Force quitting applications on macOS requires different methods than Windows' Control+Alt+Delete combination. Here are the most effective techniques:
Keyboard Shortcut: Command + Option + Escape
Press Command(⌘) + Option(⌥) + Escape to open the Force Quit Applications window. Select the unresponsive application and click "Force Quit". This is the direct equivalent of Control+Alt+Delete functionality.
Apple Menu Method
Navigate to the top-left Apple logo → Select Force Quit → Choose the frozen application → Click Force Quit. This provides immediate access without memorizing shortcuts.
Dock Force Quit Option
Right-click (or Control-click) the unresponsive application's icon in the Dock. Hold the Option key to change "Quit" to "Force Quit" in the context menu.
Activity Monitor Method
For advanced control:
- Open Activity Monitor via Spotlight (Command+Space) or Utilities folder
- Select the frozen process under the CPU tab
- Click the X icon in the toolbar and confirm
Terminal Kill Command (Advanced)
Use Terminal for granular process termination:
- Type top to list running processes with PID numbers
- Note the PID of the frozen application
- Execute kill -9 [PID] to force termination
For full system lockups requiring hard reboot:
- Press Control + Command + Power button (Touch ID models)
- Hold physical power button (older models) until shutdown
