When an app is unresponsive or working incorrectly on your PC or mobile device, forcefully closing and reopening the app is an effective troubleshooting solution. Albeit there are several ways to force quit an app on Mac computers, there are also instances where the Force Quit functionality doesn't work. In this post, we explore five (5) probable fixes to this anomaly.
- How To Force Quit App On Mac
- How To Get Rid Of Force Quit Applications On Mac
- How To Force Quit App On Macbook Air
- How To Force Quit App On Macbook Pro
Select the application you want to force close on Mac. Now click on the Force Quit button. Using Dock Panel. To learn how to force quit an application on Mac using Dock, follow the option steps given below. Another secure method is to use the mouse together with. 5 Easy Ways to Force Quit an App on Mac. As said earlier, you have multiple ways to force quit an app on your Mac and here we show all of the available methods to do the task. You will want to use the one that you think is the best and most convenient for you. Here are some of the ways on how to force quit an app on a Mac.
The nature of the problem varies and is often temporary. Usually nothing serious or extreme. The solution could be as simple as clicking a button. Conversely, you might have to execute some seemingly complex commands or perform a complete overhaul of your Mac's operating system. Generally, it's simple stuff, and we'll guide you through the entire process.
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Read More1. Restart Mac
When was the last time you switched off your Mac? Some features of your computer could begin to malfunction if it stays powered on for too long. If apps keep running after you force quit them, you should restart your Mac. Remember to save ongoing processes and manually close all active apps so that you don't lose unsaved documents.
Tap the Apple icon on the menu bar and select Restart.
2. Boot Into Safe Mode
If the issue persists even after performing a restart, you should boot your Mac into Safe Mode. Also known as Safe Boot, this will put your computer in a diagnostic mode where it automatically troubleshoots software-related issues that are preventing your apps from launching or closing correctly.
Safe Mode can also be used to fix disk errors on Mac and other startup related problems. Follow the steps below to boot your Mac into Safe Mode. But before that, you should take a minute to read exhaustively on how and when to use safe mode in Mac.
Step 1: Shut Down your Mac; tap the Apple icon on the menu bar and select Shut Down.
Step 2: Power on your computer and immediately hold down the Shift key on your keyboard.Keep holding the Shift key till your Mac boots up.
Step 3: Release the Shift key when the login screen appears on the display.
You might be prompted to re-enter your password a second time if your computer's startup disk is encrypted with FileVault. The first login decrypts your Mac's hard drive while the second logs you into your account.
Note: In Safe Mode, some features like Wi-Fi, USB connections, video capture, and file sharing might not work. There are also possibilities of experiencing on-screen distortion/blinking on your Mac in Safe Mode. Rebooting your device normally will resolve these issues. So you have nothing to worry about.Step 4: Check if you can Force Quit apps in Safe Mode. Now, restart your computer normally and check if the Force Quit option works.
Proceed to the next troubleshooting solution if Force Quit still isn't working while in Safe Mode or after rebooting your Mac normally.
3. Use Terminal
The macOS Terminal app is akin to the Command Prompt tool on Windows 10 computers. With Terminal, you can conveniently tweak your Mac's performance and initiate processes that won't work normally. If force quitting an app from the Dock, Activity Monitor, or from the Apple Menu aren't working, try killing the app from the Terminal.
Step 1: Tap Go on the menu bar and select Utilities.
Step 2: Double-click Terminal.
Step 3: Paste the command below into the Terminal console and hit Return on your keyboard.
That will reveal a list of active apps and processes in the console alongside their individual Process ID (PID).
Step 4: Locate the app you want to force quit and note its Process ID (PID) number—a three or four-digit number on the left-hand side.
In this tutorial, we'll force quit the Skitch app with PID number 1133 as seen in the screenshot above.
Quick Tip: Use the Command + F keyboard shortcut to quickly search and find an app.Step 5: Type kill, leave a space, type the app's PID number, and hit Return on your keyboard. See the command below for reference.
The app will be force closed immediately.
4. Update App
In a scenario where you are unable to force quit just one app, we recommend updating the app to the latest version available. That might help to fix any app-specific issue preventing it from functioning correctly. Navigate to the Updates section of the App Store and update the affected app.
Clio app for mac. Alternatively, you can also update the app from the developer's website, the in-app update section, or the app's settings menu.
5. Update macOS
Keeping your Mac up-to-date also helps to eliminate software related issues causing apps or your device to malfunction.
Step 1: Tap the Apple icon on the menu bar and select 'About this Mac.'
Step 2: In the Overview tab, click Software Update.
Step 3: Tap the Update Now button.
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We're positive that at least one of these solutions should work the magic for you. If the issue remains unresolved and you're still unable to force quit apps on your Mac, drop a comment below. Let's see how we can help.
Next up:Are FaceTime calls from your iPhone or iPad not coming through on your Mac? Refer to the solutions in the detailed guide linked below to get the issue fixed.
How To Force Quit App On Mac
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextTop 7 Fixes for FaceTime Calls Not Coming Through on MacAlso SeeHow to Fix Faulty or Inaccurate Battery Percentage on Mac #mac apps
Did You Know
Apple Watch can be used to unlock your Mac.
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We’ve all seen the spinning beachball appear on our Mac’s screen and grown in frustration as we wait for the application that has hung to respond. Sometimes it doesn’t and we have to resort to force quit to shut it down and start again. But what happens when force quit is not working? We’ll answer that question and show you exactly what to do.
A quick replacement for Force Quit is found in CleanMyMac X. This program by MacPaw has a tool that switches off your hanging apps (and checks if they take up too much memory). We’ll show you how to use it later in the article.
Download the free version of CleanMyMac X here (app is notarized by Apple)
Why force quit?
Force quitting an application is a pretty drastic course of action. It tells the app to stop what it’s doing immediately and not to display any of the dialogs it might usually show you before it closes. However, it can be useful, despite the risk of losing data, if the app in question hangs and fails to respond for several minutes, and especially if it causes the rest of your Mac to hang or even just slow down.
How do you force quit?
There are several different ways to force quit an application. Password protect a folder mac.
- Press Command-Option-Escape, select the app from the box that opens, and press Force Quit.
- If you can access the Apple menu, click on it, choose Force Quit, select the app and press Force Quit.
- Right-click or Control-click on the app’s icon in the Dock and choose Force Quit.
Try to force quit it from the Dock
If you hold down Option and click on an app in the Dock, you will see an extra option for Force Quit. https://brownnaughty.weebly.com/blog/postman-mac-app-beta. See if that one works.
What to do when an application won’t force quit
Sometimes none of the options above works and the app carries on hanging. Don’t worry, there are other things you can try.
Use Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor is designed to allow you to monitor the performance of processes on your Mac. However, it can also quit those processes and so force quit the apps running them.
- Go to Applications > Utilities and double-click Activity Monitor to launch it.
- Click the CPU column header to order processes according to the CPU cycles they are using.
- The process causing the application to hang will probably be at or near the top. Select it then press Quit Process.
- The app should now force quit.
Use CleanMyMac X’s Optimization module
- If you don’t already have CleanMyMac X installed on your Mac, download it here and install it.
- Choose Optimization in the sidebar. Then click View all Items.
- Select Hung Applications, then the app you want to quit and press Quit at the bottom of the window.
How To Get Rid Of Force Quit Applications On Mac
Disable Launch Agents
How To Force Quit App On Macbook Air
Many processes displayed by Force Quit performed by a class of applications called Launch Agents. It could be an automatic app updater that works invisibly in the background. The same tool we’ve just described has a sub-menu called Launch Agents (see the screenshot above). It will force quit the unwanted launch agents — when the regular Force Quit doesn’t work.
Use Terminal
If, for some reason, Activity Monitor doesn’t do the job, or you can’t launch it, try using Terminal instead.
- Go to Applications > Utilities and double-click Terminal to launch it.
- Type: ps -ax
- Press Return.
You will now see a list of running apps and processes in the Terminal window. Locate the application you want to force quit. (Its row will start /Applications/). Now, the quitting part:
How To Force Quit App On Macbook Pro
- Note the number on the far left of the row, that’s the PID.
- Type: kill [PID] (replace [PID] with the number you noted down in step 6).
- Press Return.
Restart your Mac
If none of the methods we described above works and the application just won’t quit, you may need to restart your Mac. Normally, we’d tell you to click on the Apple menu and choose Restart. But if a misbehaving app won’t force quit, the chances are that it has grabbed most of the resources on your Mac and caused it to beachball, meaning you can’t click on the Apple menu. So here’s what to do.
- Press and hold the power button (if you have a MacBook with a Touch Bar, it’s the Touch ID button).
- Wait until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
- Release the power button and wait for your Mac to restart.
Check for an update to the misbehaving app
The first thing you should do after you restart is try and figure out why the application was misbehaving. And the first step in that process is to check to see if you’re running the latest version.
Best mac app sites. If the app was downloaded from the App Store, you can check it there. If not, clicking on the [APP NAME] menu will normally display an option to check for updates.
However, there is an even easier way. CleanMyMac X (the app is available for a free download here) allows you, with a couple of clicks, to check multiple apps for updates at the same time, then with another click, update them.
- Choose Updater in the sidebar.
- Check the box next to the apps you want to update.
- Press Update.
It can be very frustrating when an application stops responding or starts beach balling. It’s even worse if the app brings your whole Mac to a standstill. However, force quitting the app usually solves the problem. There are a number of different ways to force quit apps, all of them described above. If you think your Mac’s force quit isn’t working, try a different method. Use the Optimize and Updater modules in CleanMyMac X regularly and you may never need to force quit an app again, and if you do, the methods we’ve described can help identify the culprit and quit it for you.