Close an App Shortcut (Alt+F4 / ⌘Q)
Quit an app with ⌘Q on Mac or Alt+F4 on Windows. To close only the current window, use ⌘W / Ctrl+W.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quit / close the app entirely | ⌘Q | Alt+F4 | |
| Close current window only | ⌘W | Ctrl+W | |
| Close tab | ⌘W | Ctrl+W | |
| Force quit (frozen app) | ⌘⌥⎋ | Ctrl+Shift+Esc |
Quit vs. close a window
⌘Q (Mac) or Alt+F4 (Windows) quits the whole application and all its windows. If you only want to close the front window and leave the app running, use ⌘W / Ctrl+W instead.
When the app is frozen
If the app won't respond, force it to quit with ⌘⌥⎋ (Mac) or open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Windows) and end the task.
FAQ
What is the shortcut to close an app on Mac?
Press ⌘Q to quit the app completely, or ⌘W to close just the current window.
What is Alt+F4?
Alt+F4 closes the active app or window on Windows. On the desktop it opens the shut-down dialog.
How do I close one window without quitting the app?
Use ⌘W on Mac or Ctrl+W on Windows to close the front window while the app keeps running.