forcequit

Force Quit is a feature found on Apple operating systems, including macOS and iOS, that allows users to close unresponsive applications. It is typically accessed by pressing a specific key combination. On macOS, this is Command-Option-Escape. On iOS, it involves a different gesture depending on the device model, usually a triple-click of the Home button or a swipe from the bottom of the screen.

When an application becomes frozen or exhibits unusual behavior, Force Quit provides a way to terminate it immediately, bypassing the normal application closing procedures. This can be necessary when an application is preventing other applications or the entire system from functioning correctly. Using Force Quit is generally safe for the operating system, but it can result in the loss of unsaved data within the terminated application.

The Force Quit Applications window on macOS displays a list of all currently running applications. Users can select the unresponsive application from this list and click the "Force Quit" button to close it. Similarly, on iOS, users can swipe away applications from the multitasking view to close them, which serves a similar purpose to Force Quit. It is recommended to use Force Quit only when an application is truly unresponsive, as frequent use might indicate underlying system issues.