Force Quit Shortcut
Frozen app? ⌘⌥Esc on Mac opens Force Quit; Ctrl+Shift+Esc on Windows opens Task Manager.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Force Quit / Task Manager | ⌘⌥Esc | Ctrl+Shift+Esc | |
| Security screen (with options) | (n/a) | Ctrl+Alt+Delete | |
| Force quit front app instantly | ⌘⌥⇧Esc (hold) | (via Task Manager) | |
| Quit the active app | ⌘Q | Alt+F4 | |
| Close the active window | ⌘W | Ctrl+W | |
| Switch apps | ⌘Tab | Alt+Tab |
Mac: the Force Quit window
Press ⌘⌥Esc (Command-Option-Escape) to open the Force Quit Applications window, pick the frozen app and click Force Quit. To kill the front-most app without the dialog, hold ⌘⌥⇧Esc for a few seconds.
Windows: Task Manager
Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager directly — select the app under Processes and click End task. Ctrl+Alt+Delete opens the security screen first, which also works from a locked or unresponsive desktop.
FAQ
What is the force quit shortcut on a Mac?
Press ⌘⌥Esc (Command-Option-Escape) to open the Force Quit window, then select the app and click Force Quit.
How do I force quit an app on Windows?
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, select the frozen app under Processes, and click End task. Ctrl+Alt+Delete works if the desktop itself is unresponsive.
What is the fastest way to quit (not force) an app?
Press ⌘Q on the Mac or Alt+F4 on Windows to quit the active application normally.