Search
Close this search box.

OS X Quick Tip: Quickly Close All Apps

Today’s OS X Quick Tip is from Filip Lam. Click Here to check out his blog. Thanks Filip!

The quickest way to quit one application is to hit command+q. But what if you want to quit several?

command_tab.jpgInstead of highlighting every application you want to quit and then press a keyboard command, you can do it in this way. Hit command+tab to bring up a semi-transparent window (see picture) that let you see all open applications. Normally people use command+tab to switch application. But if you hit Q you will quit the highlighted app. You can move around by pressing the arrow keys or hit tab several times.

Do you have a Quicktip for OS X that you’d like to share? Click Here to send it in! Be sure and include the URL of your website or blog so we can give proper credit and linkbacks!

Share the Post:
Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

3 thoughts on “OS X Quick Tip: Quickly Close All Apps

  1. Hi,
    It would be a fantastic tip if it was working!
    It is not the case with my PowerBook 15″ DVD-DL running 10.4.8

  2. Brilliant! This is working for me in OS X Lion 10.7.2

    Thanks so much for this tip! I switch from “desktop” mode to “on the go” mode with my laptop pretty frequently, and this makes the transition a whole lot faster.

    1. p.s. some apps take longer to quit than others. Some shut down as soon as I hit “q”, some take a while. If your apps aren’t closing immediately, try waiting to see if they’re in the shutdown process. Especially high RAM consuming apps like Photoshop.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts