How to Force Quit App on Mac When Frozen?

Have you ever encountered a situation where an application on your Mac becomes unresponsive and refuses to close? It can be frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of an important task. But don’t worry! In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the steps to force quit a frozen app on your Mac.

Step 1: Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.

Step 2: From the drop-down menu, select "Force Quit."

Step 3: The Force Quit Applications window will appear, displaying a list of currently running apps.

Step 4: Select the frozen app that you want to force quit from the list.

Step 5: Click on the "Force Quit" button in the bottom-right corner of the window.

Step 6: A confirmation dialog will appear. Click on "Force Quit" again to confirm and close the app.

Step 7: The frozen app should now be closed, allowing you to resume normal operation on your Mac.

By following these simple steps, you can effectively force quit a frozen app on your Mac and get back to your work without having to restart your system. Just remember to save your progress in open applications regularly to minimize the risk of data loss.

Video Tutorial: How do you unfreeze an app on a Mac?

How do I close a frozen app?

When encountering a frozen app on your iPhone, you can follow these steps to close it:

1. Attempt to force quit the app: On iPhones with a Home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), double-press the Home button to bring up the app switcher. Then, swipe left or right to find the frozen app and swipe it up or off the screen to force quit it. On iPhones without a Home button (iPhone X or later), swipe up from the bottom edge and pause in the middle of the screen to access the app switcher. Then, find the frozen app and swipe it up or off the screen to force quit it.

2. Restart your iPhone: If force quitting the app doesn’t resolve the issue, close all the open apps using the app switcher and proceed to restart your iPhone. To restart an iPhone with a Home button, press and hold the power button until the slider appears, then drag it to power off. For devices without a Home button, press and hold either the volume up or volume down button together with the side button until the slider appears, then slide it to power off. After your iPhone turns off, press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears, indicating a restart.

3. Update your iOS and apps: Keeping your iPhone’s software up to date is essential for optimal performance and bug fixes. Check if there are any available updates for both your iOS and the problematic app. To update iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update. To update apps, launch the App Store, tap on your profile picture, and scroll down to see available updates. Update any relevant apps, especially if the update specifically addresses bugs or freezes.

4. Clear the app’s cache: Some apps generate temporary data and store it in a cache, which can occasionally cause issues. To clear the cache for a specific app, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Find the app in the list and tap on it. Then, select "Offload App" or "Delete App" and confirm. Offloading the app removes it but retains all documents and data, whereas deleting the app removes it along with its documents and data. After doing this, you can reinstall the app from the App Store.

5. Reset all settings: If the frozen app issue persists, resetting all settings on your iPhone can often resolve underlying software conflicts. However, note that this will erase some personalized preferences without affecting your data. To reset all settings, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. You’ll be prompted to enter your passcode and then confirm the action.

By following these steps, you should be able to close a frozen app on your iPhone. Remember to employ these methods in a logical order, starting with the least intrusive ones.

How do I force quit when my Mac is not responding?

When your Mac becomes unresponsive, there are a few steps you can take to force quit applications and regain control. Here’s what you can do:

1. Option 1: Use the Apple Menu
– Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
– From the drop-down menu, select "Force Quit."
– A window will appear showing a list of currently running applications.
– Select the unresponsive application by clicking on it.
– Click on the "Force Quit" button at the bottom right of the window.
– The application should now close, allowing you to continue using your Mac.

2. Option 2: Use Keyboard Shortcuts
– Press Cmd + Option + Esc on your keyboard.
– The "Force Quit Applications" window will appear, showing a list of running apps.
– Select the unresponsive application by clicking on it.
– Click on the "Force Quit" button at the bottom right of the window.

3. Option 3: Use Activity Monitor
– Launch Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Spacebar.
– Type "Activity Monitor" and press Enter to open it.
– In the Activity Monitor window, locate the unresponsive process or application.
– Select it and click on the "X" button in the top-left corner.
– Click on the "Force Quit" button that appears.
– The application should force quit, allowing you to resume normal operations.

Note: If none of these options work, you may need to perform a hard shutdown by pressing and holding the power button on your Mac until it turns off. However, this should be used as a last resort because it may result in data loss or other undesirable consequences.

By following these steps, you should be able to force quit unresponsive applications on your Mac and regain control of your system.

How do I force my Mac to shut down when not responding?

When your Mac becomes unresponsive and you need to force a shutdown, there are a few methods you can try. Here’s what you can do:

1. Force Quit Applications: Start by trying to force quit any unresponsive applications. To do this, press the Command + Option + Escape keys together. This will bring up the "Force Quit Applications" window. Select the unresponsive application and click on the "Force Quit" button.

2. Force Shutdown via Apple Menu: If force quitting the application doesn’t work, you can force your Mac to shut down using the Apple Menu. Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and choose "Shut Down" or "Restart." If the regular shut down or restart process doesn’t respond, press and hold the Control key while selecting "Shut Down" or "Restart." This will force your Mac to immediately shut down or restart.

3. Use Terminal: If both the above methods fail, you can use Terminal to force a shutdown. Follow these steps:
a. Launch Terminal from the Applications > Utilities folder.
b. Type the command "sudo shutdown -h now" (without quotes) and press Enter.
c. Enter your administrator password when prompted and press Enter again.
d. Terminal will initiate a shutdown command, and your Mac will eventually turn off.

4. Physical Power Button: As a last resort, you can forcefully shut down your Mac by pressing and holding the physical power button until your Mac powers off completely. However, this method is not recommended as it doesn’t allow your Mac to perform a proper shutdown, which may lead to potential data loss or corruption.

Remember, force shutting down your Mac should only be done when it’s completely unresponsive. It’s always advisable to try normal shutdown procedures or resolving any software issues before resorting to forceful measures.

How do I force my Mac to shut down when the screen is frozen?

When your Mac’s screen becomes unresponsive or freezes, you may need to force a shutdown to resolve the issue. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Hold down the Power button: Locate the power button on your Mac and press and hold it for approximately 10 seconds. This action will force your Mac to shut down.

2. Unplug the power source: If holding down the Power button doesn’t work, you can also unplug your Mac from its power source. This will ensure a complete shutdown.

3. Remove the battery (if applicable): For Mac models with removable batteries, you can carefully remove the battery to force the Mac to shut down. However, note that most newer Mac models have built-in batteries that cannot be easily removed. In that case, you should not attempt to remove the battery.

4. Wait for the battery to drain (if applicable): In situations where removing the battery is not possible, you can wait for the battery to drain completely. This could take a significant amount of time, so it may not be the most practical option.

It’s important to note that force-shutting down your Mac should only be used as a last resort when the screen is completely frozen and other troubleshooting steps have failed. Regularly forcing a shutdown can potentially lead to data loss or system instability.

Once you have successfully shut down your Mac using one of the methods outlined above, you can then turn it back on to see if the freezing issue has been resolved. If the problem persists, it may be helpful to reach out to Apple support or consult a professional technician for further assistance.

How do I close an unresponsive app?

When dealing with an unresponsive app on your iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Plus running iOS 16, there are a few steps you can take to force close it. Here’s what you can do:

1. Access the App Switcher: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen to bring up the App Switcher. On older iPhone models with a home button, double-click the home button to access the App Switcher.

2. Find the unresponsive app: Swipe left or right to locate the unresponsive app in the App Switcher. You may need to swipe through multiple app previews until you find the problematic one.

3. Force close the app: Once you have found the unresponsive app, swipe it up or flick it off the top of the screen to force close it. This action terminates the app and removes it from the device’s active processes.

4. Relaunch the app: After force closing the unresponsive app, you can relaunch it from the home screen or the app drawer for another attempt at using it. Opening the app again will start it fresh, potentially resolving any temporary issues that caused it to become unresponsive.

In most cases, force closing the app should solve the unresponsiveness issue. However, if the problem persists or occurs frequently with the same app, you may want to consider updating the app to the latest version from the App Store, restarting your device, or reaching out to the app developer for further assistance.

Remember, force closing an app should be seen as a troubleshooting step to address an unresponsive state. It doesn’t affect the regular functioning of your iPhone or the overall performance of other apps.