How to close windows faster on Mac, including from Mission Control
Short answer
Press Command W to close the front window, and Option Command W to close all of that app's windows. Closing a window on a Mac usually leaves the app running. Press Command Q to quit it.
Built-in ways to close windows
| Do this | What happens |
|---|---|
| Command W | Closes the front window (or tab, in browsers) |
| Option Command W | Closes all windows of the front app, in apps that support it |
| Option-click the red button | Closes all windows of that app |
| Command Q | Quits the app with all its windows |
| Command M | Minimizes the front window to the Dock |
| Command H / Option Command H | Hides the app / hides every other app |
| Right-click an app in the Dock › Quit | Quits without switching to it first |
Closing windows from Mission Control
Mission Control shows all your windows, which makes it the natural place to tidy up, but macOS gives you no way to close a window there. There's no close button and Command W does nothing. You have to click the window, close it, and open Mission Control again. App Exposé (Control ↓) and Stage Manager have the same gap.
Two apps add this:
- Mission Boost (made by us) adds a close button to the window under your pointer, and makes Command W, M, H and Q work in Mission Control. €9 once, with a free 14-day trial.
- Mission Control Plus by fadel.io had the idea first and offers close buttons and shortcuts too.
A window won't close
- An unsaved-changes sheet is hiding. Click the app in the Dock. A Save dialog may be waiting on another desktop.
- The app is frozen. Press Option Command Esc, select the app, and click Force Quit. You lose unsaved work in that app.
- Finder windows that keep coming back: Finder can't be quit normally, so use Option Command W to close all its windows at once.
Other apps that can help
You don’t need any of these for the steps above. They go further in different ways, so pick what fits how you work.
| App | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Control Plus | Close buttons and shortcuts in Mission Control; had the idea first | Paid |
| AltTab | Windows-style window switcher with close, minimize and quit buttons | Free, open source |
| Witch | Keyboard window switcher across apps and Spaces | Paid |
| Hammerspoon | Script windows, Spaces and hot corners with Lua | Free, open source |
| Mission Boost Made by us | Close, minimize and quit windows inside Mission Control, plus side-by-side layouts from there | €9 once, free trial |
Sources and further reading
- Mac keyboard shortcuts · Apple Support