How to Ctrl+Alt+Delete on a Mac

Ctrl+Alt+Delete on Windows vs. a Mac

How do I force quit an app on a Mac?

Force Quit is the Mac’s version of “End task”. Use it when an app stops responding. Your other apps keep running.

With the keyboard: Command + Option + Esc

1. Press Command+Option+Esc together. On a Windows keyboard, that’s the Windows key+Alt+Esc.
2. The Force Quit Applications window opens. Select the app that isn’t responding.
3. Click Force Quit.

Force quitting closes the app straight away, so unsaved changes in that app can be lost. If the app still responds, quit it normally first with Command+Q.

From the Apple menu

If the keyboard doesn’t respond, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, choose Force Quit, select the app, then click Force Quit.

More ways to do it, including from the Dock, are in our guide on how to force quit on a Mac.

How do I open the task manager on a Mac?

The Mac’s task manager is called Activity Monitor. It shows every app and background process, and how much processor, memory, energy and network each one uses.

Open Activity Monitor

• Spotlight: press Command+Space, type “Activity Monitor”, press Return.
• Finder: go to Applications, then Utilities, and double-click Activity Monitor.

Quit an app or process from Activity Monitor

1. In the list, select the app or process you want to stop.
2. Click the Stop button (the X) at the top of the window.
3. Choose Quit to close it safely, or Force Quit to close it immediately. Force Quit can lose unsaved work.

How do I see what’s slowing down my Mac?

Activity Monitor tells you which app is working hardest.

1. Click the CPU tab, then click the % CPU column title to sort. The apps using the most processor time go to the top.
2. Click the Memory tab. The Memory Pressure graph at the bottom shows how well your Mac’s memory is keeping up.
3. Click the Energy tab to see which apps use the most power, which matters on a laptop.

Leave processes you don’t recognize alone: many belong to macOS itself.

What if my whole Mac is frozen?

Try these steps in order:

1. Wait a few seconds, then press Command+Option+Esc. A busy Mac often answers late.
2. Restart from the Apple menu: Apple menu > Restart.
3. Force the Mac off: press and hold the power button for up to 10 seconds, until the Mac turns off. Then press it again to turn the Mac back on. On a Mac with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is the power button.

With the last option, unsaved documents are lost, so use it only when nothing else works.

Where are Lock and Sign out on a Mac?

On Windows, Ctrl+Alt+Delete opens a screen with Lock, Sign out and the task manager. On a Mac, each one has its own shortcut:

• Lock the screen: Control+Command+Q.
• Log out: Shift+Command+Q. macOS asks you to confirm.
• Restart or shut down: Apple menu > Restart or Shut Down.

Sending Ctrl+Alt+Delete to a remote PC or virtual machine

Sometimes you need Ctrl+Alt+Delete on a Windows PC, not on your Mac: to sign in to a remote computer, or inside a Windows virtual machine. Your Mac won’t send it by itself.

• Use the keys of your remote desktop or virtual machine app. Most of these apps send Ctrl+Alt+Delete when you press Control+Option+Delete (on a Mac laptop, Control+Option + fn + Delete may be needed).
• Or use the app’s menu. Many have a command such as “Send Ctrl+Alt+Del” in a menu or toolbar.

The exact keys depend on the app, so check its help page.

Can I use Ctrl+Alt+Delete on a Mac?

Yes, with WinPlug. After years on Windows, your fingers go straight to Ctrl+Alt+Delete. No need to relearn it: WinPlug keeps that reflex working.

With WinPlug, Ctrl+Alt+Delete opens Activity Monitor, just like it opened the task manager on Windows. Ctrl+Shift+Esc does the same. It works with the Delete key of a Windows keyboard, or Control+Option + delete on a Mac keyboard. It’s on as soon as you install WinPlug, and you can turn it off in Settings > Keyboard.

Other Windows habits WinPlug brings back

• Alt+F4 closes the window you’re in, not the whole app.
• Alt+Tab shows every open window with a thumbnail, not just apps.
• Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y copy, paste, cut, select all, undo and redo, on a Windows or a Mac keyboard, in QWERTY or AZERTY.
• Home and End go to the start and end of the line.

Terminals and code editors keep their own Ctrl. And one shortcut, Ctrl+Alt+Win+W, turns every Windows shortcut off, so your Mac behaves exactly as before. Use Windows keyboard shortcuts on your Mac, or get Windows-style Alt-Tab on your Mac.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ctrl+Alt+Delete on a Mac?

The Mac equivalent of Ctrl+Alt+Delete is Command+Option+Esc. It opens Force Quit Applications, where you can close an app that isn’t responding. For a full list of apps and processes, open Activity Monitor, the Mac’s task manager.

How do I open task manager on a Mac?

The task manager on a Mac is Activity Monitor. Press Command+Space, type “Activity Monitor” and press Return. You can also find it in Applications > Utilities. With WinPlug, Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete opens it directly.

How do I send Ctrl+Alt+Delete to a remote PC from a Mac?

Use the remote desktop or virtual machine app, not your Mac. Most of these apps send it with Control+Option+Delete, or with a menu command such as “Send Ctrl+Alt+Del”. Check that app’s help page for the exact keys.

What do I do if my Mac is frozen and Force Quit doesn’t work?

Choose Apple menu > Restart. If the Mac doesn’t respond, press and hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until it turns off, then press it again to start it.

Does Ctrl+Alt+Delete work on a Mac with a Windows keyboard?

Not by default. A Windows keyboard on a Mac uses Alt as Option and the Windows key as Command, so the Mac shortcut is Windows key+Alt+Esc. With WinPlug, Ctrl+Alt+Delete itself opens Activity Monitor.

Sources

• Apple Support, “How to force an app to quit on your Mac”, support.apple.com/en-us/102586 (checked October 2026).
• Apple Support, “Mac keyboard shortcuts”, support.apple.com/en-us/102650 (checked October 2026).
• Activity Monitor User Guide, “Quit a process in Activity Monitor on Mac”, support.apple.com/guide/activity-monitor/actmntr1002/mac (checked October 2026).
• Activity Monitor User Guide, “View memory usage in Activity Monitor on Mac”, support.apple.com/guide/activity-monitor/actmntr1004/mac (checked October 2026).