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How to Force Quit an App on Mac ( Big Sur & Catalina)

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If your Mac experiences an unresponsive app and takes so long to close, sometimes you just need to close the app right away to get back to work. Luckily, you’ve got choices, and there’s more than one way to compel MacOS to quit an unresponsive app. In this Mac tutorial, I am going to show you how to force quit an app on Mac (macOS Big Sur & Catalina) in 4 methods.

Bear in mind that there will not be any reminders telling you to save your job or affirm your decision, unlike the usual procedure for quitting an app. If you’ve hit the power off, it’s too late for any of that, because macOS can automatically shut down the app without any prompts. Just a word of warning—the use of force should be the final resort.

How to Force Quit an App on Mac ( Big Sur & Catalina)

If you encounter an unresponsive app on your Mac, you have 4 methods at your disposal to close it using Force Quit.

 

Method 1. Force Quit from the Apple Menu

This is a fairly straightforward option and the first method recommended by Apple.

  • Click the Apple logo on the top left-hand corner and select Force Quit.
Force Quit from the Apple Menu
  • The Force Quit Applications window will pop up, presenting you with a list of applications currently open on your Mac. Click Force Quit.

  • A pop-up window will ask if you’re sure you want to force quit. If you are, hit the Force Quit button again. Mac will force the app to quit.

Method 2. Force Quit with Mac Shortcut

If that doesn’t work, it’s time for keyboard shortcuts.

  • Press the optioncommand + Esc keys simultaneously.
  • The Force Quit Applications window will pop up, presenting you with a list of applications currently open on your Mac. Click Force Quit.
  • A pop-up window will ask if you’re sure you want to force quit. If you are, hit the Force Quit button again. Mac will force the app to quit.
Force Quit with Mac Shortcut
Method 3. Force Quit from the Dock

For an app whose icon you have parked in the Dock, you can right-click on the icon and hit the Option key. With the Option key pressed, the Quit menu item turns into Force Quit.

How to Force Quit an App on Mac ( Big Sur & Catalina): 4 Methods in 2021
Force Quit from the Dock
Method 4. Force Quit from the Activity Monitor

If you are using the Activity Monitor to see how much system resources a sluggish or unresponsive app is consuming, you can Force Quit the app from right within the Activity Monitor. To do so, highlight the app you want to close, click the X button in the upper-left corner of the Activity Monitor window and then click the Force Quit button.

Here’s how it’s done:

  • From the top right corner of your screen, click on the magnifying glass icon. This will bring up the Spotlight Search window.

How to Force Quit an App on Mac ( Big Sur & Catalina): 4 Methods in 2021

  • Search for Activity Monitor and open it.
How to Force Quit an App on Mac ( Big Sur & Catalina): 4 Methods in 2021
Activity Monitor
  • The Activity Monitor will display, listing all of the processes working on your Mac. From the Process Name column, find the app that’s not working properly. Select the app by clicking on it and then click the x icon at the top.

How to Force Quit an App on Mac ( Big Sur & Catalina): 4 Methods in 2021

  • Now, simply select Force Quit.
Force Quit an App on Mac from the Activity Monitor

Final Words

These were the 4 methods to quit an app on Mac. You can use any of the above-mentioned methods to force quit any unresponsive apps.

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