The invisible Library subfolder of your Home folder is the repository of everything that OS X needs to customize your Mac to your tastes. If you want to add something to a Library folder, it’s usually best to add it to your Home/Library folder.
You won’t spend much time (if any) adding things to the Library folder or moving them around within it, and that’s probably why it’s now hidden from sight. Still, it’s a good idea for you to know what’s in your Home/Library.
Explore the world of Mac. Check out MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and more. Visit the Apple site to learn, buy, and get support. But rest assured, regardless of your version of OS X, your personal Library folder is right where it’s always been, at the root level of your Home folder. It’s just that, starting in Lion, and continuing in Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Yosemite, Apple has made the folder invisible.
The public Library folder is used to specify preferences for all users on this Mac. This Library folder, however, is all about you and your stuff.
Be cautious with all Library folders. OS X is very persnickety about how the folders and files within it are organized. You can add items to and remove items safely from most public or Home Library folders, but leave the folders themselves alone. If you remove or rename the wrong folder, you could render OS X inoperable.
It’s like the old joke about the guy who said to the doctor, “It hurts when I do that,” and the doctor replies, “Then don’t do that.”
To find your hidden Home/Library folder, do this:
Hold down the Option key on your keyboard.
Click the Go menu.
The (formerly) invisible Library folder appears in the Go menu as long as the Option key is pressed.
Select Library and release the mouse button.
You should see several folders in the Home/Library folder; the exact number depends on the software that you install on your Mac. You probably have folders called Mail, Safari, Logs, and Preferences, for example.
If you don’t want to have to do this dance every time you want to open your Home/Library, select your Home folder in the Finder and choose View→Show View Options (or press Command+J). Enable the Show Library Folder check box and your Home Library will be visible evermore (or at least until you deselect the check box).
Some of the most important standard folders in the Library folder include the following:
Application Support: Some applications store their support files here; others store theirs in the main (root-level) public Library folder.
Fonts: This folder is empty until you install your own fonts here. The easiest way to install a font is to double-click its icon and let the Font Book utility handle it for you. Here’s how to install a font manually:
To install a font that only you can use: Drag the font file’s icon to the Fonts folder in your Home/Library. The font is available only to this user account (because other users can’t use fonts stored in yourHome/Library folder).
To install a font for all users of this Mac: Drag the font file’s icon into the Fonts folder in the public Library folder — the one at root level that you see when you open your hard drive’s icon.
Preferences: The files here hold the information about whichever things you customize in OS X or in the applications you run. Whenever you change a system or application preference, that info is saved to a file in the Preferences folder.
Don’t mess with the Preferences folder! You should never need to open or use this folder unless something bad happens — say, you suspect that a particular preferences file has become corrupted (that is, damaged). Just forget that you know about this folder and let it do its job.
If you don’t know why you’re doing something to a folder (other than the Fonts folder) in your Home/Library, don’t do it. There must be some good reasons why Apple decided to hide the Home/Library folder in OS X Yosemite, and one of them is to keep you from accidentally screwing something up.
Before you set up Home Sharing
- Update all of your Apple devices to the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. On your PC, make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes for Windows.
- Connect all of your devices to the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
- Make sure that all of your devices are signed in with the same Apple ID and authorized to play purchases using that Apple ID.
Apps and features might vary by country or region. Learn more about what's available in your country or region.
Set up Home Sharing
Before you can use Home Sharing, you need to set it up on your Mac or PC.
How to set up Home Sharing on your Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Click Sharing.
- Click Media Sharing.
- Select Home Sharing and sign in with your Apple ID. Use the same Apple ID for every computer or device on your Home Sharing network.
- Click Turn On Home Sharing.
How to set up Home Sharing on your PC
- Open iTunes for Windows.
- If you're not signed in, sign in with your Apple ID. Use the same Apple ID for every computer or device on your Home Sharing network.
- From the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window, choose File > Home Sharing > Turn on Home Sharing.
You can use Home Sharing with up to five computers that are connected to your home Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
Use Home Sharing
On your Mac or PC, you can use Home Sharing to see shared libraries from other computers that are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and signed in with the same Apple ID.
To see a shared library from a computer on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV, you need to be signed in with the same Apple ID as the computer and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
On your Mac
You can use Home Sharing to access your media library across computers that are on the same Wi-Fi network. And you can stream music, movies, and TV shows from one authorized computer to another. Just make sure that your computers are powered on, awake, and have the Music app or iTunes for Windows open.
To access your media library:
- Open the Music app.
- If you're not signed in, sign in with your Apple ID. Use the same Apple ID for every computer or device on your Home Sharing network.
- In the sidebar, click Library.
- Click the media library.
To go back to your music library, click Eject in the sidebar.
On your PC
You can use Home Sharing to stream music, movies, and TV shows from one authorized computer to another. Just make sure that your computers are powered on, awake, and have the Music app or iTunes for Windows open.
To see all of your shared libraries, click Music in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
To use Home Sharing to access your computer's media library on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, sign in to Home Sharing on your device:
- To see a music library, go to Settings > Music. To see a video library, go to Settings > TV > iTunes Videos.
- Under Home Sharing, tap Sign In.
- Sign in with your Apple ID. Use the same Apple ID for every computer or device on your Home Sharing network.
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After you sign in, connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer, and open the Music app, Apple TV app, or iTunes for Windows on your computer.
See shared music
- Open the Music app and tap Library.
- Tap Home Sharing. Don't see it? Tap Edit, select Home Sharing, then tap Done.
- Choose a shared library.
See shared videos
- Open the TV app.
- Tap Library.
- Choose a shared library.
On your Apple TV
To use Home Sharing to access your computer's media library on your Apple TV, sign in to Home Sharing on your Apple TV:
- Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Home Sharing.
- Select Turn on Home Sharing.
- Sign in with your Apple ID. Use the same Apple ID for every computer or device on your Home Sharing network.
After you sign in, follow these steps to access your computer's media library on your Apple TV:
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- Connect your Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer.
- On your computer, open the Music app, Apple TV app, or iTunes for Windows.
- On your Apple TV, go to the Home screen, select Computers, and choose a shared library.
You can also view photos from your computer on your Apple TV.
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- On your Mac: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Click Sharing. Click Media Sharing, then select Share Photos with Apple TV.
- On your PC: Open iTunes for Windows. In the menu bar, go to File > Home Sharing, then select Choose Photos to Share with Apple TV.