Easy Ways to Quit, Close, or Force-Quit Chrome on Any Device

Download Article

Close the entire Chrome app, a window, or an individual tab

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: June 22, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

Closing the App

|

Closing Tabs (Desktop)

|

Closing Tabs (Mobile)

|

Force Quitting

|

Video

|

Q&A

|

Tips

Do you need to quit the Chrome application on your desktop computer, Android, or Apple device? Or, are you trying to close just an individual tab or window? In this article, we’ll go over all the ways to close Chrome, including how to force quit if the app isn’t responding.

Tips to Close Chrome or Chrome Tabs

To exit Chrome completely, you’ll need to quit the app.
To close tabs in the desktop or mobile app, click or tap the X next to each tab.
You can force-close an unresponsive tab in the desktop app by going to Window > Task Manager, selecting the tab, and clicking End Task.
If Chrome is frozen, you may need to force quit it.

Section 1 of 4:

Closing the Chrome App

Download Article

1
Windows To completely exit the Chrome app in Windows, click the X icon at the top right corner. If you have multiple windows open, you will have to do this with all of them. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt + F, followed by X, to quit Chrome.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Alternatively, click the ⋮ icon at the top right side of the browser and select Exit.
- If you don’t want to lose all your tabs when you quit, you can set Chrome to restore your last session next time you open it.
2
Mac To completely exit the Chrome app on a Mac, click Chrome in the menu bar at the top of your screen, then select Quit Google Chrome. You can also press Command + Q.
- Another option is to right-click or Ctrl-click the Chrome icon in the Dock, then select Quit.
- If you just close any individual windows that are open, the Chrome app will still be running.
- If you don’t want to lose all your tabs when you quit, you can set Chrome to restore your last session next time you open it.
Advertisement
3
Chromebook Click the X icon at the top right corner of any open Chrome windows on your Chromebook until they are all closed. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + W to close an active window. Alternatively, right-click the Chrome icon in your taskbar and select Close.
- You can set Chrome to restore your last session next time you open it if you don’t want to lose your tabs.
To quit the Chrome app on Android, swipe up from the bottom of your screen and hold to see your recent apps. Scroll through the apps to find Chrome, then swipe up on it to close it.
On an iOS device with no Home button, you can view your open apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. If you have a Home button, double-click it to see your apps. Swipe through the apps until you find Chrome, then swipe up on it to close it.

Section 2 of 4:

Closing Chrome Tabs and Windows on Desktop

Download Article

1
Click the X icon on an individual tab to close it. This icon is located on the right side of each tab. Clicking it will close only that tab.
- To close the currently selected tab using keyboard shortcuts, press Ctrl+W for Windows and Linux, and ⌘ Cmd+W for Mac.
On Windows or ChromeOS, the X is located in the upper right and will close the entire program unless there is a second window open. On Mac, the X is located in the red dot on the upper left. Clicking it will close the window, but leave the process running.
3
Use the “Close Other Tabs” option to close all but the active tab. If you want to close all but one tab in a Window, right-click the tab you want to keep open (or Ctrl-click it if you’re on a Mac with no right mouse button). Select Close Other Tabs.
- You can also select Close Tabs to the Right to close all tabs to the right of your selected tab, or click Close to close your selected tab.
4
Force-close a single unresponsive tab with Chrome’s Task Manager. This built-in tool lets you shut down an unresponsive tab in the Desktop version of Chrome without closing or force-quitting the entire browser. To do this:
- Click Window in the menu bar at the top of Chrome (or the top of your screen, on Mac).
- Select Task Manager from the menu.
- Locate the tab you want to close in the list of processes, then click End Task.
  - You can also use this tool to force close malfunctioning extensions and other processes within the Chrome browser.

Section 3 of 4:

Closing Tabs in the Mobile App

Download Article

This icon looks like a square with a number inside it. It’s located at the top of the Android app and at the bottom of the iPhone/iPad app. This will open a view of all your active tabs.
This will close the individual tab while leaving your other tabs open.
3
Select Close all tabs to close all your tabs. The location of this option varies depending on your phone or tablet:
- Android: Tap More ⋮ > Close all tabs.
- iPhone: Tap Close All at the bottom left corner of the screen when you’re viewing all your open tabs. If you don’t see this option, tap Edit > Close All Tabs and Groups (or Close Other Tabs if you want to keep your currently selected tab open).
- You can also tap the Incognito icon at the top of the Tabs menu (it looks like a hat and glasses) and select Close Incognito Tabs if you have any unwanted incognito tabs open.

Section 4 of 4:

Force Quitting Chrome

Download Article

1
Windows If Chrome is completely frozen, you can force it to quit from the Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then find Chrome (or any related processes) in the list of tasks and click on it. Click End task at the top of the window.
- Only force quit Chrome as a last resort. Shutting the app down improperly can cause you to lose unsaved data.
On a Mac, press Command + Option + Esc to open the Force Quit window. Select Google Chrome from the list, then click Force Quit.
In ChromeOS, press the Esc key and the search key (
) at the same time. On some Chromebooks, this key will have an icon that looks like a circle with a solid center, or a G similar to the Google icon, instead. Find Chrome (and any related processes) in the list of tasks, select it, and click End task at the bottom of the window.
Open the Settings app on your Android, then select Apps. Locate Chrome and select the App info menu, then tap Force stop at the bottom. Tap OK if you’re prompted to confirm.
iOS doesn’t really have a direct way to force close an app. If you can’t close the app the regular way, or if your iPhone is completely frozen, you may have to just force restart your iPhone.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Why won't Google Chrome shut down properly after my Windows update?

Community Answer

Try opening your Windows search bar. Type "Task Manager," click on it, find Chrome, right click on it, and then press "End Task."

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 6

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Wait a minute before force-quitting Chrome. Sometimes the application will automatically recover from a page hang. You can also try reloading a hung webpage.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0