How to force quit on Mac (Ctrl-Alt-Delete)
You force quit on Mac when an app has frozen and won’t close the usual way: it’s the Mac’s answer to Ctrl-Alt-Delete. This guide shows the ways to do it, what you lose when you do and what to do when Finder or the whole Mac stops responding.
Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac: Option-Command-Esc
- Press Option-Command-Esc together. The Force Quit Applications window opens.
- Select the app that isn’t responding.
- Click Force Quit.
Option is the key Windows keyboards call Alt. On a MacBook with a Touch Bar, Esc is at the left end of the Touch Bar.
Try a normal quit first: press Command-Q or choose Quit from the app’s menu. A normal quit lets the app finish its work, such as saving changes.
Other ways to force quit an app
- Apple menu: choose Apple menu › Force Quit. The same window opens as with the shortcut.
- Dock: Control-click the app’s icon and choose Force Quit. If the menu shows only Quit, hold Option and it turns into Force Quit.
- Activity Monitor: select the app or process (a frozen one is marked «Not Responding» in red), click the Stop button at the top of the window, then Force Quit. This also works for background processes that have no window.
More about Activity Monitor, the Mac’s Task Manager: Task Manager for Mac.
What do you lose when you force quit?
A force-quit app closes at once, without saving. Changes you haven’t saved are lost, and files the app had open may lose data. Your other documents and apps are not affected.
Activity Monitor offers two buttons. Quit waits until quitting is safe and does nothing if data could be lost. Force Quit ends the process right away. Don’t force quit processes you don’t recognise: some of them are parts of macOS, and other apps may stop working properly.
If Finder or the whole Mac freezes
- If Finder stops responding, open the Force Quit window (Option-Command-Esc), select Finder and click Relaunch.
- If an app won’t quit even by force, choose Apple menu › Restart.
- If the Mac doesn’t respond at all, press and hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until the Mac turns off. On a MacBook with Touch ID, hold the Touch ID button.
- Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn the Mac on.
Turning the Mac off with the power button loses unsaved work in every app, so use it only when nothing else responds.
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Questions and answers
What is Ctrl-Alt-Delete on a Mac?
Option-Command-Esc. It opens the Force Quit window, where you choose a frozen app and click Force Quit. For a full process list, open Activity Monitor.
Will I lose unsaved work if I force quit an app?
Yes, changes that weren’t saved are lost. Apps that save documents on their own may bring back part of the work the next time they open.
What if force quit doesn’t work?
Choose Apple menu › Restart. If the Mac doesn’t respond to that, hold the power button for up to 10 seconds to turn it off, then turn it on again.