macOS 101:How to Force Quit a Mac App

Apps on macOS generally behave well, but there are times when they can stop working or crash and slow down your entire Mac. If this happens to you (and it can happen often if you're playing the latest Monterey betas), it's time to quit the app.

The first thing to do, of course, is to try to quit the application normally:

• Right-click the app icon in the menu bar and select "Exit" or…
• Press Command-Q.

However, if the app is frozen or won't disappear, you need to force quit. Again, there are several ways to do this:

• Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner and look for a choice that says "Force Quit" or...
• Press Command-Option-Esc.

In either case, this will bring up the "Force Quit Applications" box, which will have a list of currently active applications. Highlight the problematic app and click the "Force Quit" button. A pop-up will ask if you are sure; click "Force Quit" to finally quit the application.

If for some reason you cannot access the "Force Quit" menu, there is another way to quit the application using the Activity Monitor, which lists all active processes on your Mac. To access Activity Monitor:

• Use Spotlight search to find "Activity Monitor" or...
• In your Finder, click on Applications in the left menu. In the resulting list of applications, double-click Utilities to open the folder, then double-click Activity Monitor.

• You will see a list of active processes, which should include your misbehaving application. The list will be long, so you can click on the "Process Name" header to sort the list alphabetically for easier searching. If you think the app is CPU-intensive, you can try clicking on the "% CPU" header, which may put the app at the top of the list.

• Highlight the application you wish to quit and click the "x" icon at the top of the window.
• Click "Force Quit".

And if you're still having trouble, you can always shut down your system. You might lose some of what you're currently working on, but it will shut down the app that's driving you crazy.

• Hold down your power button (or the Touch ID button if your Mac has a Touch Bar) until the Apple logo appears on your screen.
• Let go and let the system reboot.