Task Manager on a Mac: how to open Activity Monitor and end a task
Mac's Task Manager is Activity Monitor. How to open it, see which app is busy, end a task, and the faster Force Quit window for an app that hangs.
What is Task Manager called on a Mac?
Activity Monitor. It lives in Applications, Utilities. The quickest way to open it is Spotlight: press ⌘ Space, type activity, and press Return.
How do I end a task on a Mac?
- In Activity Monitor, click the app or process in the list.
- Click the stop button (an x in a circle) in the toolbar.
- Choose Quit to ask it to close, or Force Quit if it does not respond.
For an app that has simply frozen, the Force Quit window is faster: press ⌥ ⌘ Esc, pick the app and click Force Quit. See how to force quit on a Mac.
What do the tabs in Activity Monitor show?
| Tab | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| CPU | Which apps are working the processor right now |
| Memory | How much memory each app holds, and the pressure graph |
| Energy | Which apps cost the most battery |
| Disk | Which apps read and write the most |
| Network | Which apps send and receive the most |
Click a column heading, such as % CPU, to sort the busiest to the top.
Can I keep it open like a performance graph?
Yes. Right click Activity Monitor in the Dock, choose Dock Icon, and pick CPU or memory usage. The Dock icon becomes a small live graph, and you can close the window.
A process called WindowServer near the top is normal: what WindowServer is. More for Windows users: the Snipping Tool on a Mac.
Questions
How do I open Task Manager on a Mac?
Open Activity Monitor: press Command Space, type Activity, and press Return.
What is Ctrl Alt Delete on a Mac?
Option Command Escape opens the Force Quit window.
How do I end a task on a Mac?
Select it in Activity Monitor, click the stop button, then choose Quit or Force Quit.
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