The Library folder for the users on a Mac is always hidden as Apple just doesn’t want you to access it as it thinks you don’t need access to it. However, macOS does provide an option to see this folder and access its contents, but you should only do that if you know what you are doing as a single mistake may mess-up everything in there.
2020-4-4 In this Tip's N Tricks article, I want to point out a very important tip for getting around one of Apple's more peculiar security precautions in Mac OS X Lion and Mountain Lion. By default, the User Library folder is hidden in Mac OS 10.7 and above. We'll cover a few different methods to easily access this hidden folder. OS X Lion: Where did my Library go? In OS X the user Library folder is a common resource for troubleshooting, but in Lion it may appear to be missing.
We already have a guide that shows how you can quickly access the Library folder on your Mac, but what it doesn’t do is it doesn’t let you unhide the folder. That way, you can access the folder, but it will not always be visible in the file explorer – the Finder app – on your Mac.
So, if you really want to open the Library folder using the Finder quickly, you can’t do as the folder is not visible anywhere in the app. If you happen to access the folder occasionally, you should not have any issues as you can just use any temporary method to get access to the folder, however, if you happen to use the folder now and then, you will need a permanent solution to quickly accessing the folder.
In the guide below, we’re going to show you how you can unhide the Library folder on your Mac. That way, the folder will start to appear in the Finder beside the other folders, and you should be able to access it with a single click.
If that’s what you would like to do, here’s all you need to do to get that:
Using the Shift key to Launch the Folder
One of the ways to access the Library folder is to use the Shift key. When you hold down Shift on your keyboard, some extra options appear in your regular menus that let you access to some special content such as the Library folder.
Here’s how to use this method:
Get inside a Finder window so that you can access its options. Going to your Mac’s desktop is the best way to do that.
Once you are on the desktop of your Mac, you should see the Finder options on the top of your screen. What you need to do is find the menu labeled as “Go” and click on it.
As you can see above, the Library folder just doesn’t exist there although it does exist on your system. To enable it in this menu, hold down the “Shift” key on your keyboard, and the folder will appear in the menu. Clicking on the folder will take you to the current user account’s Library folder.
So, that was a nice way of accessing the Library folder as all it needed was a press on the Shift key and you were ready to go.
Unhiding the Library Folder Permanently on Your Mac
While the method above lets you access the Library folder for your user account, the option for the folder will go away as soon as let go of the Shift key. If you would like for the option to continue to be there, you need to do the following procedure to make it stick there:
Go to the desktop area of your Mac so that you are inside a Finder window.
Click on the “Go” menu at the top and select the option that says “Go to Folder.” This option allows you to jump to any directory on your Mac and you just have to input the path to the directory.
Enter in the following path into the box on your screen and hit “Go” to go there. Make sure to replace Mahesh with the username of your Mac’s account.
/Users/Mahesh/
When the user folder opens, and you can see your files, click on the “View” menu at the top of your screen and it will reveal the Finder’s view options. Click on the option that says “Show View Options” to see the settings that control what should be shown in the Finder windows. Alternatively, you can press the “Command + J” key combination to access the option.
How To Go To Library Folder On Mac Laptop
The view options will appear on your screen, and you can now modify them however you want. What we’re interested in is the option that says “Show Library Folder.” You need to checkmark this option and it will make the Library folder to appear in the regular menu of the Finder app. Just checkmark the box and close the panel.
From now on, you should be able to access the Library folder from any window of the Finder app. To do that, you just have to pull down the Go menu and click on “Library,” and you should be inside the Library folder for your user account.
So, that was a permanent method to enable the Library folder in the Finder menu on your Mac. The option for accessing the folder should now always be visible in the Finder, and you are just a click away from getting to that folder on your machine.
Unhiding the Library Folder Using Terminal on Your Mac
Another way to enable the Library folder in the Finder is to use a command in the Terminal app. The command does exactly what you did in the above section, but this uses fewer steps as you just have to enter the command in the Terminal app and hit Enter and you are all set. Here’s how to do that:
Launch the Terminal app on your Mac by clicking on Launchpad in the Dock and searching for and clicking on “Terminal.” The app should launch.
When Terminal launches, type in the following command and press Enter.
chflags nohidden ~/Library/
As soon as you press Enter, the command will get executed, and it will unhide the Library folder in the Finder menus on your Mac.
You are all set.
So, above were some of the ways to access the Library folder on your Mac. The last two methods let you permanently enable the folder in the Finder, so you don’t need to hold down Shift key or do anything else to access the folder as the folder is now always visible in the Finder menus.
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Some parts of your macOS are closed to visitors. Every new macOS update makes it harder for ordinary users to manipulate system-critical components. But 'harder' doesn't mean impossible. With tips we've laid out in this article you can get into the hidden parts of the operating system, access private folders, and do other things 99% of Mac users can't. Now, let's go break some rules.
Access private folders on a Mac (Library)
Since 2011 the Library folder was closed from regular access. Not only was this a security risk from cyber attacks and viruses, people could too easily alter settings that proved important, and therefore, difficult to fix. However, this Library folder often proves an invaluable source of troubleshooting for those who are confident and comfortable accessing the app files contained within.
For Mac power users, you may have heard the expression to “Delete the application's plist”, which is only something you can do with access to the Library folder. If you've never heard of this before, you might have been lucky with the applications you've been using. The Library folder is also a useful place to make customizable tweaks and changes to applications and programs you use on a regular basis.
How To Go To Library Folder On Mac Pro
So if this sounds like something you need access to, we outline three ways we recommend to gain access.
Before you do that: are you trying to access some infected folder or a suspicious app? If that is one of the reasons you need access to the Library, I suggest to eliminate it with CleanMyMac first. In the past I have used it to clean my drive and it got rid of a nasty trojan virus in my system folders. Give it a try here — a link to download a free edition.
Pro Tip: This app also detects private Large & Old folders on your Mac, those rarely visited by you.
Now, if you want to make space and improve the performance of apps manually, here are the three ways you can access the Library
#1: Make the Library permanently visible
Before you try this, are you familiar with the Terminal? It's not that scary as it looks.
If you are, then we recommend going this route as it will provide permanent uncovered access to the Library. It will save you a whole load of time if you want and need 24/7 access. But only do this if you are perfectly comfortable and familiar using the Terminal. Making mistakes within Terminal can break things and cause problems that you would rather not have, which is the same for anyone who needs access to Library.
Here is how you make the Library visible all of the time:
(1) Launch Terminal, which you can find in /Applications/Utilities
(2) Enter this command in Terminal: chflags nohidden ~/Library
(3) Click Return. Make sure the command is executed.
(4) Quit Terminal. Library should be visible in the Finder > Go menu
If you ever want to restore this to how it was before enter the following command in Terminal: chflags hidden ~/Library
Click Return again and it should be back to how it was.
If you still don't see the Library, try pressing Option key while you are in Finder > Go menu.
#2: Temporarily unhide the Library
As we mentioned, the use of Terminal — and Library — can cause things to break unexpectedly, which might mean involving an Apple specialist to fix an unexpected problem. So whenever possible, Apple prefers people to do things the way they suggest and there is a suggested Apple way to make the Library visible, albeit temporarily.
(1) Either using Desktop or the Finder Menu, hold down the option key and select the Go menu.
(2) Library should show up in the Go menu
(3) Double-click on Library, which will open a Finder window containing the contents of that folder;
(4) Once you close that window, the Library folder will be hidden again.
#3: Unhide any private folder instantly
Luckily, macOS developers provided a shortcut to access private folders on Mac. Be careful with that one as you may delete something critically important (no wonder they hid it).
Press Shift+ Command + Period (a key for period character)
Did it work? Now you can browse the transparent folders, hopefully, you'll find what you're looking for. To undo this option, press Shift + Command + Period again.
#4: How else to see hidden space on Mac?
Now, if space and the performance issues are troubling you, there is a better way of getting under the hood than accessing a private folder on Mac. Using external tools like CleanMyMac X you can quickly spot what is going on in your Mac. For example the mentioned app has the Space Lens feature. What it does is builds a visual map of your storage so you can zoom in/out and enter any folder you want. It will show you what is taking up so much room. It also shows folders you normally don't have access to.
I downloaded the app's free edition here.
Once you’ve got this information, you can safely delete anything you don't need and go to unexplored places on your Mac. Stay tuned!