Simple Ways to Quit Telnet on Windows, Mac, & Linux

Press Ctrl+] on your keyboard. Whether you're using telnet on Windows, macOS, or Linux, pressing Ctrl + ] when connected to a server via telnet brings you back to the telnet> prompt.

Type close. Alternatively, you can type quit or q—any of these three commands will work.

Press Enter or ⏎ Return. This exits telnet and returns you to the prompt in Command Prompt or Terminal. If you tried to telnet to a host and the connection is hanging, you may just see ^] on the screen when you press Ctrl + ]. In this case, you can either wait for the connection to time out, or exit telnet by closing the Command Prompt or Terminal window.