To force quit an unresponsive application on a Mac, you can use the Force Quit Applications window or use a keyboard shortcut. Here's how to do it:
1. **Using the Force Quit Applications Window**:
- Click on the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Select "Force Quit..." from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can press the Option + Command + Esc keys on your keyboard to open the Force Quit Applications window directly.
- In the Force Quit Applications window, you'll see a list of all currently running applications.
- Select the application you want to force quit from the list.
- Click on the "Force Quit" button in the bottom-right corner of the window.
- Confirm the action by clicking on the "Force Quit" button in the confirmation dialog box, if prompted.
- The selected application will be forcefully terminated.
2. **Using a Keyboard Shortcut**:
- If an application becomes unresponsive, you can quickly force quit it using a keyboard shortcut.
- Press and hold the Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + Esc keys simultaneously on your keyboard.
- The Force Quit Applications window will appear.
- Select the unresponsive application from the list.
- Click on the "Force Quit" button in the bottom-right corner of the window.
- Confirm the action by clicking on the "Force Quit" button in the confirmation dialog box, if prompted.
- The selected application will be forcefully terminated.
Force quitting an application should only be done as a last resort when the application becomes unresponsive and cannot be closed using normal methods. Keep in mind that force quitting an application may result in unsaved data loss, so it's a good idea to save your work frequently to avoid losing important information.