Computer Not Responding? How to Force Quit Apps on a Mac

What do you do when your computer stops working? If it’s a single application that’s causing the problem, users with Windows computers can use the ever-popular Ctrl-Alt-Del command to end offending programs. But if you’re using a Mac, what are your options? Mac users can close the app from the Dock, open the Force Quit Applications window, or open Activity Monitor, Apple’s version of Windows Task Manager. Here’s how to do all three methods.

1. Close the app from the dock

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If a program you’re using just hangs when you try to close or interact with it, you can use the Dock to shut it down. Control-click the program’s icon to open a menu, then select Stop. Even if it takes a few seconds, the app in question should close as usual. If not, you may need to take more drastic action.

2. Force Quit Applications

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Those who enjoy using Mac’s keyboard shortcuts will know that macOS has its own version of Ctrl-Alt-Del called Option + Command + Esc. Use this command to open the Force Quit Applications window, which lists all your open programs.

On computers with a Touch Bar, the Esc key is located to the left of the Touch Bar. You can also click apple > Force quit come here. Then select the app that is having the issue and select Force quit to turn it off. If you have a problem with the Finder, select it in the Force Quit Applications window and click reboot Button to reset the window.

3. Open Mac’s Task Manager

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If you were hoping for a little more functionality along the lines of the Task Manager in Windows, the macOS Activity Monitor offers views of CPU status, energy usage, and more.

Open launch padgo to Miscellaneous folder and select activity monitor. There is no direct keyboard shortcut, but you can press Command + Shift + U to open and select the utility folder activity monitor from there. With Activity Monitor open, select the offending program and click Stop Button at the top of the window that looks like a stop sign. You can then choose to do so Stop or Force quit the application.

A cool thing: Apple MacBook Air (2022, M2)