Top 5 Fixes for Forced Quit Not Working on Mac

When an app is unresponsive or malfunctioning on your PC or mobile device, force closing and reopening the app is an effective troubleshooting solution. While there are several ways to force quit an application on Mac computers, there are cases where the Force Quit function does not work. In this post, we explore five (5) possible fixes for this anomaly.

The nature of the problem is variable and often temporary. Usually nothing serious or extreme. The solution could be as simple as clicking a button. Conversely, you may need to execute some seemingly complex commands or do a complete overhaul of your Mac’s operating system. Usually it’s simple stuff and we’ll guide you through the whole process.

1. Restart the Mac

When was the last time you shut down your Mac? If your computer is left on for too long, some features of your computer may start to malfunction. If it continues to work after forcing apps to close, you will need to restart your Mac. Do not forget to save ongoing processes and manually close all active applications so as not to lose unsaved documents.

Tap the Apple icon in the menu bar and select Restart.

2. Boot in Safe Mode

If the problem persists even after performing a reboot, you should start your Mac in Safe Mode. Also known as Safe Boot, this puts your computer in a diagnostic mode where it automatically fixes software-related issues that prevent your applications from starting or closing correctly.

Safe Mode can also be used to fix disk errors and other startup related problems on Mac. Follow the steps below to start your Mac in Safe Mode. But before that, you should take a moment to read in detail how and when to use safe mode on Mac.

Stage 1: Shut Down Your Mac; Tap the Apple icon in the menu bar and select Turn Off.

Step 2: Turn on your computer and immediately hold down the Shift key on your keyboard. Hold down the Shift key until your Mac boots up.

Stage 3: Release the Shift key when the login screen appears on the screen.

If your computer’s startup disk is encrypted with FileVault, you may be prompted to re-enter your password a second time. The first login decrypts your Mac’s hard drive, while the second logs you in to your account.

Note: Some features such as Wi-Fi, USB connections, video capture and file sharing may not work in Safe Mode. There are also chances that your Mac may experience screen corruption/flashing in Safe Mode. Restarting your device normally will fix these issues. So there is nothing to worry about.

Step 4: Check if you can Force Apps to Quit in Safe Mode. Now restart your computer normally and check if the Force Quit option is working.

If Force Quit still doesn’t work while in Safe Mode or after restarting your Mac normally, continue to the next troubleshooting solution.

3. Use Terminal

The macOS Terminal app is similar to the Command Prompt tool on Windows 10 computers. With Terminal, you can conveniently tune your Mac’s performance and start processes that are not running normally. If forcing an app to quit from the Dock, Activity Monitor, or Apple Menu doesn’t work, try closing the app from Terminal.

Stage 1: Tap Go in the menu bar and select Utilities.

Step 2: Double click Terminal.

Stage 3: Paste the command below into the Terminal console and press the Return key on your keyboard.

ps -ax

This will reveal a list of active applications and processes along with the individual Process ID (PID) in the console.

Step 4: Find the application you want to force quit and note down the Process ID (PID) number; a three or four digit number on the left.

In this tutorial, we will force quit the Skitch app with PID number 1133 as seen in the screenshot above.

Quick tip: Use the Command + F keyboard shortcut to quickly search and find an application.

Step 5: Medicine kill, leave a space, type the PID number of the application and press the Return key on your keyboard. See the command below for reference.

kill 1133

The application will be closed immediately.

4. Update App

In a scenario where you cannot force quit an application only, we recommend updating the application to the latest version available. This can help fix any app-specific issue that is preventing the app from working properly. Go to the Updates section of the App Store and update the affected app.

Alternatively, you can update the app from the developer’s website, in-app update section, or from the app’s settings menu.

5. Update macOS

Keeping your Mac up-to-date also helps eliminate problems with apps or software that are causing your device to malfunction.

Stage 1: Tap the Apple icon in the menu bar and select ‘About This Mac’.

Step 2: On the Overview tab, click Software Update.

Stage 3: Tap the Update Now button.

Stop Process

We’re pretty sure at least one of these solutions should work the magic for you. If the issue is not resolved and you still cannot force quit apps on your Mac, leave a comment below. Let’s see how we can help.

Next: FaceTime calls from your iPhone or iPad not coming to your Mac? To fix the problem, refer to the solutions in the detailed guide linked below.