How to Force Restart MacBook Pro/Air?

Force restarting a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro is usually left as a last resort, however, if the worst happens and the Mac freezes, a force restart is the quickest way of getting things running again.

Before you resort to this extreme option, it is worth making sure that you have exhausted all potential solutions.

If it is just an application that is frozen and not the operating system, hold down the Option (⌥) key then right-click the offending app’s icon in the Dock, then click on select Force Quit.

If the OS is frozen while the cursor still responds, click the Apple () symbol in the upper left corner, then click on Restart. Or else you can try holding down the Control (Ctrl) key, then pressing the power button. If the system shutdown dialog appears, click on Restart from the displayed options.

If you have a MacBook with physical function (F1–F12) keys, the power button is the key in the upper right corner of the keyboard. If it is an older Mac with an optical drive, this is also the Eject button.

If you have a 2018 ‌MacBook Air‌ and a 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, 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 is the ‌Touch ID‌ surface on the rightmost side of the Bar.

How to Force Restart MacBook?

You need to press and hold down the Command (⌘) along with the Control (Ctrl) keys along with the power button. Or, press the ‌Touch ID‌ / Eject button, depending on the Mac model you have, until the screen goes blank and the Mac restarts.

If the MacBook repeatedly freezes and you are unsure what the cause of the problem is, consider restarting the Mac in Apple Diagnostics mode to check if the reason is a hardware issue

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