How to Force Quit a Frozen Mac App

Learn the fastest methods to force quit unresponsive applications on your Mac using keyboard shortcuts, the Force Quit menu, and the Activity Monitor.

1. Access the Force Quit menu. Press Command + Option + Escape simultaneously to trigger the Force Quit Applications window. This dialogue box displays all currently running applications and identifies those that have become unresponsive.
2. Terminate the frozen application. Select the name of the frozen application from the list. Click the Force Quit button located at the bottom right of the window, then confirm your choice in the subsequent prompt.
3. Use the Force Quit Dock shortcut. If you are unable to open the menu, locate the application icon in the Dock. Hold the Option key, right-click (or Control-click) the application icon, and select Force Quit from the contextual menu.
4. Identify process in Activity Monitor. Open Activity Monitor via Spotlight search or within Applications > Utilities. Navigate to the CPU tab to see a real-time list of all active processes currently running on your system.
5. Kill the unresponsive process. Select the unresponsive process from the list. Click the X button at the top of the Activity Monitor window and select Force Quit to immediately terminate the process.