How to Force Quit an App in OS X

Sometimes, quitting an application doesn’t go as planned, so having to force quit may be necessary. The following steps will guide you through the different ways in which to force quit an app on your OS X Macbook laptop.

1. Method #1- Change to another app. Open the Apple menu. Select Force Quit. Find the application that is not working in the menu and select Force Quit again.

2. Method #2- You can bring up the Force Quit menu by simultaneously pressing Option, Esc, and Command. The Force Quit menu will pop up, allowing you to Force Quit the application you wish to quit. Select the app you wish to quit and click on Force Quit.

3. Method #3- In the Spotlight menu or Utilities folder, select Activity Monitor to open it. You will see a list of apps running in this monitor. In the toolbar of the Activity Monitor, click on Force Quit.

4. Method #4- App icons will be visible in the Dock. In order to Force Quit an app, press and hold Option and Control keys. While holding, mouse over the application’s icon in the Dock and click on it. A menu will pop up. Select Force Quit.

5. Method #5 (if switching away from app does not work) - Press and hold Shift, Esc, Option, and Command for about 3-5 seconds.