Force restarting MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or another MacBook is generally considered a last resort. If the worst happens and your machine freezes up, it's the quickest way of getting things running again. ClickAway MacBook repair techs offer a free basic diagnostic if you care to bring in it one of our Bay Area computer repair shops.
Before taking this extreme option though, it's worth making sure that you've exhausted all potential software solutions.
If it's just an application that's frozen rather than the operating system, hold down the Option (⌥) key then right-click the offending app's icon in the Dock and select Force Quit. If the OS is frozen but the mouse cursor still responds, click the Apple () symbol in the upper left corner of the screen and select Restart. Otherwise, try holding down the Control (Ctrl) key and pressing the power button. If the system shutdown dialog appears, select Restart from the available options.
On MacBooks with physical function (F1–F12) keys, the power button is the key in the upper right corner of the keyboard (if it's an older Mac with an optical drive, this is also the Eject button). On a 2018 ‌MacBook Air‌, the power button is the ‌Touch ID‌ button in the top-right corner of the keyboard, and on a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, it's the ‌Touch ID‌ surface on the rightmost side of the Touch Bar.
How to Force Restart MacBook Pro & Other Models
Press and hold down the Command (⌘) and Control (Ctrl) keys along with the power button (or the ‌Touch ID‌ / Eject button, depending on the Mac model) until the screen goes blank and the machine restarts.
If your MacBook repeatedly freezes and you're unsure what's causing the problem, consider restarting your Mac in Apple Diagnostics mode to check if it's a hardware issue. ClickAway Mac Repair techs can always help you with force restart MacBook Pro and other models if needed.