How to Quickly Close Your Web Browser

Browsers

Updated April 12, 2018

We've all been there. Things are slow at work, and you find yourself somewhere you shouldn't be, like playing a game of online Scrabble or watching some painfully awful rendition of the national anthem on YouTube. Without warning, the boss comes walking in. In a state of panic, you fumble with your mouse and keyboard in an attempt to close your browser before it's too late. No such luck, as the six deadly words fill the air in your cubicle: "What's that on your screen?"

Don't let this happen to you. Keyboard shortcuts can help you hide or shut down your browser lickety-split. Just be sure that you do not have any important work open in your browser if you intend to quit the application.

How to Quickly Close Web Browsers on a Windows Computer

Edge

Close active window: ALT+F4

Google Chrome

Close current window: CTRL+SHIFT+W or ALT+F4

Internet Explorer

Minimize all windows, which minimizes all open windows to your Windows taskbar: Windows Key+M
Quit IE. This only quits the active instance of IE. If you have other windows open, you need to repeat the shortcut for them: ALT+F4

Firefox

Minimize all windows, which minimizes all open windows to your Windows taskbar: Windows Key+M
Quit Firefox. This only quits the active instance of Firefox. If you have other windows open, you need to repeat the shortcut for them: ALT+F4

Opera

Minimize all windows, which minimizes all open windows to your Windows taskbar: Windows Key+M
Quit Opera. This only quits the active instance of Opera. If you have other windows open, you need to repeat the shortcut for them: ALT+F4

Mac OS X and macOS Quick-Close Keyboard Combinations

Note: On older Mac keyboards the Command key is the Apple key. Please also note that on Mac OS X, using Hide is noticeably faster than using Quit.