Learn how to access the hidden Library folder in your Home folder on your Mac so you can tweak app settings and access app files.
Inside the home folder on your Mac is a Library folder that stores app-specific files and settings, personal settings, and some data. The files and settings in the Library folder should be left alone for the most part. But, you may want to tweak the settings for an app, which may require accessing the Library folder. Or, maybe an app backs up data to the Library folder and you want to copy that to an external drive.
Problem to be Solved You’ve got a great backup of your OSX computer, and you need to get something back from the Library folder, say something in the Application Support subfolder. These instructions will show you how to do unhide the User Library folder on the. Hold down the Alt (Option) key when using the Go menu. The user Library folder is listed below the current user's home directory. Note: After you open the Library folder, you can drag the Library icon from the top of that window to the Dock, sidebar, or toolbar to make it readily accessible.
As of Mac OS X Lion (10.7), the Library folder in your home folder is hidden by default. That doesn’t mean you can’t get to it. It’s hidden so you don’t accidentally delete settings and data, damaging apps in the process. So, if you decide you want to access the Library folder, be very careful.
Today we’re going to cover different ways of accessing the hidden Library folder in your home folder and how to make it permanently available in Finder.
What is the Path to the Library Folder?
The Library in your home folder is written as ~/Library. The tilde (~) character is a shortcut for your home directory. For example, on my Mac, that would expand to /Users/lorikaufman/Library.
Access the Library Folder Using the Go to Folder Option
If you want to access the Library folder only occasionally, you can use the Go to Folder option in Finder.
Open Finder or just click on the desktop. Head to Go > Go to Folder, or hit Cmd + Shift + G.
Type:~/Library in the Go to the folder box on the dialog box and click Go or press Enter.
If you have one or more Finder windows open, the Library folder opens in the currently active window. If no Finder windows are open, a new one opens to the Library folder.
Access the Library Folder Using the Terminal
If you prefer using the command line, you can access the Library folder using the Terminal.
Go to Utilities > Terminal in the Applications folder. To access the Library folder directly in the Terminal, type:cd ~/Library at the prompt to switch to the Library folder.
You can type:ls at the prompt to get a detailed folder listing. You can work with the files in the Library folder directly on the command line. Just be careful.
You can also use the Terminal to open the Library folder in a Finder window. Type:open ~/Library at the prompt and hit Enter.
Access the Hidden Library Menu Option in Finder
The Library folder is available on the Go menu in Finder, but it doesn’t show on the menu by default.
To temporarily show the Library option on the Go menu, open the menu and press the Option key. The Library folder shows up between Home and Computer on the Go menu. Keep the Option key pressed while you move your mouse down the menu and select Library.
If you’re using a Windows keyboard with your Mac, press the Alt key.
Show the Library Folder Permanently in Finder
If you access the Library folder often, you can permanently show the Library option on the Go menu and the Library folder in your Home folder.
Open Finder and head to your Home folder using the left pane or by pressing Cmd + Shift + H. Then, go to View > Show View Options, or hit Cmd + J.
A dialog box displays with options you can set for your Home folder. Check the Show Library Folder box at the bottom of the dialog box. The Library folder now shows up in your Home folder in Finder windows and the Library option becomes permanently available on the Go menu.
When you permanently show the Library folder in Finder, you can hit Cmd + Shift + L to open it in a Finder window, in addition to selecting the Library option on the Go menu.
Happy Tweaking, But Be Careful
The Library folder is hidden by default for a good reason. So, before tweaking settings and changing files in the Library folder, make sure you know what you’re doing.
Dec 23,2019 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Just like other operating systems, Mac OS also hides some files from users. In general, this is reasonable to protect crucial files from being deleted and protecting macOS from being damaged. But, sometimes you may need to view hidden files such as for troubleshooting purpose or you want to wipe out junk files on your Mac. Fortunately, you can easily view hidden files on Mac and there are numerous methods to do that.
Part 1. Overview of Mac Hidden Files
Before you learn how to find hidden files on Mac, you need to first understand what hidden files are actually, and what makes them hidden from you.
1. What Are the Hidden Files on Mac?
Hidden files on Mac are those files hidden from the eye of users. Even though these files are hidden or invisible to you, the way they take up memory on Mac is the same normal files do. Apple hides files, such as caches, logs, preferences, and other files of apps and macOS system by default.
Most of the hidden files are stored in the Library folder. This folder contains your application-support files and personal data. You will see “.” in front of every hidden file name. You can’t view them until you modify your Mac system to see them manually.
Moreover, there are also some special apps that enable you to hide normal files so that you can protect them from unauthorized access.
There are a lot of users who may hide some files and afterward, forget about those files. Sometimes, they fail to realize how much invisible files present on their Mac system. Nevertheless, have you ever wondered why some files are hidden from you on Mac by Apple?
2. What Make the Files Hidden or Invisible?
There are a number of reasons why Apple hides some files on Mac. Here, we are going to mention six common ones you need to know:
- The first and foremost reason why Apple hides files from you is to protect them from being damaged by inaccurate operations.
- Sometimes, you accidentally delete some important files when you are trying to free up storage space on your Mac. That’s why core system files are hidden to protect them from accidental deletion or human error.
- Unlike other files such as photos and videos, there are some system related files on Mac and if they do any changes in those files, then it can stop your Mac system to function properly. That’s why these files are invisible to you.
- Another reason why some files are hidden because if they were all visible to you, then your Mac would appear to be horribly cluttered.
So, keep in mind that modifications of these files can be quite dangerous as it can seriously damage your Mac system or lose your data. However, there are also lots of files and data from previously-removed applications that are useless now, and still taking up useless storage space on your Mac. That’s why we come up with this guide to help you to view invisible files on Mac.
Four Ways to Show Hidden Files on Mac
There are a lot of methods available out there to view invisible files on Mac. But, here we are going to mention the easiest methods to show hidden files on Mac. You can choose any of the below-mentioned methods as per your choice.
1. Use Keyboard Shortcut to View Hidden Files on Mac
Modern versions of macOS provide an easy and super-fast way to view invisible files on Mac, and all you have to do is to use Keyboard shortcut.
If you are using macOS high Sierra, macOS Sierra or above, then you can easily show hidden files on Mac with a keystroke and you can hide them again with another strike too. Using the keyboard shortcut for Show Hidden files is quite simple and here is how you can do it:
- To start with, go to the folder where you think hidden files present from Finder of your Mac.
- After that, you need to press “Command + Shift + Period” to toggle to view hidden files.
You can hide files again using the same keyboard shortcut that you used to show the hidden files. And if you are using Mac version earlier than OS Sierra, then try the next methods to show invisible files on Mac.
2. Use the Finder to See Hidden Files on Mac
With the help of keyboard shortcut, you can easily view the hidden files on your Mac. There is also another easiest way to see hidden files, and it is using the Finder.
- To start with, open Finder.
- Next, you need to hold down “Alt (Option)” and select “Go” from the drop-down menu.
- Now, you will view the hidden ~/Library folder
In this way, the hidden ~/Library folder will remain visible to you until you close Finder window. With keyboard shortcut, hidden files will remain visible until you again press “Cmd + Shift + Period”. But, you can also keep the invisible ~/Library folder always visible. All you have to do is to drag the invisible Library icon from Finder window to Finder sidebar.
3. Use Terminal to Show Hidden Files on Mac
Another method to show hidden folders on Mac is using the terminal. Well, Terminal is a command-line interface of Mac OS and it is included within macOS by default, and let you use command prompt or cmd so that you can control your Mac system. If you are already familiar with how to use Terminal, it is quite easy and straightforward to show hidden files on Mac using Terminal.
Follow the below steps on to carry out the process for Mac terminal show hidden files:
- To commence the process, run Terminal. You can do it using Spotlight search or from “Finder”>” Utilities”.
- Next, you need to type in: “defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE”. Next, press Enter and after that, you need to type: “killall Finder”. And press Enter.
- Now, you are done and your hidden files will be visible.
Mac User Library Folder Missing
This command executes two tasks. The first part before True changes a setting in macOS to show all hidden files automatically. And the second one “killall Finder” restarts the Finder and refresh to show all hidden files. If you want to hide the files again, then all you have to do is to run the same command, but you need to change “true” to “false” value.
4. Use Recoverit to Recover Invisible Files on Mac
What if all above methods fail to find desired hidden files you’re looking for on your Mac? All you need to do is to use Recoverit Data Recovery Mac, easy-to-use data recovery software that can help you to recover invisible files on your Mac with ease and high success rate. It is known as one of the most reliable data recovery tools that can recover data on all Mac OS X, which include macOS Mojave and other Mac versions too. With the help of it, you can recover various types of files, such as photos, videos, audios, etc.
Whenever you experience a data loss situation, Recoverit will help you to retrieve it. This data recovery software will come in handy even when you’ve never made a backup of your device. You now know how to partition Mac hard drive and unpartition it. But knowing how you can recover the lost or deleted files from the drive is also necessary.
Invisible Library Folder Mac Version
Part 3. How to Find and Recover Hidden Files on Mac?
Finding and recovering hidden files on Mac with Recoverit data recovery software is quite easy and it can be done within three easy steps. But, you need to first download and install the software on your computer and afterward, follow the below steps on how to find hidden photos on Mac:
Step 1: Select a Location
Invisible Library Folder Mac Os
Launch the software and select the drive from where the data files are lost. If you don’t know which drive to search, tap on the “I can’t find my partition” option and hit the Start button.
Step 2: Scan the Location
Typically, the software will run an All-Around Recovery scan and search for the lost and deleted files on the entire drive.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
When the scan completes, the files will be listed on the screen. The software will sort out the files according to format to make the search easier. You can select multiple files at a time and have a preview at them.
That’s how you can show hidden items Mac with the help of Recoverit. The software will sure to find your desired hidden files so that you can have it back again on your Mac.
Hopefully, this guide helps Mac users who have reported that all my files are gone on Mac. There are good common measures to locate disappeared files on Mac. If you are unable to find your desired files even after using common methods, then Recoverit is here to help you. This data recovery tool for Mac can locate and recover lost, missing or disappeared files within a few minutes.
What's Wrong with Mac
- Recover Your Mac
- Fix Your Mac
- Delete Your Mac
- Learn Mac Hacks