Ok, I get it. There is no equivalent to the PC’s Ctrl+Alt+Del shortcut on a Mac® to force quit an application. So how do I quit that annoying program that’s not responding?
Luckily, Apple® has you covered and gives you multiple options. The shortcut actually exists, and moreover, there are a few other extremely convenient ways to fight buggy apps. Today I’m going to list three easy ways to force-quit an application on a Mac, without harming the system.
How to Force Quit an Application on a Mac. This wikiHow teaches you how to quit an application that has stopped responding on your Mac. Open the Apple menu. It's the black Apple on icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. The chosen app or apps will be forcibly closed on your Mac. Force Quit Current App With A Keyboard Shortcut. The above method lets you force quit any of the running apps on your Mac. But if you would like to only force quit the app you are currently in, you can do so without opening the force quit dialog box on your Mac. There are several different ways to force quit an application. Press Command-Option-Escape, select the app from the box that opens, and press Force Quit. If you can access the Apple menu, click on it, choose Force Quit, select the app and press Force Quit. Right-click or Control-click on the app’s icon in the Dock and choose Force Quit.
Let’s dive in!
Is it Safe to Force Quit?
Forcing a frozen application to quit is the same as killing the symptoms when we get sick versus curing the virus. We need to see the bigger picture and understand what causes the problem and how to cure it while understanding how to avoid it from happening again.
The number one reason we have a problem with frozen applications in a Mac is insufficient RAM—or, in other words, a lack of computer memory to operate the system compared to the number of applications you usually open (including those numerous open tabs in a browser). So anytime your system utilizes all of its existing resourses to run the task, it becomes unresponsive. Think of RAM like a physical workbench. The more space (memory) you have to work, the more projects you can have out to work on. Less space? Less ability to work on multiple things at once.
Forcing Mac to quit the application does resolve the problem but may have downsides. When you close an application in the traditional manner, it will clean everything it runs in the background and alert you to save the work. When you force close on Mac, you may end up losing files and data, or mess things up on the drive. Although the effect will only be related to that one particular application that got stuck, sometimes it can hurt.
Using a smart app like Parallels Toolbox can help you to free up unused memory on the fly and prevent the applications from getting frozen over and over again. The package includes over 30+ useful apps for everyday needs that any Mac user will benefit from, including downloading videos and music from sites like YouTube, taking screenshot or record videos, optimize your Mac performance, free up extra space and so much more.
You can download Toolbox and try it out for free here (no registration needed).
1. Force Quit Using the Apple Menu
The most conventional and effective way to close frozen programs is to go to the macOS® menu bar, located along the top of the screen in the Finder menu.
To force quit an application, simply do the following:
If you don’t know which application is stuck, pay attention to the ones that have the note “Not Responding.” This usually appears next to frozen applications.
2. Force Quit with Mac Shortcut
To do the same thing but faster, use Mac shortcut keys to close frozen applications.
This could be your go-to method if the mouse or trackpad is lagging.
3. Close Application from Activity Monitor (Ctrl+Alt+Del Alternative)
Here’s the pinnacle of this article.
Very few Apple owners know that macOS provides an almost identical alternative to the traditional PC Control+Alt+Delete shortcut—and does it better. Yes, we all know that in Windows that keyboard shortcut is often used to open the Task Manager window. (To be honest, it’s needed too often, which is why we’re on a Mac.) From Task Manager, you can track applications, services, performance, and processes, and kill some of them when they’re unresponsive.
You can easily do all of that and more on the macOS native application called Activity Monitor.
To kill an application using Activity Monitor, do the following.
1. On your keyboard, press Command + Space, or click on Spotlight in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. In the “Spotlight Search” window, start typing “Activity Monitor.”
3. Once Activity Monitor is highlighted, hit Enter.
4. In the Activity Monitor processes list, select the application you want to quit and click “Force a process to quit” in the left corner.
What to Do If Force Quit Isn’t Working?Cannot Force Quit App On Mac Os
If all the applications stop responding and you can’t quit them using one of the methods described above, you can force your Mac to restart. To do so, press and hold the Control+Command+Power buttons.
Alternatively, you can force Mac to shut down by pressing and holding the power button, or use one of the many other shortcuts.
Cannot Force Quit App On Mac DesktopWhat’s the Solution?
Since your Mac doesn’t have enough space to run all those applications you need, the most obvious step would be to increase the RAM. If you own an iMac® or the older generation of MacBook Pro®, you can simply buy memory and upgrade your existing computer. With the new Mac generation, you don’t have that option anymore because the RAM is glued and soldered to the motherboard. You either buy a new computer or struggle.
Alternatively, you can clean your memory to free up space using Parallels® Toolbox. Parallels designed a tool set for macOS and PC users to efficiently manage their computer with just a few clicks—without any professional knowledge needed. Within the application (which is available to try for free), you can easily free up unused computer memory, clean your drive, and help your Mac run at max speed with a dozen other useful utilities.
If you’re interested in learning how easily one click can save precious disk space, check out how much space I took back with the Parallels Toolbox tool Clean Drive:
In one click (and about 10 seconds), I successfully removed 4 GB of clutter and reclaimed space on my hard drive.
So there you have it. Take care of your Mac with those quick tips, and remember to always save your work!
I believe it has happened to you - force quit is not working on your Mac in any way, whether clicking Force quit or using the Command-Option-Escape shortcut. It has happened to many commonly-used apps, such as, Safari or iTunes won't force quit. This passage is going to offer you three ways to fix force quit not working problem on Mac. You can force quit Safari, iTunes, Photos, Mail or other apps that won't quit.
Way 1: Kill Mac Process
If you cannot quit an app with force quit or Command-Option-Escape, you can turn to Activity Monitor, which allows you to force quit any frozen apps.
Step 1 Open Activity Monitor in Application > Utilities. Iphone ringtone mac app.
Step 2 Find the app that won't quit in the process list and select it.
Step 3 Click the X button in the upper-left corner.
Step 4 Click Quit first. If the app still won't quit. CLick Force Quit.
Way 2: Use Terminal to Force Quit Apps that Won't Quit
If force quit in Activity Monitor is still not working, you can force quit the frozen app with a command line method, which means you can quit an unresponsive app through Terminal. Here are the steps:
Step 1 Open and run the Terminal.
Step 2 Type the command: killall [application name]. For instance, if iTunes isn't responding, type killall iTunes.
Step 3 When you are ready, click Enter. As soon as you click it, your application will be shut down in time.
Mac Force Quit Not Working
You can also force quit an app on Terminal using the app's Process ID (PID)
Note: The PID of an app will will change each time the app is launched.
Way 3: Uninstall Apps That Won't Force QuitCannot Force Quit App On Mac Using Keyboard
If you can't make a third-party software to close by the above methods, then it is very likely that there is a problem with this software. In this post, it's better to uninstall the apps. You can use FonePaw MacMaster,an app uninstaller which can locate app files for you and completely remove the app as well as app files and delete its related data in one click. It's important to make sure related data is deleted. If you just delete the app, the wrong file may still be on your Mac.
Follow the instructions to learn more:
Step 1 Download and launch FonePaw MacMaster on your MacBook.
Step 2 Navigate to Uninstaller to click 'Scan'. Then you see all the applications on your Mac.
Step 3 Choose the app that won't force quit and simply click Clean to uninstall the app completely.
Step 4 When everything is done, you can see the interface below, which indicates your apps are removed successfully.
Best apps for teaching phonics. You can now reinstall the app so that the force quit not problem won't happen again.
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