How to Fix "Preview.app Is Not Open Anymore" Error on Mac

Getting the Preview.app is not open anymore error on your Mac? Learn easy troubleshooting steps with Qureasy to resolve this issue and reopen Preview smoothly.

1. Force Quit & Relaunch Preview

Press ⌘+Option+Esc to open Force Quit Applications
Select Preview > Click Relaunch

Why? Resets the app if it froze in the background

2. Restart Your Mac

Click  > Restart

Why? Clears system memory and resets all processes

3. Check for macOS Updates

Go to  > System Settings > General > Software Update
Install any pending updates

Why? Apple often patches app-specific bugs in updates

Advanced Troubleshooting Method

4. Reset Preview Preferences

Open Terminal and paste: defaults delete com.apple.Preview
Press Enter, then relaunch Preview

Why? Corrupted preferences cause unexpected closures

5. Repair Disk Permissions

Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities)
Select your startup disk > Click First Aid > Run

Why? Fixes file permission issues affecting app stability

6. Create a New User Account

Go to  > System Settings > Users & Groups
Test Preview in a fresh account

Why? Isolates user-specific corruption

Prevention Tips for Stable Performance

✔ Regularly Clear Preview Caches:

Navigate to ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Preview and delete contents

✔ Avoid Extremely Large Files:

Split multi-GB PDFs into smaller chunks

✔ Maintain 10% Free Disk Space:

Low storage triggers app instability

✔ Use Alternative Apps:

Try Adobe Acrobat Reader or Skim for critical PDF work

When to Seek Professional Help:

If Preview crashes immediately on launch
If you see kernel panic messages
If the issue persists across multiple user accounts

For file recovery after crashes:

Check File > Open Recent in Preview
Search for auto-saved versions in ~/Library/Autosave Information/