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How to force quit an app on a Mac

Four ways to close a frozen app on a Mac: the Force Quit window, the Dock, Activity Monitor and Terminal, plus what to do if the whole Mac is stuck.

By Rudra Satani, maker of NotchMind ·

1. The Force Quit window

Press ⌥ ⌘ Esc, select the app and click Force Quit. Apps marked “Not Responding” are the frozen ones.

2. The Dock

Right-click the app’s Dock icon, hold ⌥, and Quit turns into Force Quit.

3. Activity Monitor

For apps without a Dock icon, like menu bar apps: open Activity Monitor, find the app, select it and click the ⊗ button, then Force Quit.

4. Terminal

killall "App Name"

Use the name as it appears in Activity Monitor.

Apps without a Dock icon don’t show in the Dock. NotchMind, which I make, can be quit or restarted from its own menu: right-click the notch and choose Quit or Restart. If it doesn’t respond, use Activity Monitor.

The whole Mac is frozen

Hold the power button (Touch ID button) for about 10 seconds until the Mac turns off, then turn it on again. Unsaved work in open apps may be lost.

About the author

Rudra Satani makes NotchMind, a notch app for Mac, so read anything about notch apps here with that in mind. Spotted a mistake? Email support@notchmind.com, or reach out at @rudraxx13.

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