> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nuvolos.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nuvolos.com/how-to-guides/common-workflows/stopping-an-application.md).

# Stopping an Application

<mark style="color:$primary;">**Outcome**</mark>\
You stop a running application to free resources and (on credit-based sizes) stop accumulating Credit charges.

<mark style="color:$primary;">**Before you start**</mark>

* You have at least one running application you want to stop.

Stopping applications when you are done is good resource hygiene: you free up the resources allocated to your organisation, stop accumulating Credit charges on credit-based sizes, and (in courses) free up application slots for other students. There are four ways to stop an application - pick whichever is convenient.

### Stop from the Dashboard

On the Dashboard, the three most recently used applications are always listed. Hover over the power button - you can enter the instance the application is in, open the application directly, or stop it.

### Stop from the application view of an instance

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Navigate to the space containing the instance where the application is.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Navigate to the instance.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Make sure you are on the **Current state**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
On the sidebar, click the screen icon (applications) to see the application list.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
If the power button is green, the application is running. Click the power button to stop it.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Stop from the sidebar

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Inside the instance with running applications, the sidebar shows icons for all currently running applications.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Hover over the application you want to stop.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Choose **Stop** from the menu that pops up.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Stop from the Running Applications header menu

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
While you are not inside an application, the top header menu is always visible.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Locate the screen icon labelled **Running applications**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
The list of your currently running applications opens as a dropdown.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Click the **Stop** icon next to the application you want to close.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Student applications are stopped automatically after 1 hour of inactivity. Researcher and instructor applications follow defaults of 6 hours (Included sizes) and 1 hour (credit-based sizes) in research spaces. The auto-stop covers you if you forget - but on credit-based GPU sizes, credits continue to accumulate during the idle hour. Stop explicitly when possible.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**For students on GPU Lab Sessions** - do **not** stop your GPU-enabled application yourself during a lab session. The system shuts down all student applications at the end of the session automatically. If you stop it manually during a session, you will not be able to start it again until the next session - this is intentional.
{% endhint %}