How To Force Restart A MacBook, MacBook Air, And MacBook Pro

Skip to ContentOpen Menu

• Front Page
• Roundups Show Roundups
  • AirPods 4
  • AirPods Max
  • AirPods Pro 3
  • AirTag
  • Apple Deals
  • Apple Pay
  • Apple Pro Display XDR
  • Apple Studio Display
  • Apple TV
  • Apple Vision Pro
  • Apple Watch 11
  • Apple Watch SE 3
  • Apple Watch Ultra 3
  • CarPlay
  • HomePod
  • HomePod mini
  • iMac
  • iOS 26
  • iPad
  • iPad Air
  • iPad mini
  • iPad Pro
  • iPadOS 26
  • iPhone 16
  • iPhone 16e
  • iPhone 17
  • iPhone 17 Pro
  • iPhone 18
  • iPhone Air
  • Mac mini
  • Mac Pro
  • Mac Studio
  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook Pro
  • macOS Tahoe
  • watchOS 26
• Guides
• How Tos
• Reviews
• Buyer's Guide
• Forums

PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletterVisit ForumsSearchClose SearchOpen Sidebar

• Hard Reset iPhone SE
• Hard Reset Apple Watch
• Restart MacBook, Air, Pro
• Hard Reset iPad Pro
• Hard Reset iPhone 11, 11 Pro
• Hard Reset iPhone X, XS, XR
• Hard Reset iPhone 8
• Hard Reset iPhone 7
• Hard Reset iPhone 6s and Earlier

• Front Page
• Roundups
• Guides
• How Tos
• Reviews
• Buyer's Guide
• Upcoming Products
• Forums
• Archives
• Tips / Contact Us
• PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletter

How to Force Restart a Frozen MacBookWednesday February 21, 2024 11:53 PM PST by Tim Hardwick

Force restarting a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro is generally considered a last resort, but if the worst happens and your machine freezes up, it's usually the quickest way of getting things running again.

Before taking this extreme option though, it's worth making sure that you've exhausted all potential software solutions.

• If it's just an application that's frozen rather than the operating system, hold down the Option (⌥) key then right-click the offending app's icon in the Dock and select Force Quit.
• If the OS is frozen but the mouse cursor still responds, click the Apple () symbol in the upper left corner of the screen and select Restart. Otherwise, try holding down the Control (Ctrl) key and pressing the power button. If the system shutdown dialog appears, select Restart from the available options.

On MacBooks with physical function (F1–F12) keys, the power button is the key in the upper right corner of the keyboard (if it's an older Mac with an optical drive, the power button is separate from the keyboard, and located in the top-right corner).

Touch ID button on a 2018 ‌MacBook Air‌On 2018 ‌MacBook Air‌ or later models and 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, the power button is the ‌Touch ID‌ button in the top-right corner of the keyboard. On a ‌MacBook Pro‌ with a Touch Bar, it's the ‌Touch ID‌ surface on the rightmost side of the Touch Bar.

How to Force Restart Your Mac

• Press and hold down the Command (⌘) and Control (Ctrl) keys along with the power button (or the ‌Touch ID‌ / Eject button, depending on the Mac model) until the screen goes blank and the machine restarts.

If your MacBook repeatedly freezes and you're unsure what's causing the problem, consider restarting your Mac in Apple Diagnostics mode to check if it's a hardware issue.

Get weekly top MacRumors stories in your inbox.

Popular Stories

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe RossignolLast year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...Read Full Article • 87 comments

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe RossignolApple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...Read Full Article • 134 comments

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe RossignolThe calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...Read Full Article

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe RossignolApple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...Read Full Article • 127 comments

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe RossignolApple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...Read Full Article • 136 comments

Next Article

Apple Continues Improving Apple Support App's AI Assistant

Guides

iOS 26 Features

Our comprehensive guide highlighting every major new addition in iOS 26, plus how-tos that walk you through using the new features.

iOS 26.2 Features

Reminder alarms, more Liquid Glass tweaks, AirDrop improvements, and more.

50 macOS Tahoe Features

New features and lesser-known changes to check out if you're upgrading.

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air

Apple's four new iPhones feature more differences between the latest models than ever before, so which one should you buy?

• Apple Intelligence Guide • Image Playground Guide • iPhone Mirroring Not Working? • 21 Time-Saving iPhone Tips • 14 macOS Tips to Make Your Life Easier • One AirPod Not Working? See more guides

Upcoming

iPhone 17e Early 2026

A19 chip, MagSafe, and perhaps a Dynamic Island instead of a display notch.

Apple TV Early 2026?

Upgrade to A17 or newer chip with Apple Intelligence support, plus Apple's new N1 wireless networking chip.

Smart Home Hub Early 2026?

Squarish 7-inch screen for controlling smart home products, listening to music, making video calls, and more.

HomePod mini Early 2026?

Faster chips and new colors expected.

• Low-Cost MacBook • MacBook Air • MacBook Pro • Studio Display • Mac mini • Mac Studio • iPhone 18 Pro • Foldable iPhone See full product calendar

Other Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

1 day ago by Joe Rossignol

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

2 days ago by Joe Rossignol

Tesla Reportedly Still Planning to Offer Apple CarPlay

2 days ago by Joe Rossignol

Why Apple Just Updated an iPhone From 2013

6 days ago by Tim Hardwick

Apple's Next Launch is Today

6 days ago by Joe Rossignol