How to Force Close the Application in Mac

If an application is unresponsive, don't give up. Force quit your frozen application.

It's impossible to escape computer freezes and unresponsive applications in the world of computing. You can wait for a frozen application to respond; however, there are occasions when the application refuses to cooperate. Apple is aware of this issue and has built in a tool in the operating system that lets you force close your frozen application.

Instructions

1. Press and hold the "Command," "Option" and "Escape" keys on your keyboard. The Command key is on bottom part of your keyboard, left and right of the space bar, and has an Apple or a curly clover icon, depending on your specific model. The Force Quit Applications dialog box pops up. You can also click the "Apple" icon at the top left part of your screen, then click "Force Quit" to bring up the dialog box.

2. Click the name of the application you wish to close.

3. Click the "Force Quit" button. You will be asked if you want to force the application to quit. Click "Force Quit."

Tips & Warnings

• If you force quit an application, any unsaved changes will be lost.

References

• Illinois State University: University Computer Helpdesk: How to Force Quit a Program in Mac OS X