If a Mac app hangs while you have an unsaved document, first give it a chance to respond and save normally. If it remains unresponsive, force quit only when needed, then reopen the app and check for recovered content, document versions, and backups. Recovery depends on the app and whether it saved the work; macOS has no universal command that can restore every unsaved document.

Before you force quit, try to save normally

Wait briefly to see whether the app is busy. If it responds, press Command-S or choose File > Save. For a new document, complete the name and location prompts if they appear. Many Mac apps save automatically, but support and timing vary; automatic saving does not guarantee that the latest edits reached disk. Apple’s Mac guide also describes saving manually with File > Save. Create and work with documents on Mac

If the app responds to menus but not editing, try File > Duplicate or File > Save As (in some apps, hold Option while opening the File menu to reveal Save As) and save a separate copy. This gives you a second file to inspect while preserving the original. Menu names differ by app, and a truly frozen app may not process these commands.

Force quit only if the app will not recover

If normal saving and quitting do not work, press Option-Command-Esc, select the unresponsive app in the Force Quit window, and choose Force Quit. You can also open the Apple menu and choose Force Quit. Apple warns that forcing an app to quit may lose unsaved changes; normal quitting gives an app a chance to save before it exits. How to force an app to quit on Mac

Avoid repeatedly clicking or pressing shortcut keys while the app is stalled. Do not use a power-off as the first step: if the rest of the Mac is responsive, force quit the affected app. If the Mac itself is unresponsive and cannot restart normally, Apple documents holding the power button as a last resort, but an abrupt shutdown can also discard unsaved work. If an app freezes or quits unexpectedly on Mac

Reopen the app and inspect recovery options

Open the app again. If macOS presents a Reopen option after an unexpected quit, select it. Check whether the document or a recovery prompt appears. If it does, save the recovered content immediately under a new name, then compare it with any existing copy before replacing anything. Window restoration may bring back an app window, but that alone does not prove that the latest document edits were saved.

For a document that already exists on disk, look for version history. In many Mac apps, open the file and choose File > Revert To > Browse All Versions. Browse the timeline and inspect older versions. To keep the current file safe, use Restore a Copy where the app offers it; a direct Restore replaces the current version. Availability and version frequency depend on the app. Apple documents this workflow for supported Mac documents, including versions saved automatically at intervals and around certain file actions. View and restore past versions of documents on Mac

Some apps have their own recovery or autosave interface, and others may not. Check the app’s menus or official help for a named recovery feature. Don’t assume that a generic cache folder, Terminal command, or third-party utility will contain a complete, valid copy of an unsaved document. Recovery files may be temporary, incomplete, or absent; Apple’s general guidance does not promise recovery of unsaved edits after a forced quit.

Check backups if the document had been saved before

If the missing work was in a file that existed before the hang, check Time Machine if you had backups enabled. In Finder, search for the file or a distinctive phrase, open Time Machine from the menu bar, browse a backup, and restore the version you need. Apple’s instructions describe using Finder search to locate items in Time Machine. A backup can help recover an earlier saved file; it cannot be assumed to contain edits that were never saved or backed up. Recover files using Time Machine and Spotlight on Mac

If the document was never saved and the app offers no recovery prompt or recovery history, there may be no recoverable copy. Once you find any version containing useful work, save a fresh copy before continuing. For future sessions, save new documents early with a clear filename, use Command-S during important edits, and confirm that backups are running for files you cannot afford to recreate.

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