How to Force Quit LockDown Browser on Mac (Without Losing Your Exam)

Last updated 2026-05-01 · LDBypass Editorial

Three force-quit methods, in order of safety

Method 1 - Force Quit dialog (recommended)

1. Press ⌘+⌥+Esc simultaneously.
2. The macOS Force Quit Applications dialog opens.
3. Click "LockDown Browser" in the list.
4. Click the "Force Quit" button.
5. Confirm if asked.

This is Apple's documented procedure (see Apple's force-quit KB). It cleanly delivers SIGKILL to the LDB process and lets macOS clean up gracefully.

Method 2 - Activity Monitor

1. Open Activity Monitor (⌘+Space → "Activity Monitor").
2. In the search field, type "lockdown".
3. Click the "LockDown Browser" row to highlight.
4. Click the (×) button in the toolbar.
5. Click "Force Quit".

Use this if Method 1's dialog doesn't open. Activity Monitor uses a different signal path that occasionally succeeds when ⌘+⌥+Esc doesn't.

Method 3 - Terminal (last resort)

pkill -9 "LockDown Browser"

or, more aggressively:

sudo killall -9 "LockDown Browser"

Use only if Methods 1 and 2 fail. kill -9 sends SIGKILL directly; the process exits without any cleanup. Never use this during a recording-live phase of an exam unless you've already lost the exam.

Force-quit before the exam vs. mid-exam

Pre-exam force-quit (loading screen, system check, before clicking Start): always safe. The exam hasn't started; no recording has been uploaded; no answers exist. Just relaunch from your LMS.

Mid-exam force-quit: the answers you've clicked through are typically safe - Canvas, Blackboard, and D2L Brightspace auto-save on every interaction. The answer to the question you were currently working on may or may not be saved depending on the LMS:

• Canvas: Auto-saves on every keystroke. Force-quit safe.
• Blackboard Original: Saves on Next/Previous navigation. The current question's typed answer is lost.
• Blackboard Ultra: Auto-saves periodically. Usually fine.
• D2L Brightspace: Saves on every interaction. Safe.
• Moodle: Saves on Next or auto-save (configurable per-quiz). Variable.

What to do AFTER force-quitting mid-exam

1. Open Safari. Sign in to your LMS. Navigate to the in-progress exam.
2. If the LMS shows "Resume Quiz" or similar, click it. Most preserve your elapsed time so far.
3. If the LMS shows "Auto-submitted" or "No in-progress attempt", contact your instructor immediately with:
   • The time you launched LDB.
   • The time you force-quit.
   • Approximately how many questions you answered before the freeze.
   • The macOS version and LDB version.
4. Most universities have an academic-integrity-respecting policy for technical failures. Email your instructor before the exam window closes.

If force-quit doesn't work - full system recovery

In rare cases all three methods above fail (truly stuck process, kernel-level lock). Recovery:

1. Hold the power button for 5-10 seconds. Mac powers off.
2. Wait 10 seconds. Power back on.
3. Sign in.
4. Open Safari, sign in to LMS, recover the exam.

This is the absolute last resort. The hard reboot has the same exam-state implication as force-quit but adds a few minutes to recovery time.