How-to · Finder for Mac
How to show the library folder in Finder on Mac: steps, shortcuts and fixes
To show the Library folder in Finder on Mac, click the desktop, hold the Option key, and choose Go > Library. To keep it visible in your home folder, choose Go > Home, then View > Show View Options, and tick Show Library Folder.
Quick answer
- Click the desktop, hold Option, open the Go menu and choose Library. This opens your user Library folder once.
- To keep it in view, choose Go > Home, then View > Show View Options and tick Show Library Folder.
- Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G), then type ~/Library and press Return, also works.
- Apple has kept the folder out of normal view since OS X Lion (10.7) to improve security.
What you need
- A Mac with Finder, on Apple silicon or Intel
- A keyboard with an Option key (⌥) and a Command key (⌘)
- Finder as the active app, which you get by clicking the desktop
How to Show the Library folder in Finder on Mac in Finder on a Mac
Make Finder the active app
Click an empty part of the desktop. The Go menu only lists the hidden Library entry while Finder is the active app. Check that the word Finder sits at the left of the menu bar.
Tip: If another app is in front, you will not see Finder's Go menu at all.
Hold Option and open the Go menu
⌥ (hold)
Press and hold the Option key. Click Go in the menu bar while you keep Option down. The Library entry shows up in the list only while Option stays pressed.
Tip: Press Option before you click Go, and keep it pressed until you choose Library.
Choose Library
Click Library while Option is still held. A Finder window opens at your user Library folder, written ~/Library. Check the window title to confirm you are in the user folder.
Open your Home folder
Choose Go > Home. The window now shows your home folder. This is the view where the Show Library Folder setting appears.
Tip: Your home folder has a house icon in the Finder sidebar.
Open Show View Options
⌘J
With the home folder window in front, choose View > Show View Options. Setapp lists ⌘J for this command. Apple's shortcut page does not, so use the menu if the key does nothing.
Tip: Keep the View Options window open while you tick the box.
Tick Show Library Folder
Tick the Show Library Folder checkbox. The Library folder now appears in your home folder window. Untick the box later to hide the folder again.
Tip: Close the View Options window when you are done.
Use Go to Folder next time
⇧⌘G
Press ⇧⌘G, type ~/Library exactly, and press Return. Finder opens the folder without any Option key or View Options step.
Tip: The tilde (~) must be typed. Copy and paste the path if you are unsure.
Why the Library folder is hidden
The Library folder is hidden by default. It sits inside your home folder, and its full path is ~/Library. Apple has kept it out of normal view since OS X Lion (10.7). Eclectic Light reports that the change was made to improve security.
Hidden does not mean locked. You can open it, read it, and change what is inside. The folder holds app preferences, caches, and saved data. Most people never need to touch it, and one wrong move can reset an app or break its settings.
Open the Library folder once from the Go menu
The Go menu is the quickest route. Finder shows the Library entry only while you hold the Option key. Click the desktop first so Finder is the active app. Then hold Option, open Go, and the hidden entry appears in the list.
Keep holding Option until you click Library. If you let go too early, the entry disappears and you start again. The window that opens shows ~/Library. To confirm the location at a glance, see how to show the path bar in Finder on Mac.
Show Library Folder in View Options
If you open Library often, make it stay visible. Choose Go > Home first, so your home folder is in front. Then open View > Show View Options and tick Show Library Folder. Apple's glossary describes this checkbox as the way to keep the folder always visible.
The checkbox only appears when your home folder is the frontmost Finder view. In column view, select a folder inside your home folder first, then open View Options again. TidBITS documented this behavior in July 2025.
Setapp lists ⌘J as the shortcut for View Options. Apple's keyboard shortcut page does not list it. If ⌘J does nothing on your Mac, use the View menu instead.
| Method | Where you start | Stays visible after? |
|---|---|---|
| Go menu with Option | Desktop, Finder active | No, one visit only |
| Show Library Folder checkbox | Home folder window | Yes, until you untick it |
| Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) | Any Finder window | No, one visit only |
| Terminal chflags nohidden | Terminal window | Yes, changes the visibility setting |
Use Go to Folder when you know the path
Go to Folder suits people who already know the path. Press ⇧⌘G, type ~/Library, and press Return. Setapp describes this route. MacRumors describes the same typed path with a Go button, so click Go if Return does nothing on your Mac.
Type the path exactly. A missing tilde (~) or a stray space makes Finder fail to find it. According to Setapp, Go > Recent Folders > Library also works once you have opened the folder before.
Add Library to the Finder sidebar
If you use Library every week, put it in the sidebar. Open Library first, then drag the folder onto the sidebar. Finder keeps it as a shortcut, so the Go menu is no longer needed for that folder.
This method comes from a 2022 Apple Community thread about macOS 12.2. It has not been checked on the newest release, so confirm the item appears after you drop it. Removing a sidebar item does not delete the folder itself.
Use Terminal to open or unhide Library
Terminal suits people who already work there. Run open ~/Library to open the folder in a Finder window. Setapp also lists a command that makes the folder visible for good: chflags nohidden ~/Library/.
Back up your Mac before you run the chflags command, for example with Time Machine. Afterward, relaunch Finder with ⌥⌘Esc, select Finder, and click Relaunch. To hide the folder again, run chflags hidden ~/Library/ and relaunch Finder the same way.
Who opens the Library folder and why
People usually open Library for one of three reasons. They want to reset an app that keeps misbehaving. They want to back up one app's data before a change. Or they want a file that an app saved there but does not show in its own menus.
Here is a worked example. Say you want the settings file for Safari. Open Library from the Go menu, then open Preferences. Look for com.apple.Safari.plist. Copy that file somewhere safe before you change anything.
Mistakes people make inside Library
Most problems come from changes, not from finding the folder. These four mistakes cause the most trouble.
- Deleting folders you do not recognize. Many hold app data, and removing one can reset that app.
- Moving the whole Library folder elsewhere. Apps look for it in the same place every time.
- Editing a preference file while its app is open. The app can overwrite your change when it quits.
- Mixing up ~/Library with /Library. The second one is shared by the whole Mac, not by your account.
What you find inside Library
Most of what matters sits in a few subfolders. Application Support holds data that apps save for your account. Preferences holds settings files, usually ending in .plist. Caches holds temporary files that apps rebuild when needed.
Looking is safe. Changing is where the risk starts. If you only need one fact, read the file or folder name, close the window, and leave the rest alone.
Which macOS version these steps cover
Apple's glossary page for the Library folder sits under a macOS 26 path. Apple's Mac User Guide index is labeled macOS 27 Golden Gate. Neither Apple page names the exact menu layout for macOS 27, so these steps rest on Apple's glossary and third-party guides.
If a menu name on your screen differs, look for the same words in the Go and View menus. The Go to Folder shortcut and ⌘J come from third-party guides, not Apple's shortcut page, so test them on your Mac before you rely on them.
Finder shortcuts for this on Mac
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Go to Folder | ⇧⌘G |
| Show View Options (per Setapp) | ⌘J |
| Show Library in Go menu (hold) | ⌥ |
| Relaunch Finder (Force Quit) | ⌥⌘Esc |
If it does not work
- Library is missing from the Go menu
- Click the desktop so Finder is active. Then press and hold Option before you open Go. Release Option only after you have clicked Library.
- Show Library Folder is missing from View Options
- Make your home folder the frontmost window with Go > Home. In column view, select a folder inside your home folder, then reopen View > Show View Options. TidBITS describes this from July 2025.
- Go to Folder cannot find ~/Library
- Type ~/Library exactly, starting with the tilde (~). Remove any stray spaces, then press Return. Apple Community threads describe the same path.
- Terminal change did not show in Finder
- Relaunch Finder. Press ⌥⌘Esc, select Finder, and click Relaunch. Then check the home folder window again. Setapp describes this step.
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Questions people ask
Why can't I see the Library folder in Finder on Mac?
Apple hides the home Library folder from normal view. Eclectic Light reports that this has been the case since OS X Lion (10.7), a change made to improve security. Use the Go menu with Option, or Go to Folder, to open it.
What is the difference between Library and ~/Library?
~/Library is the Library inside your home folder. It holds settings and data for your user account. The Library folder at the top level of your disk is shared by the whole Mac, so check the path before you change anything.
Does the Show Library Folder setting stay on?
It stays on until you untick it in View Options. Apple's glossary describes the checkbox as the way to keep the folder always visible. Untick it to hide the folder again.
Why is the Show Library Folder checkbox missing?
The checkbox only appears when your home folder is the frontmost Finder view. In column view, select a folder inside your home folder first, then open View > Show View Options again. TidBITS documented this in July 2025.
Is it safe to look inside the Library folder?
Looking is safe. Changing, moving, or deleting items can break apps or reset their settings. Back up first, for example with Time Machine, which Setapp recommends before any Terminal change.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for the Library folder?
Go to Folder uses ⇧⌘G, according to Setapp. TidBITS says a ⇧⌘L shortcut for Library arrived in macOS 10.12.3. That has not been confirmed for current macOS, so check the Go menu on your Mac.
Can I make Library visible permanently with Terminal?
Setapp describes running chflags nohidden ~/Library/ and then relaunching Finder with ⌥⌘Esc. This changes a system-level visibility setting, so back up first. Run chflags hidden ~/Library/ to undo it.
Sources
- Library folder - Apple Mac User Guide (glossary) · Apple · checked 2026-11-09
- Apple Mac User Guide - Welcome · Apple · checked 2026-11-09
- Keyboard shortcuts on Mac - Apple Mac User Guide · Apple · checked 2026-11-09
- How to Reveal the Library Folder in macOS · MacRumors · checked 2026-11-09
- How to show the Mac Library folder [2026] · Setapp · checked 2026-11-09
- How to Keep the User Library Folder Visible in macOS · TidBITS · checked 2026-11-09
- Q&A: Why hide the Home Library folder? · Eclectic Light · checked 2026-11-09
- How do I find and select a ~/Library folder - Apple Community · Apple Community · checked 2026-11-09
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