Force quit an app that's frozen or won't quit

Why it happens

An app freezes when it gets stuck on a task and stops listening to you, so the normal Quit command never reaches it. Force Quit tells macOS to close it anyway. Anything you hadn't saved in that app is lost, so give it a minute first in case it recovers.

How to fix it

1. Wait about a minute if you can. A spinning wheel sometimes clears by itself once the app finishes what it's doing.

2. Press Option-Command-Escape together. The Force Quit Applications window opens. You can also choose Force Quit from the Apple menu.

   Apple menu›Force Quit…

3. Click the app that's stuck. It often says Not Responding next to its name. Then click Force Quit and confirm.

4. Another way: hold down Option, then Control-click the app's icon in the Dock. Quit changes to Force Quit, so click that.

5. Open the app again. Many apps offer to reopen the windows or documents you had open.

Still not fixed?

1. If the app doesn't show in the Force Quit window, open Activity Monitor, select the app, click the Stop button in the toolbar, then click Force Quit.

   Activity Monitor›Force Quit

2. Finder can't be quit, only restarted. In the Force Quit window, select Finder and click Relaunch.

3. If the whole Mac is frozen and nothing responds, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until it turns off, wait a moment, then turn it on again. On many MacBooks the power button is the Touch ID key. Unsaved work will be lost.

4. If the same app freezes again and again, update it from the App Store or its maker's website, then restart your Mac. Check you have free space in Storage, because a nearly full disk makes apps hang.

   General›Storage

5. If many apps freeze, or the whole Mac freezes often even after a macOS update, contact Apple Support. Frequent freezes can point to a software problem or failing hardware that needs a proper check.