Quick answer
Save documents, close apps, and choose Apple menu > Shut Down.
- Check that other people have saved shared work.
- Deselect Reopen windows if you do not want them restored at next login.
- Wait for full shutdown before closing the display.
Your MacBook’s screen goes dark, but you’re not sure whether it shut down or only went to sleep.
To shut down a MacBook, save your open work and choose Apple menu > Shut Down. The steps below explain the reopen-windows option and what to do if an app blocks shutdown.
This guide also covers what to do if an app stops responding.
Before you shut down
Save any open documents and wait for files to finish saving or syncing. Quit apps you no longer need with the app’s Quit command.
macOS gives apps a chance to save changes when they quit normally. If it asks what to do with a document, choose Save when you want to keep it.
You do not need to shut down just to connect or disconnect a USB-C, Thunderbolt or Ethernet cable. For external storage or a dock with mounted drives, finish transfers, close files using those drives and eject them in Finder before unplugging.
If other people are signed in to this Mac, check with them before you continue.
Ask them to save their work and sign out first, so a shutdown does not interrupt an open document or another person’s session.
You don’t need to shut down just to turn off the display or lock the screen. Choose sleep when you want to pause and return to your open session.
Use Lock Screen when you want to protect the session while leaving the Mac on. Shut Down ends the session and turns off the Mac.
Shut down from the Apple menu
- Save documents, close apps you are finished with, and check that other signed-in users have saved their work.
- Choose Apple menu > Shut Down in the top-left corner of the screen.
- In the confirmation window, clear Reopen windows when logging back in if you do not want open app windows to return the next time you log in. This option controls window reopening. It doesn’t save documents for you.
- Click Shut Down and wait. After you choose Shut Down, wait for the display to go black and the shutdown process to finish before closing the MacBook. A dark display at another time can also mean the screen is off or the Mac is asleep. Closing it while the Mac is still shutting down can interfere with shutdown.
To turn the MacBook on again, press and release its power button. On a laptop with Touch ID, use the Touch ID button as the power button.
Apple notes that you may need to enter your Mac password after startup, even if you normally unlock with Touch ID. See Touch ID startup guidance.
If an app will not close
Try quitting that app normally first. An app can save changes as it closes. Force Quit may discard unsaved changes in that app.
If it’s unresponsive, choose Apple menu > Force Quit, select only the app that is stuck, and choose Force Quit. Then try the normal Shut Down steps again.
If Force Quit doesn’t work but the Mac still responds, save any work you can, then choose Restart from the Apple menu. Once it responds normally, shut it down using the regular steps.
Follow Apple’s Force Quit steps if you need the exact app-specific controls.
If the whole MacBook is unresponsive
Last resort: Holding the power button forces the Mac to turn off, and you may lose unsaved changes in open documents.
Use this only if the Mac is unresponsive and the normal app or restart steps are unavailable.
Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off, for up to 10 seconds. On a MacBook with Touch ID, press and hold the Touch ID button.
After it turns off, press and release the power button to start it again. Don’t repeat the forced shutdown if the Mac responds. Use the normal Apple menu instead.
Shut Down, Sleep, Lock Screen, or Restart?
| Choose | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Shut Down | Closes the session and turns off the Mac. | You want the Mac fully off. |
| Sleep | Pauses the Mac and keeps your session ready to resume. | You are taking a break and expect to return. |
| Lock Screen | Protects the current session behind the login screen while the Mac remains on. | You are stepping away and want to leave apps open. |
| Restart | Shuts down the current session and starts the Mac again. | You need a fresh start after saving your work. |
A dark display by itself can mean the screen turned off or the Mac went to sleep. To shut it down, choose Apple menu > Shut Down and wait for that process to finish.
Apple’s guides explain putting a Mac to sleep, changing Lock Screen settings, and the difference between shutting down and restarting. For more detail, see our Mac sleep modes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to quit every app before I shut down?
Save open documents and quit apps normally when you can. Apps may ask you to save changes as they close. If one app is stuck, try Force Quit for that app alone.
Then shut down from the Apple menu.
What does “Reopen windows when logging back in” do?
It controls whether open app windows return the next time you log in. It doesn’t save your work or change whether the Mac shuts down.
Should I shut down or put my MacBook to sleep?
Use sleep for a short break when you want to resume your open session. Shut down when you want the Mac off. Lock Screen protects the session while the Mac remains on.
Restart turns the Mac off and starts it again.
Can I shut down while another person is signed in?
Check with them first. Ask each person to save open work and sign out before you shut down, so their session or unsaved changes are not interrupted.
What should I do if my MacBook won’t shut down?
If one app is unresponsive, try quitting it normally and save any work you can. Force Quit may discard that app’s unsaved changes. Then use Apple menu > Force Quit for that app only.
If this doesn’t work but the Mac responds, choose Restart from the Apple menu. If the whole Mac is unresponsive, holding the power button is a last resort and can lose unsaved changes.
On a MacBook with Touch ID, hold the Touch ID button until the Mac turns off.
How do I know shutdown is complete, and how do I turn the MacBook on?
After you choose Shut Down, wait for the display to go black and the shutdown process to finish before closing the display.
A dark screen by itself can also mean the display is off or the Mac is asleep. To turn it on, press and release the power button.
On a laptop with Touch ID, use the Touch ID button as the power button.
Affiliate disclosure: MacBook Journal may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
How helpful was this article?
Your feedback helps us improve our guides.
