Should You Close Apps on Mac Often? Here's the Answer

When using Windows on a daily basis, many people had the habit of closing programs when not in use, especially in the days when RAM was limited. That habit was carried over to macOS when switching, but it turns out that 'closing an application' on Mac is not what it seems - and most of the time it is unnecessary.

How does macOS manage apps differently than Windows?

What often confuses new users is that the red 'X' button on macOS doesn't actually close the app like it does on Windows. On Windows, closing the last window of an app usually ends the process (with some exceptions like background apps in the notification area). On macOS, on the other hand, pressing the red button only closes the window, but the app remains running in the background. The app icon remains in the dock, and only when you press Command + Q does the app actually quit.

In other words, macOS makes a clear distinction between 'closing a window' ( Command + W ) and 'quitting an application' ( Command + Q ).

When to not worry about exiting the application

In most cases, not quitting an app isn't a problem. macOS is efficient at managing memory: it compresses and allocates RAM as needed, and background apps don't eat up resources if they're not running.

In fact, most modern operating systems do this well, so with most apps, you can leave them running in the background and come back to them without any performance impact.

However, there are still situations where it's better to press Command + Q to 'safely' exit an application:

Resource-hungry apps : Chrome, Photoshop, and large games often consume RAM and battery even when minimized. It's best to exit them completely after use.
App Crashes : When an app crashes, leaks memory, or is acting unstable, quitting and reopening it will solve many problems.
Security issue : For apps related to important accounts (such as banking, chat), you should not let them run in the background when you leave your device.

Of course, there are also a few useful rules you should know:

Command + Q : use when the app is heavy or working abnormally.
Force Quit (Option + Command + Escape) : when the app refuses to close.
Activity Monitor : check which applications are taking up CPU or RAM.

Need to change habits?

Generally, not closing apps on Mac is not a big deal. The system is optimized for resource management. The only problem you might encounter is inconsistent app behavior: Steam, for example, sometimes won't reopen a new window after closing all windows without exiting the app. In these cases, you can just force quit and reopen.

In short, unless you encounter a 'hungry' app or something goes wrong, leaving apps running in the background on macOS is perfectly fine – it's convenient and doesn't affect overall performance.