The three ways to close an app on your Mac

You close an app on a Mac by quitting it — which stops the program from running in the background and frees up memory your computer was using. The simplest method is to click the red circle in the top-left corner of the app's window. A second method is to use the keyboard shortcut Command+Q while the app is open. A third method is to right-click the app's icon in the Dock (the row of icons at the bottom of your screen) and select "Quit" from the menu that appears.

Each method does the same thing: it closes the app completely. The red circle method works fastest if you can see the window. Command+Q works fastest if your hands are already on the keyboard. The Dock method works best if the app's window is hidden behind other windows or if you want to close an app without opening it first.

Key Takeaways

  • Clicking the red circle at the top-left of an app's window closes that app when ready.
  • Pressing Command+Q closes whichever app is currently active, without needing to find its window.
  • Right-clicking an app's Dock icon and selecting "Quit" closes the app from the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
  • Closing an app is different from minimizing it — minimizing hides the window but leaves the app running in the background.
  • Apps that are fully closed use no memory and will not check for updates or send notifications until you open them again.

Using the red close button

The red circle in the top-left corner of any app window is the close button. Click it once and the app quits. This is the most direct method because you can see exactly which app you are closing — the window is right in front of you.

The red button sits next to a yellow button (minimize) and a green button (maximize). Do not click those by mistake. If you do click yellow, the window hides but the app keeps running. If you click green, the window expands to fill your screen, but the app is still open.

Using the Command+Q keyboard shortcut

Hold down the Command key (marked with a ⌘ symbol, usually at the bottom-left of your keyboard) and press the Q key at the same time. This closes whichever app is currently in focus — the one you are actively using or the one whose window is on top.

This method is faster than moving your mouse to the red button, especially if you close apps often. The shortcut works in almost every Mac app. If an app has unsaved work, a dialog box will appear asking whether you want to save before closing — click "Don't Save" to close without saving, or "Save" to save your work first.

Using the Dock to close apps

The Dock is the row of app icons at the bottom of your screen. Right-click (or hold Control and click) any app icon in the Dock, and a menu appears. Select "Quit" from that menu. The app closes when ready.

This method is useful when an app's window is hidden behind other windows, or when you want to close an app without switching to it first. You can also see which apps are currently running by looking at the Dock — apps that are open have a small dot underneath their icon. Apps that are closed have no dot.

The difference between closing and minimizing

Minimizing an app hides its window but leaves the app running. Closing an app stops it completely. When you minimize (by clicking the yellow button or using Command+M), the app stays in memory and can still receive notifications or check for updates. When you close an app (by clicking the red button, using Command+Q, or using the Dock), the app stops using your computer's resources.

If you want to temporarily hide a window but keep working in that app, minimize it. If you are done with the app and want to free up memory, close it. You can always open the app again later by clicking its icon in the Dock or by finding it in your Applications folder.

What to do if an app will not close

Occasionally an app stops responding and will not close using the normal methods. If the red button does not work or Command+Q does nothing, use Force Quit. Press Command+Option+Escape (hold all three keys at once). A window titled "Force Quit Applications" appears. Click the app that is frozen, then click "Force Quit" at the bottom right of that window.

Force Quit closes the app when ready without saving any unsaved work, so use it only when the app is truly stuck. After you force-quit an app, you can open it again normally. If an app freezes repeatedly, it may have a problem that needs fixing — check the app's website or the Mac App Store to see if an update is available.

Checking which apps are currently running

To see which apps are open right now, look at the Dock at the bottom of your screen. Any app with a dot underneath its icon is currently running. You can also press Command+Tab to see a list of all open apps and switch between them — hold Command and press Tab repeatedly to cycle through the list, or hold Command and click an app name to jump to it.

If you want a more detailed view, open Activity Monitor (search for it using Spotlight by pressing Command+Space, typing "Activity Monitor", and pressing Enter). Activity Monitor shows every app and background process running on your Mac, how much memory each one is using, and how much of your processor each one is using. You can quit an app from Activity Monitor by clicking it and then clicking the X button at the top, but the normal close methods are usually faster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing an app delete my files or documents?

No. Closing an app does not delete anything. If you have unsaved work in a document, the app will ask you to save before closing. If you click "Don't Save", that work is lost, but your other files remain untouched. Once you close an app, you can open it again and your saved documents will still be there.

What is the difference between closing an app and restarting my Mac?

Closing an app stops just that one program. Restarting your Mac shuts down all apps and the entire operating system, then starts everything up again. Restarting is more powerful and clears more memory, but it takes longer. Close individual apps when you want to free up memory quickly. Restart your Mac when an app is frozen or when you have installed a major update.

Can I close multiple apps at once?

Not with a single command. You can close them one at a time using Command+Q, or you can right-click multiple app icons in the Dock while holding the Shift key and select "Quit" — but this still closes them individually. The fastest way to close many apps is to use Command+Tab to switch between them and press Command+Q in each one.

Why does my Mac slow down if I have many apps open?

Each open app uses some of your Mac's memory (RAM) and processor power, even if you are not actively using it. The more apps you have open, the less memory and processor power is available for the app you are currently using. Closing apps you are not using frees up that memory and makes your Mac faster. This is especially important on older Macs with less memory.

Will closing an app stop it from sending notifications?

Yes. A closed app cannot send notifications because it is not running. If you want to stop notifications from an app but keep it running, you can turn off notifications in System Settings instead of closing the app. Open System Settings, click "Notifications" in the sidebar, find the app, and toggle notifications off.