How to make a Mac ask before saving changes

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-make-a-mac-ask-before-saving-changes/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

4 of 4 steps with real screenshots · 3 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)

App

System Settings

Real screenshots

4 of 4 steps

What we did

Performed: we made the change on our device and show the result

Checked

October 2026

Sources

3 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings….

   On our MacBook Neo it is the second item, below About This Mac.

   Done

2. 

   Click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar

   It is below Appearance. You may need to scroll down the sidebar.

   Then scroll down the page to the Windows group.

   Done

3. 

   Switch on Ask to keep changes when closing documents

   It is the second row of the Windows group, below Prefer tabs when opening documents.

   On our MacBook Neo the switch was off until we turned it on.

   Done

4. 

   Close an edited document and choose what to do

   The Mac now asks before keeping your changes. Click Save to keep them, Revert Changes to undo them since the last save, or Cancel to go back.

   On our MacBook Neo, TextEdit asked: Do you want to save the changes made to the document "Test.txt"?

   Done

If you do not see this option

• Your Mac has System Preferences Apple's guide for macOS Monterey 12 says Ask to keep changes when closing documents is a tick box in System Preferences, General. Source: Change Desktop & Dock settings on Mac · Source: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac · Source: Change General preferences on Mac
• The Windows group is not in view Apple lists Windows after the Dock, Desktop & Stage Manager and Widgets groups, so scroll down the Desktop & Dock page. On our MacBook Neo it sits just above the Mission Control group. Source: Change Desktop & Dock settings on Mac · Source: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac · Source: Change General preferences on Mac
• Desktop & Dock is not in the sidebar Scroll down the sidebar. On our MacBook Neo it is between Appearance and Displays.

If this does not work

• The changes were already kept Apple says to choose File, Revert To, then Last Opened, or Browse All Versions to pick an older version. Source: Change Desktop & Dock settings on Mac · Source: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac · Source: Change General preferences on Mac
• You want both versions Apple says to hold Option and click Restore a Copy when browsing versions, or hold Option and choose File, Save As. Source: Change Desktop & Dock settings on Mac · Source: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac · Source: Change General preferences on Mac
• The app never saved by itself Apple says many apps save versions as you work, not all of them. In an app that does not, this switch changes nothing. Source: Change Desktop & Dock settings on Mac · Source: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac · Source: Change General preferences on Mac

About this guide

Many Mac apps save your changes automatically when you close a document, even if you were only trying something out. A switch in Desktop & Dock makes the Mac ask first.

Screenshots: MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1, dark mode.

Good to know

Prefer tabs when opening documents, the row above, decides when documents open in a tab and not in a new window: Never, Always or In Full Screen. On our MacBook Neo it was set to In Full Screen.

In short: Apple menu > System Settings… > Desktop & Dock > Windows > Ask to keep changes when closing documents on.