• How To Find Library Folder On Mac El Capitan
• How To Find Library Folder On Mac Mojave
• How To Find Library Folder On Macbook Pro
• How To Locate Library Folder On Mac

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 operating system's hidden parts, access private folders, and do other things 99% of Mac users can't. Now, let's 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, but people could also too easily alter settings that proved important, and therefore, difficult to fix. how to download a song from youtube 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 regularly.

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 reason you need access to the Library, I suggest eliminating it with CleanMyMac first. I have used it to clean my drive in the past, 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.

Mac - Find the Library Folder Apple hides the Library folder to prevent any possibility of accidental damage to the system files in contains. However, in the event that these files do need to be changed, it is useful to know how to access the Library folder. We’re here to help! Here’s where to find the default desktop wallpapers on Mac. Navigate to the Desktop Pictures folder. Open Finder on your Mac and do one of the following to open the Desktop Pictures folder. 1) Click Go Go to Folder from the menu bar. There are a couple of methods for making your /Library folder visible. Here’s the simplest: Click on the Finder in the Dock. Open a new Finder window and navigate to your user folder (Tip: if it’s not in the sidebar, go to the Finder menu, choose Preferences, click Sidebar and check the box next to your Home folder). This is how to locate your library Folder on macOS & Mac OS X Code: /Library.

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, we recommend going this route to 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 Library access.

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

How To Find Library Folder On Mac El Capitan

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 the Option key while you are in the 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. 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 the Shift + Command + Period again.

#4: How else to see hidden space on Mac?

Now, if space and 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!

System cleanup in one click

Checking your storage on Mac isn't difficult – but managing it can be. One of the more curious storage compartments is the 'other' storage on Mac, which sounds like a catch-all for files that can't be labeled properly.

And that's sort of true! But the other volumes in container can get full, and reduce the Mac storage Other space for your Mac. And keep in mind there's no 'how to get rid of other on Mac' option; the partition isn't there to delete totally. Here we'll show you how to check your other space, and offer guidance on managing it.

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How to Check Storage on Mac

This will be quick! Just follow these directions:

• Click the Apple logo on the top left of the menu bar
• Select 'About This Mac'
• Choose 'Storage'

And there you go! That's the simple way to check the storage available on your Mac. Now, do you see that 'Manage…' button on the right-hand side of the window? Click it!

Depending on how you use your Mac and what apps you run, that 'other' category could be taking up quite a bit of space, and you could free it up very easily — potentially saving yourself from having to buy additional storage.

View and Manage the Other space on Mac

The next window you arrive at shows how Apple manages your system memory. In macOS Sierra, Apple added a default feature named 'Optimize' that helps balance the load between cloud storage and on-device memory use. As you can see in the window (below), 'System' and 'Other' are greyed-out.

This is because the other space is tricky to manage, and required digging into the Library on your Mac. As we cautioned in our article on deleting apps from your Mac, foraging through Library is a tad frightening, so proceed with caution.

But what is other on Mac? In essence, it's caches, plug-ins, and documents macOS wants to keep around. Here's how to open Library, so we can start to discover what 'other' is on Mac:

• Open Finder
• Select 'Go' from menu
• Hold down 'option' key on keyboard; you should see a new option for 'Library'
• While holding down the option key, select 'Library'

You'll see a Library folder in the list. Click it to see all your apps and associated files. There are also folders with names like 'Caches.'

We can't caution you enough: if you're not sure what it is you're looking for, don't delete it – and remember you can't delete Other on Mac entirely. There's a reason Apple hides the Library; small changes can have deep, lasting effects.

How To Find Library Folder On Mac Mojave

But, if you know what needs deleting, this is where you'll find it. If you're positive an app's files or plugins need to go, this is where you'll find them. Simply right-click the folder or file you want gone, and select 'move to trash.' Then empty the trash can, and you're done. This is how you remove files from the Other storage category.

But that's scary stuff. We have a better way

The Best Way to Reduce Other Storage on Mac

Apple's Optimize service is great for Macs with tons of on-board storage, mostly because those machines need very little interaction when it comes to managing files and storage space.

The best option is to find a file manager you can control. ForkLift is a really solid option that brands itself as a replacement for Finder – and it's not wrong. You can connect multiple servers (FTP, SFTP, Amazon S3, AFP, WebDAV, SMB, and NFS), and archive unnecessary files or folders. Like Finder, it has a preview for files you're accessing, and also lets you compare files so you can delete duplicates as needed.

A much more robust method is with CleanMyMacX. This app is almost a must-have for any Mac owner. It managed files, folders, apps, extensions, updates, mail attachments, and the trash bin. But it's core function is to make sure your Mac is optimized, and it does an amazing job.

Reduce storage with CMM X

Install CleanMyMac X and forget about manual storage cleaning. The app wipes away all junk from your Mac in seconds.

With CleanMyMacX, all you have to do is activate its Smart Scan feature. It discovers unnecessary files for you, and optimizes your Mac for speedier performance. It even makes sure your Mac has no malware!

Trusting CleanMyMacX to do its job correctly is never a question, but you can dig deeper if you like. Once a smart scan is complete, you can select 'review details' under the Cleanup task before you select 'run.' In this details log, you'll see two main categories: system junk, and trash bins.

System Junk is where those pesky cache files are, along with log files. You can choose 'show' to see which caches CleanMyMacX is getting rid of, too.

Conclusion

The one thing to remember about other storage on Mac is it's not always going to vanish. Your Mac stores all kinds of things there, like application support and font files. You need that stuff – and is again why we caution you not to simply clear out everything in your Library that doesn't immediately resonate.

But you don't always need caches, and cleaning your files manually can take a long time. When you're ready to clear 'Other' on Mac, it's almost always because you want it to run smoother, or stay running at optimal performance levels.

This is why we advocate for apps like ForkLift and CleanMyMacX. Even if you want the more manual controls ForkLift offers, its ease of use makes storage management faster and easier.

How To Find Library Folder On Macbook Pro

We think most will find value in CleanMyMacX, too. Its simple one-click optimization makes system maintenance a breeze!

Best of all, both ForkLift and CleanMyMacX are available free as part of a seven day trial of Setapp. In addition to these apps, you get access to dozens of other handy macOS apps!

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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How To Locate Library Folder On Mac