When an app is not responding on your Mac, wait briefly if you may have unsaved work. If it remains frozen, use Force Quit Applications to close it, then reopen the app. If Force Quit does not work, use Activity Monitor or restart your Mac. Repeated freezes may require updating, reinstalling, or resetting the app’s preferences.
Quick Answer
Try these fixes in order:
- Wait 30 seconds to a few minutes in case the app is busy.
- Press Option-Command-Escape, select the frozen app, and choose Force Quit.
- Open Activity Monitor and quit the app if Force Quit does not work.
- Restart your Mac if the app or the entire system remains unresponsive.
- Update or reinstall the app if it continues to freeze.
- Reset the app’s preferences carefully if the problem affects only that app.
Warning: Force quitting closes an app immediately and can discard unsaved work. Use it only after giving the app a reasonable chance to respond.
Wait Before Closing a Frozen Mac App
An app may appear frozen while it is opening a large file, exporting video, syncing data, installing content, or performing another demanding task. The spinning pointer does not always mean the app has permanently stopped working.
Before forcing the app to close:
- Stop clicking repeatedly or pressing keys. Repeated input can make the app appear even less responsive.
- Wait at least 30 seconds.
- For a large project or file operation, wait several minutes.
- Check whether the Mac’s pointer still moves and whether other apps respond.
If the app starts responding again, save your work immediately. Consider closing unnecessary apps and restarting the Mac later if performance remains poor.
If the app has shown Application Not Responding for several minutes and you cannot use it, continue with Force Quit.
Force Quit the Unresponsive App
Force Quit Applications is the quickest way to close a frozen Mac app.
Warning: Force quitting can lose unsaved changes and may interrupt a file operation. Do not use it while an app is writing important data unless waiting is no longer practical.
- Press Option-Command-Escape.
- In the Force Quit Applications window, select the app marked Not Responding.
- Click Force Quit.
- Click Force Quit again if macOS asks you to confirm.
- Wait a few seconds, then reopen the app from the Dock, Applications folder, or Launchpad.
If the app reopens normally, save your work and check for updates. If it freezes again immediately, avoid repeatedly force quitting it and continue with the troubleshooting steps below.
Force Quit from the Dock
You can also try closing an app from its Dock icon:
- Press and hold the Control key and click the app’s icon in the Dock.
- Choose Quit.
- If the app does not quit, press and hold Option while opening the same menu.
- Choose Force Quit.
The Force Quit option may appear only after you hold Option.
Quit the App with Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor shows processes running on your Mac. A process is a task or component currently using system resources. You can use it to quit an app when the normal Force Quit window does not work.
Warning: Quitting the wrong process can close another app, interrupt a system task, or cause unexpected behavior. Select the frozen app by its exact name before proceeding.
- Open Activity Monitor:
– Press Command-Space to open Spotlight.
– TypeActivity Monitor.
– Press Return. - Find the frozen app in the list. You can use the search field in the upper-right corner.
- Select the app.
- Click the Stop button in the toolbar. It looks like an octagon containing an “X.”
- Choose Quit first, then click Force Quit if the app still does not close.
- Confirm the action if macOS asks you to do so.
Activity Monitor includes tabs such as CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, and Network. These can help identify whether an app is using unusually high resources, but high CPU or memory use alone does not prove that an app is defective. Some operations naturally require more resources.
Restart Your Mac
Restarting can clear a temporary system or memory problem and close processes that did not respond to normal quit commands.
Before restarting, try to save work in any apps that still respond.
- Choose Apple menu > Restart.
- If macOS asks whether to reopen windows when logging back in, choose the option you prefer.
- Click Restart.
If the Mac does not respond to Apple menu > Restart:
- Press Control-Command-Power to attempt a restart.
- If that does not work, press and hold the Mac’s power button until it turns off.
- Wait several seconds.
- Press the power button again to start the Mac.
Warning: A forced shutdown can cause unsaved work to be lost and may interrupt file operations. Use it only when the Mac cannot restart normally.
After restarting, open only the affected app first. If it works normally, another app, login item, peripheral, or background process may have contributed to the freeze.
Update the App and macOS
A frozen app may have a bug that has already been corrected in a newer release. Updates can also improve compatibility with the version of macOS installed on your Mac.
Update apps from the App Store
- Open the App Store.
- Select Updates in the sidebar, if available.
- Install updates for the affected app.
- Reopen the app and test it.
You can also search for the app in the App Store and check whether an Update button is available.
Update apps downloaded elsewhere
If you downloaded the app from the developer’s website, open the app and look for a menu such as:
- App Name > Check for Updates
- Help > Check for Updates
- Settings or Preferences
The exact option depends on the developer. Download updates only from the developer’s official website or a trusted distribution source.
Check for macOS updates
- Open System Settings.
- Select General.
- Click Software Update.
- Install an available update if appropriate.
Warning: Save your work and make sure you have enough time for the Mac to restart. A macOS update can close apps and temporarily make the Mac unavailable.
Reinstall the Frozen App
Reinstalling can replace damaged or missing application files. It may not remove the app’s documents, settings, or support files, so check the developer’s instructions if the app stores important data locally.
Warning: Before deleting an app, confirm that your files are stored separately or backed up. Some apps keep unsaved projects, libraries, or local databases inside their application support folders.
Reinstall an App Store app
- Quit the app. If necessary, use Force Quit Applications.
- Open Finder.
- Select Applications in the sidebar.
- Drag the affected app to the Trash, or select it and choose File > Move to Trash.
- Empty the Trash only after confirming that you no longer need the app or any files in it.
- Open the App Store.
- Search for the app and install it again.
Reinstall an app downloaded from a website
- Quit the app.
- Open Finder > Applications.
- Move the app to the Trash.
- Download the latest installer from the developer’s official website.
- Install the app again.
- Restart the Mac if the installer requests it.
Some apps include an uninstall tool. Use it when provided, especially for apps that install system extensions, background services, drivers, or security components.
Reset an App’s Preferences Carefully
An app’s preferences are saved settings, such as window layout, startup choices, account behavior, or feature selections. A damaged preference file can cause repeated freezes, but deleting it resets the app and may remove custom settings.
Warning: Resetting preferences can change the app’s behavior and may remove settings. It generally does not delete documents, but you should back up important app data first. If the app synchronizes settings or stores local libraries, check its documentation before changing files.
Start with the app’s own reset option if it provides one. Look in menus such as:
- App Name > Settings
- App Name > Preferences
- Help
- Reset
- Restore Defaults
If no reset option exists, you can move likely preference files instead of deleting them:
- Quit the affected app.
- Open Finder.
- Choose Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter:
text
~/Library/Preferences
- Look for a preference file associated with the app. It may include the app’s name or its developer name.
- Create a new folder on your Desktop named
Preference Backup. - Move the suspected preference file into that backup folder.
- Reopen the app.
If the app works normally, its preference file may have been damaged. You can leave the old file in the backup folder temporarily. If moving it does not help, quit the app and return the file to its original location.
Do not remove unrelated preference files. When the correct file is unclear, use the app developer’s support instructions instead.
Diagnose Repeated App Freezes
If the same app repeatedly becomes unresponsive, look for a pattern rather than force quitting it each time.
Check whether one file causes the problem
Open a different document or create a new, blank document. If only one file causes the freeze, the file may be damaged or too large. Make a backup before attempting repairs or conversion.
Test without plug-ins or extensions
Third-party plug-ins, add-ons, fonts, and extensions can conflict with an app. Temporarily disable them using the app’s settings, then test again. If the app works, re-enable items one at a time to identify the cause.
Disconnect nonessential peripherals
Printers, external drives, audio devices, cameras, and other accessories can affect apps that communicate with them. Quit the app, disconnect nonessential devices, reopen the app, and test again.
Do not disconnect an external drive while files are being copied or written. Eject it first in Finder by clicking the Eject icon beside the drive.
Check available storage
Low free storage can interfere with app operations and temporary files.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select General.
- Click Storage.
- Review the recommendations and available space.
Remove only files you recognize and no longer need. Empty the Trash only after checking its contents.
Check for account-specific problems
If the app works in another macOS user account, the problem may be limited to your account’s settings, preferences, or support files. Creating a temporary user account can help isolate the issue, but it does not repair the original account.
Look for an app-specific crash or support tool
Many developers provide diagnostic logs, cleanup tools, or known-issue documentation. Search the developer’s official support site for the app name and the symptoms you see. Avoid downloading unofficial “cleaner” utilities that promise to repair macOS automatically.
Troubleshooting
Force Quit Applications will not open
Try opening Activity Monitor with Command-Space, then quit the app there. If the entire Mac is unresponsive, restart it using Apple menu > Restart or the hardware power button as a last resort.
The app reopens automatically and freezes again
Restart the Mac, then open the app without opening previous windows or documents if the app provides that choice. Disconnect nonessential peripherals and disable plug-ins. Update or reinstall the app if the problem continues.
The app says it is not responding, but the Mac still works
This usually indicates that the problem is limited to the app. Save work in other apps, force quit the affected app, and reopen it. Check for updates before returning to the same task.
Several apps stop responding
The issue may involve macOS, available storage, memory pressure, a peripheral, or a broader system problem. Restart the Mac, check System Settings > General > Storage, install available updates, and test without nonessential accessories.
The app freezes when opening one document
Do not overwrite the original file while troubleshooting. Make a backup, then try opening a copy. If only that document fails, contact the app developer or use the app’s recovery and repair tools.
The app freezes after every restart
If updates, reinstalling, and preference troubleshooting do not help, contact the app developer. Include the app’s exact version, your Mac model, the macOS version, what action triggers the freeze, and whether other apps are affected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I force quit an app on a Mac?
Press Option-Command-Escape, select the app, and click Force Quit. Confirm the action when prompted. This closes the app immediately and may discard unsaved work.
What should I do if Force Quit does not work?
Open Activity Monitor, select the frozen app, click the Stop button, choose Quit, and then choose Force Quit if necessary. If the Mac itself is unresponsive, restart it.
Will force quitting damage my Mac?
Force quitting normally does not damage the Mac, but it can cause unsaved work to be lost and may interrupt a file operation. It should be treated as an emergency way to close an app, not a normal quitting method.
How long should I wait before force quitting?
Wait at least 30 seconds for a simple task. For large files, exports, backups, or other demanding operations, wait several minutes if the Mac is still responding. Force quit sooner if the app clearly remains stuck and you cannot continue working.
Why does the same Mac app keep freezing?
Common causes include app bugs, outdated software, damaged preferences, incompatible plug-ins, problematic documents, low storage, peripheral conflicts, and macOS issues. Testing these possibilities one at a time can help identify the cause.
Does reinstalling an app delete my documents?
Usually, an app’s documents are stored separately from the application itself, but this varies. Some apps keep libraries, databases, downloads, or project files in application-specific folders. Back up important data and check the developer’s instructions before reinstalling.
Should I delete the app’s preference files?
Only if the app’s built-in reset option and simpler fixes do not help. Move suspected preference files to a backup folder instead of deleting them permanently. This allows you to restore them if resetting preferences does not solve the problem.
Final Thoughts
When an app is not responding on a Mac, wait briefly first, then use Force Quit Applications if the app remains frozen. Activity Monitor is a useful alternative when normal Force Quit does not work, while restarting the Mac can clear a broader temporary problem. For repeated freezes, update or reinstall the app, test documents and extensions, and reset preferences carefully while protecting your data.