Forum Discussion
How to force quite an app on mac when frozen
Force quit a frozen app from the Apple menu.
This is the easiest built-in way to close a frozen or unresponsive app on macOS. It works even when the app window cannot be clicked or normally closed.
How to force quite an app on Mac
Step 1: Open the Apple Menu
Move the mouse to the top-left corner of the screen and click the Apple logo. 5A drop-down menu will appear with several system options.
Step 2: Select "Force Quit"
ClickForce Quit from the menu.macOS will open theForce Quit Applications window. This tool shows all currently open apps.
Step 3: Choose the Frozen App
In the list, locate the app that is not responding. Frozen apps often display: “
- Not Responding”
- A spinning beach ball cursor
- A greyed-out window
- Delayed mouse clicks or typing
Click the app name once to highlight it.
Step 4: Click "Force Quit"
Press the Force Quit button in the lower-right corner. A confirmation popup may appear asking whether you want to force the app to close.
ClickForce Quit again. The app should close immediately.
What Happens After Force Quit?
- Unsaved work inside the app may be lost.
- Other apps and files on the Mac normally remain unaffected.
- You can reopen the app afterward like normal.