Command+Q fails to close apps when cursor hovers

You cannot “Hover”. That does not change focus.

You have to give the app you want focus, then Command-Q will work.

Click on an app’s window, click on the app in the dock, switch to the app using Command-Tab.

A screenshot would be helpful.

I had assumed, as did D. I. Johnson, that you were talking about the application switcher, as he showed.

You said that wasn't it, so I thought maybe you meant the Dock.

Now by hovering over an icon at the Dock, like Calendar, for example:

and then press Command-Q you seem to expect this to quit Calendar, but that is mistaken.

Command-Q quits the frontmost application, that is the one that has the menu bar. For example, as I am typing thin in Safari:

If I were to press Command-Q, no matter what the Dock is showing, it would quit Safari, because that is the frontmost application. This has never changed since Mac OS X introduced the Dock in 2000.

Now you could press and hold the Calendar icon in the Dock and select Quit, and this would quit Calendar, without it ever becoming the frontmost application:

LizardsRpeople wrote:

Command+Q while hovering with curser doesn't close applications any more. I have to have the window I want to close open for it to work.

Hovering where, exactly?

It would seem to me that you may be referring to the application switcher that is accessed with Command-Tab.

If this is the case, then yes you should be able to quit applications by pressing Command-Tab and without letting go of the Command key, then pressing Q. Is that what you are doing? Or something else completely?

If you use the keyboard shortcut Command-Tab (⌘⇥), the application switcher will appear mid-screen.

If you hover the pointer on any app in that row of open apps, then you can use ⌘Q to quit the app you are hovering over.

LizardsRpeople wrote:

Looks like you didn’t understand my problem. Maybe I didn’t word it correctly.

in order to quit a application completely(not running in background) you have to hold Comand + Q while having the window open and at attention. But I used to be able to completely quit an application just by pointing at the app icon with my cursor and hold comand + Q without having the window open. I would quit all my apps this way before putting my MacBook to sleep.

It has never worked that way without some sort of third-party extension.

Do you mean using the Dock?

Click and hold the Dock icon and you should be able to quit an application from the Dock without switching to it. I don’t use the Dock and I am not at my mac right now but will test later.

LizardsRpeople wrote:

Command+Q while hovering with curser doesn't close applications any more. I have to have the window I want to close open for it to work.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.3

old issue, new issue, what changed...?

I see no change in behavior using Command Tab and quitting applications in the current macOS.

verify your software is up to date—

The current stable release of Tahoe including bug fixes, security updates is macOS 26.5.2

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support

There is always the possibility if the application is in the busy and in the process of completing some task it may rebuke the Command Q.... generally I do not see this as issue.

Where is this app icon?

in the Applications folder?

on the Dock?

in the Command-Tab app switcher display?

can you provide a screenshot? And more details?