How To Force Restart A MacBook, MacBook Air, And MacBook Pro
Maybe your like
- Front Page
- Roundups Show Roundups
- AirPods 4

- AirPods Max

- AirPods Pro 3

- Apple Black Friday

- 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

- AirPods 4
- Guides
- How Tos
- Reviews
- Buyer's Guide
- Forums
- 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
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

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More
Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by MacRumors StaffYou'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...Read Full Article • 18 comments
iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID
Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by Joe RossignolNext year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....Read Full Article • 60 comments
Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 [Update: Now Unavailable]
Friday December 19, 2025 10:37 am PST by Juli CloverSince the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running iOS 26. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there...Read Full Article • 382 comments
AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved
Thursday December 18, 2025 3:44 pm PST by Juli CloverSince the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently. We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent...Read Full Article • 92 comments
ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live
Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by Juli CloverThere's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists. Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes. ChatGPT can be used to...Read Full Article • 53 comments
Samsung Announces World's First 2nm Mobile Chip Ahead of Apple
Friday December 19, 2025 3:59 am PST by Tim HardwickSamsung has officially unveiled the Exynos 2600, the world's first 2 nanometer mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC), built on the company's Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. The 10-core ARM-based design aims to deliver improved performance and efficiency for flagship devices like the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. The chip uses Arm's latest cores and supports new instructions for improved CPU speed and...Read Full Article • 62 comments
Apple's 2026 and 2027 Product Roadmap: Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, M5 Macs, and More
Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by Juli CloverThere has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond. We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...Read Full Article • 44 comments
Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps
Thursday December 18, 2025 1:31 pm PST by Juli CloverApple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed. Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover...Read Full Article • 67 commentsNext Article
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 guidesUpcoming
Apple TV Fall 2025?Upgrade to A17 or newer chip with Apple Intelligence support, plus Apple's new N1 wireless networking chip.
AirTag Fall 2025?Upgraded item tracker with improved range, anti-tamper improvements, and more.
HomePod mini Fall 2025?Faster chips and new colors expected.
MacBook Air Early 2026Chip-bump update to M5.
• Studio Display • Low-Cost MacBook See full product calendarOther Stories
4 days ago by Tim Hardwick
5 days ago by Tim Hardwick
Leaked iPhone 16 Pro Prototype Runs 'iOS 19' That Never Existed1 week ago by Tim Hardwick
1 week ago by Tim Hardwick
1 week ago by Tim Hardwick
Tag » How To Turn Off A Macbook
-
Shut Down Or Restart Your Mac - Apple Support
-
3 Ways To Restart Or Force Shut Down Any Frozen Mac - MakeUseOf
-
How To Turn Off The New MacBook Air M1 - YouTube
-
How To Turn Off MacBook Pro In 2021 - YouTube
-
How To Turn Off A MacBook Pro - Lifewire
-
How To Turn Your Mac On And Off - How-To Geek
-
How To Shut Down Your Mac
-
3 Quick Ways To Shut Down A MacBook (Detailed Guide)
-
3 Ways To Force Shut Down A Mac - WikiHow
-
How To Turn Off MacBook Air 2021? - TechnClub
-
Should You Shut Down Your MacBook Every Night? - CleanMyMac X
-
What To Do If Your MacBook Keeps Shutting Down - Setapp
-
Mac Won't Shut Down? Here's How To Fix It - MacKeeper
-
How Do I Turn Off My MacBook Pro Without The Power Button? - Quora