How to Force Quit Frozen Apps on Mac (3 Fast Methods)

When an app on your Mac becomes unresponsive, it can freeze your workflow or even slow down the entire system. Fortunately, macOS includes several easy ways to force quit frozen apps — no need to restart your computer or lose unsaved work elsewhere.

In this guide, you’ll learn three reliable methods to force quit apps on Mac, plus shortcuts, troubleshooting tips, and what to do if even the force quit command doesn’t work.

Whether you’re dealing with a spinning beachball or a total system freeze, this step-by-step guide will get you unstuck quickly.

Step-by-Step Guide: 3 Ways to Force Quit on Mac

Method 1: Use the Apple Menu (Quickest for Most Users)

Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
Select Force Quit from the dropdown menu.
In the Force Quit window, select the frozen app (highlighted as “Not Responding”).
Click the Force Quit button at the bottom.
Confirm the action when prompted.

💡 Tip: This is the safest and most straightforward method for beginners.

Method 2: Use the Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Way)

Press Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + Esc.
This opens the Force Quit Applications window.
Select the frozen app from the list.
Click Force Quit, then confirm.

🧠 Remember: This shortcut works system-wide — even when apps are covering the menu bar.

Method 3: Use Activity Monitor (Best for Troubleshooting)

Open Spotlight with Command (⌘) + Space, type Activity Monitor, and hit Enter.
In Activity Monitor, find the frozen app in the CPU tab.
Click on the app to highlight it.
Click the X button in the upper-left corner.
Choose Force Quit from the pop-up menu.

🔎 Use the % CPU column to identify apps hogging system resources.

Pro Tips & Workflow Improvements

Use Terminal for advanced force quits: Run killall AppName (e.g., killall Safari) for power users.
Add Activity Monitor to Dock for quick access during troubleshooting.
Check for auto-relaunch settings in app preferences — disable them for crash-prone apps.
Use CleanMyMac or iStat Menus to monitor app behavior and system health.
Update apps regularly to reduce the risk of freezing from bugs or incompatibilities.

Advanced Use Case: Create a Force Quit Shortcut in the Dock

Open Automator and select Application.
Add the action Run AppleScript.
Paste this script:
- tell application "System Events"
  set theList to (name of every process where background only is false) end tell
  set chosenApp to choose from list theList
  if chosenApp is not false then
  do shell script "killall " & quoted form of item 1 of chosenApp
  end if
Save the app as Quick Force Quit and drag it to your Dock.

Now you have a one-click force quit launcher!

Troubleshooting & Common Mistakes

Can’t open Force Quit window? Try Command + Option + Shift + Esc to force quit the frontmost app directly.
Force Quit not working? Use Terminal: ps aux | grep AppName then kill -9 PID where PID is the app’s process ID.
Whole system is frozen? Hold the power button for 10 seconds to force shut down — use as a last resort.
Frequent freezing? Check your disk with Disk Utility > First Aid or consider an OS reinstall.
Third-party apps crashing? Look for updated versions or uninstall problematic extensions.

Conclusion

Now you know how to force quit frozen apps on your Mac using three powerful methods — the Apple Menu, keyboard shortcuts, and Activity Monitor. You’ve also seen pro-level tricks using Terminal and Automator, plus solutions for stubborn freezes.

Practice these steps a couple of times so you’re ready when a freeze hits. Next, consider learning about how to use Safe Mode on Mac or clearing app caches to keep your system running smoothly.