The MEGAKILL Blog

Straight-talking guides for force-quitting and wrangling stubborn Mac apps. No fluff, just the fastest way to kill what's slowing you down.

Want the one-click way? See the Mac task killer.

macOS · mac frozen

Mac Frozen? How to Unfreeze a Stuck Screen and App

Mac frozen and you cannot click anything? Tell a hung app from a locked Mac, force quit the stuck app with Option-Command-Escape, and force restart by holding the power button.

macOS · force quit mac

Force Quit on Mac: Every Method

The complete guide to force quitting apps on Mac: ⌘Q, the Force Quit window (⌥⌘⎋), the Dock, Activity Monitor, and Terminal (killall, kill -9). When to use each.

macOS · killall mac

killall on Mac: Kill Apps and Processes by Name

How to use killall in Terminal: kill any app by name, restart the Dock, Finder, SystemUIServer and cfprefsd, sudo and killall -9, and what to check when killall finds nothing.

macOS · how to kill an app on mac

How to Kill an App on Mac (Every Way That Works)

How to kill an app on Mac: quit with ⌘Q, force quit with ⌥⌘⎋, use Activity Monitor as a task killer, or run killall and kill -9 in Terminal. Plus the one-click way.

macOS · chrome won't quit mac

Chrome Won't Quit on Mac? How to Force-Quit It

Chrome won't quit on your Mac? Quit every window, kill the leftover helper processes, then escalate: Force Quit window, Activity Monitor, and Terminal killall and kill -9.

macOS · excel won't quit mac

Excel Won't Quit on Mac? How to Force It to Close

Excel won't quit on your Mac? Save your workbook, force quit with ⌥⌘⎋, kill it from the Dock or Activity Monitor, and use killall in Terminal. Exact steps.

macOS · how to close all apps on mac

How to Close All Apps on Mac (Every Method That Works)

Learn how to close all apps on Mac fast: Command-Q, the Dock, Force Quit, and a one-click way to clear a cluttered screen.

macOS · activity monitor mac

Activity Monitor on Mac: How to Open It and Read It

Activity Monitor on Mac is your task manager. Open it, find the app eating your CPU or RAM, and quit it without a reboot.

macOS · why is my mac running slow

Why Is My Mac Running Slow? How to Free Up RAM Fast

If your Mac is running slow, the cause is usually RAM. Find the memory hogs, quit them, and get speed back without a reboot.

macOS · force quit mac keyboard shortcut

Force Quit Mac Keyboard Shortcut: The Keys to Know

The force quit Mac keyboard shortcut is Command-Option-Esc. Here is how to use it, plus faster ways when an app is fully frozen.

macOS · force quit from dock mac

How to Force Quit an App from the Dock on Mac

Force quit a frozen Mac app right from the Dock: Control-click the icon, hold Option so Quit becomes Force Quit, then click. Plus ⌥⌘⎋ and Activity Monitor.

macOS · app won't quit on mac

What to Do When an App Won't Quit on Mac

App won't quit on your Mac? Walk the full force-quit ladder: ⌘Q, Force Quit window, Dock, Activity Monitor, and Terminal killall and kill -9, step by step.

macOS · force quit not working mac

Force Quit Not Working on Mac? How to Kill Any App

Force quit not working on your Mac? Here's how to kill any frozen app with Activity Monitor, Terminal kill -9, and sudo, plus what to do if the whole Mac is frozen.