponsive application.
- Select the application, then click on the “X” button in the toolbar.
- A confirmation dialog will appear. Click on “Force Quit”.
- Saving your work: Before force quitting an application, ensure that you’ve saved your work to avoid losing any unsaved changes.
- Frequent force quitting: If you find yourself frequently needing to force quit applications, it might be worth investigating potential issues with your Mac or updating the problematic applications.
- Prioritize system processes: Be cautious when force quitting system processes as it may lead to unexpected behavior or crashes. Only force quit system processes if absolutely necessary.
If the frozen application is in focus:
This keyboard shortcut instantly brings up the “Force Quit Applications” window.
This keyboard shortcut forces quit the front-most application immediately without confirmation.
Tips for Using Force Quit
In order to optimize your experience with Force Quit on Mac, keep these tips in mind:
In Conclusion
The Force Quit feature on Mac is a handy tool for resolving unresponsive applications. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can quickly and efficiently force quit troublesome apps without disrupting your workflow or needing to restart your Mac.
We hope this guide has been helpful! Remember to use Force Quit sparingly and always save your work before doing so. Happy computing!
Note: The screenshots and instructions provided are based on macOS Catalina (version 10.15.7). The steps may vary slightly depending on your macOS version.