How to Force Quit an Application on Mac OS

Have you ever been in the middle of working or studying on your Mac, when suddenly an application hangs? The cursor suddenly turns into a spinning rainbow ball (aka the spinning beach ball of death), you can't click it, and you can't close it. It's panic-inducing and really annoying, right?

Don't worry, you're not alone! Even though Macs are known for being smooth, occasionally you might encounter an application that is not responding or completely frozen. Fortunately, fixing this is very easy and you don't need to rush to force shutdown your laptop.

Let's check out two effective ways to close an application on Mac OS below!

1. Normal Method (via Keyboard Shortcut)

If the application is still somewhat responsive or you just want to close several applications quickly without clicking the X icon one by one, you can use this practical shortcut:

• Press and hold the Cmd + Tab keys. A row of icons will appear in the middle of your screen – this is the list of currently running applications.
• While still holding the Cmd key, you can select the application you want to close using the → (Right) or ← (Left) arrow keys.
• Once the selection box is on the application you want to close, simply press the Q key (don't release the Cmd key). Voila! The application closes immediately.

2. If the Application Is Completely Unresponsive (Force Quit)

Now, if the application is really being stubborn, completely frozen, and the first method doesn't work, it's time to use the ultimate move – Force Quit:

• Press the Cmd + Option + Esc keys simultaneously. A small window called "Force Quit Applications" will appear, listing all open applications.
• In that list, the problematic application will usually have the text "(not responding)" next to it. Select that stubborn application.
• Finally, click the Force Quit button in the bottom right corner of the window. The application will be forced to stop immediately.

Easy, right? Now you don't have to panic if an application suddenly hangs on your Mac. Give it a try!