Find the Library Folder on a Mac

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Starting in Mac OS 10.7 Lion, Apple hides the User Library folder to prevent accidental damage to system files. If you need to make changes to these files, there are several ways to reveal the Library folder again. Remember that the Library folder is for "behind the scenes" files only, not for storing documents.

Steps

Using the Go Menu

  1. Switch to Finder. Click the Finder icon in your dock, or click anywhere on your desktop. This will give you access to the Finder menus on the top bar.
    • This method should work on any version of Mac OS X with a hidden Library. This includes 10.7 Lion, 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.9 Mavericks, 10.10 Yosemite, and 10.11 El Capitan.[1][2][3]
  2. Open the Go menu. Click Go in the top menu. Leave this menu open for the next step.
  3. Hold down the Option key. While this key is held down, the Library option should appear in the Go menu.
  4. Select Library. If you have a Finder window (folder) open, it will move to the contents of the Library folder. Otherwise, they will appear in a new Finder window.

Using the Go Command

  1. Visit Finder. Click the Finder icon in your dock, or click anywhere on your desktop. This gives you access to the Go command, which should work in any version of Mac OS X.
  2. Select Go to Folder from the top menu. Click Go in the top menu, then Go to Folder. A text box will appear where you can type in folder names.
    • You can also reach this command by pressing ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + G.
  3. Type in ~/Library. Type in ~/Library and hit Enter. You should now see the files inside the Library folder.
    • You must include the initial ~/ symbols, which tells the computer to look in the files for the current user.
    • The tilde key ~ is located in the top left corner of most keyboards. If you can't find it, copy-paste from this article.

Revealing the Library Permanently (10.9 and Later)

  1. Check your Mac OS version number. This method only works on Mac OS 10.9 Mavericks, 10.10 Yosemite, and 10.11 El Capitan.[4][5] You can check your version number by clicking the apple icon in the left corner of the top menu, then selecting About this Mac.
  2. Navigate to the Home folder. Open a new folder in Finder, then click the image of a house on the left, named after your username. If this image is not there, click Go in the top menu and select Home.
  3. Show View Options. While centered on this folder, select View → Show View Options from the top menu.
    • You can also input this command by pressing ⌘ Command + J.
  4. Check the box next to Show Library Folder. In the popup window that appears, find the box next to Show Library Folder. Click this box to permanently show the Library folder.
    • This option will only show up if you are centered on your Home folder. If you don't see it, leave the window open while you return to the Home folder, as described above.

Revealing the Library Permanently (10.7 and Later)

  1. Open Terminal. Open Applications → Utilities &rarr Terminal. From here you can show the Library in any version of Mac OS X from 10.7 onward. This method is most commonly used in 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion, which do not have access to the other permanent solution above.
  2. Type in the command to show the Library. Type chflags nohidden ~/Library into the Terminal window, exactly as it appears.[6]
  3. Hit Enter. This command should take effect as soon as you hit Enter to submit the command. Visit your Home folder ("Home" in the Finder's Go menu) and look for Library.
    • If you change your mind, return to Terminal and enter chflags hidden ~/Library to hide it again.

Tips

  • For most purposes you'll want the user Library described above, but your computer does have two additional Library folders. One is at the root level of your hard drive, and one is in the System folder.[7] These hold computer-wide files, and are only visible to administrator accounts. Do not change their contents unless you know what you are doing.
  • Installing a system update can hide a revealed Library again. Once you reveal it again, it should stay visible until the next update.[8]

Warnings

  • Do not move, rename, or delete anything inside the Library folder unless you know what it does.
  • The Library folder is not for storing documents. If you're looking for photos, music, or similar files, find the folder with the name of your username instead. You can get there by clicking the Finder icon in your dock, then selecting Go → Home in the top menu.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.macworld.com/article/1161156/view_library_folder_in_lion.html
  2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18928?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US
  3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/kb/PH22036?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
  4. ↑ http://kecodoc.com/access-the-user-library-folder-in-mac-os-x/
  5. ↑ http://www.macworld.com/article/2057221/how-to-view-the-library-folder-in-mavericks.html
  6. ↑ http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-reveal-your-library-folder-in-lion-or-mountain-lion--mac-31972
  7. ↑ http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-reveal-your-library-folder-in-lion-or-mountain-lion--mac-31972
  8. ↑ http://www.macworld.com/article/2057221/how-to-view-the-library-folder-in-mavericks.html
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