Apple didn’t want us to see that folder — period! But if for some reason you NEEDED to get to the folder, there were a few other ways to get to it. I’m here today to let you know Apple has hidden a NEW way of unhiding the User Library folder, and I must say well done and hallelujah! How To: Unhide User Library Folder Mac OS 10.9 Mavericks. I am running out of storage space on my 2011 MacBook Air. I was thinking I should clean up before I contemplate adding more storage. I notice though, that while I have 30 GB in /Documents, 2 in /Movies, 10 /Pictures, I also have 70 GB in the /Library folder. What can I safely delete (if anything), and what is the best method to delete from this folder? How to view a Mac's /Library folder. There are three ways to easily view your hidden /Library/ folder. In macOS Sierra Apple added a Finder keyboard shortcut that makes it possible to quickly. Ever since Lion (OS X 10.7), Apple has hidden your personal Library folder (/Library) by default. In Lion and Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8), you could make the folder visible, but it required some work. Jan 12, 2020 You can access the hidden Library folder without using Terminal, which has the side effect of revealing every hidden file on your Mac. This method will only make the Library folder visible, and only for as long as you keep the Finder window for the Library folder open.
Starting with Lion, you’ll need to enable the User’s Library folder in order to make any changes in your User’s Library/Preferences.
Option 1)
Select the Finder in the Dock. Under Go in the Menu bar > hold down the Option key and you’ll see the Library.
Option 2)
Open the Terminal and type
chflags nohidden /Users/[username]/Library/
Return key to activate
Option 3)
Starting with Mavericks, Apple gave us a new option to turn on the User’s Library folder.
To toggle this option on, simply open a new Finder window and go to your home folder. Then press Command-J or choose “Show View Options” from the View menu. When done, you should see an option to “Show Library Folder” among other view options, which can be checked to reveal the Library folder.
On this page:
Context
InstructionsMethod 1: Using the Finder's Go menuDisplay Library Folder On Mac Computer![]()
Your Library folder will open and you can use it as you normally would. Note that it will not be visible when you close the folder window, but you can always get to it again using Option-Go. This method will always work and requires no system modification.
Method 2: Using the Favorites section in the Sidebar
Finder windows have a sidebar with a list of Favorites, Devices, and other items. (Hint: if the Sidebar is not visible for you in Finder windows, select Show Sidebar from the View menu in the Finder.) If you use the Library folder frequently you can add it to your Sidebar like this:
It will stay there even if you close the Library folder, and you can quickly jump to it by clicking on the favorite. If you ever need to remove it, you can Ctrl-Click on the icon in the Sidebar and select Remove from Sidebar.
![]() Unhide Library Folder On MacbookMethod 3: Using a Terminal command to 'unhide' the Library folder
Caveat to the Terminal command method
While it quickly restores the Library folder to its pre-Lion behavior, Apple's system updates will revert the folder to 'hidden' and you will have to run the command after a system update to unhide it again. This can be quite cumbersome. To avoid this and to fully embrace the Apple lifestyle, we recommend you stick with the Go menu or Sidebar methods described previously.
Method 4: Using a Terminal command to make a persistant alias
There is another option that is persistent after OS X updates. Launch Terminal and run the following command:
This will make an alias in your home directory titled 'LibrarE' that will take you to the ~/Library folder. Note the intentional butchering of the word 'LibrarE'; you can change 'LibrarE' to anything other than 'Library'.
Advanced tip: make it permanent
If you are a rebel at heart and refuse to play by Apple's rules, you can save command to a file and add it to your login items, so it will be run whenever you log in. A system update usually requires a logout and log in, so the Library folder will be automatically unhidden again after a system update. Note that this requires some familiarity with the command line and editing text files using a text editor such as BBEdit, TextWrangler, oremacs; or at least knowing how to save as plain text from Word or Notepad.
No Library Folder On Mac
Show Library Folder Mac Catalina
Exercise to the reader: there may be a better way to run a shell command at user level at the time of graphical login. If you know of one, please do mention it in the comments!
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