How to Fix 6 Ways to Quit an App on Your Mac iPhone

When an app freezes or becomes unresponsive, it can be frustrating, especially if you're in the middle of important work. Fortunately, there are several methods to force quit an app on both Mac and iPhone, ensuring you can quickly get back to your tasks.

How to Force Quit an App on a Mac

To force quit an app via the Apple menu, follow these steps:

Click on the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your screen.
Select Force Quit from the dropdown menu.
In the Force Quit window, select the unresponsive app and click Force Quit.

Using the Keyboard Shortcut

A quick and efficient way to force quit an app is by using a keyboard shortcut:

Press Command + Option + Esc simultaneously. This will open the Force Quit window.
Select the app you want to quit and click Force Quit.

Using the Dock

If the app is visible in the Dock, you can force quit it directly:

Click and hold on the app icon in the Dock.
Select Force Quit from the context menu.

Using Activity Monitor

Activity Monitor provides a detailed view of running processes and allows you to force quit apps:

Open Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder or via Spotlight search.
Find the unresponsive app in the list.
Select the app and click the X button in the toolbar.
Confirm the force quit.

Using Terminal

For those comfortable with command-line interfaces, you can force quit an app using Terminal:

Open Terminal (Go > Utilities > Terminal or use Spotlight search).
Type killall [application name] (e.g., killall Slack for the Slack app). If the app name has multiple words, enclose it in quotation marks.
Press Return to shut down the app.

Using Third-Party Tools

Tools like CleanMyMac X and QuitAll can also help you force quit apps efficiently:

CleanMyMac X allows you to monitor performance and force quit tasks through its menu bar dashboard.
QuitAll enables you to quit multiple apps with a single click.

How to Force Quit an App on an iPhone or iPad

Using the App Switcher

To force quit an app on an iPhone or iPad, use the app switcher:

On devices without a home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
On devices with a home button, double press the home button.
This will bring up a carousel of open apps.
Swipe up on the app you want to close to force quit it.

Hard Restarting the Device

If the app is causing the device to freeze completely, you may need to hard restart:

For devices without a home button, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.
For devices with a home button, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the home button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.

Troubleshooting When Force Quit Doesn't Work

Restarting Your Mac

If none of the force quit methods work, restarting your Mac can resolve the issue:

Go to the Apple menu and select Restart. If your Mac won't restart, force it to turn off by pressing and holding the power button until it shuts down, then turn it back on.

Restarting Your iPhone or iPad

If the app continues to cause issues on your iPhone or iPad, restarting the device can help:

Follow the hard restart steps mentioned above.

By using these methods, you can efficiently force quit unresponsive apps on both your Mac and iPhone, ensuring minimal disruption to your workflow.