Don’t worry — this is a common issue and usually easy to fix!
“Application Not Responding (Spinning Rainbow Wheel)”
What This Means (In Plain English)
An application on your Mac has frozen. The spinning colourful wheel (sometimes called the "spinning beach ball of death") means your Mac is struggling.
Common Causes
- •The app has a bug or is running a heavy task
- •Not enough available memory (RAM)
- •The Mac's storage is nearly full
- •An outdated app not compatible with the latest macOS
How to Fix It — Step by Step
- 1
Wait 30 seconds — the app may recover on its own.
- 2
If it does not recover, press Command + Option + Escape to open the "Force Quit" window.
- 3
Select the frozen app and click "Force Quit".
- 4
Re-open the app — any unsaved work may be lost.
- 5
If your entire Mac is frozen, hold the power button for 10 seconds to force a shutdown.
- 6
After restarting, check for macOS updates: Apple menu > System Settings > Software Update.
How to Prevent This in the Future
Save your work frequently with Command + S. Close apps you are not using. Keep your Mac updated.
Related Errors You Might See
Your Startup Disk Is Almost Full
Your Mac's main storage drive is running out of space. You need to delete some files to keep your Mac running smoothly.
Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory
Your Mac does not have enough working memory to run all the apps you have open. You need to close some apps.
Still stuck? Don’t worry!
If the steps above did not solve the problem, ask a trusted friend or family member for help, or contact us and we will do our best to assist you.