Where is the Mac Library folder?

You may have tried to access your personal Library folder on your Mac computer, only to find that it does not exist. Even though you may not have found your Library folder, the Mac OS X Library folder is not gone. The Library folder is simply hidden in newer releases of the Operating System.

Up until the release of Lion (OS X 10.7), you could open your Home folder to access the Library folder. But after the Lion, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, and OS X 10.9 Mavericks upgrades, the Library folder is gone. Well, not gone… it’s hidden.

The user Library folder is still there; However, to avoid any issues with users who may tinker with necessary files (etc.), the folder is now hidden. This is a tactic that Microsoft Windows has used for many years that is now being integrated into the Mac OS X environment (see: Windows Show/Hide).

How to show the Library folder on Mac OS X

1. Open the Finder and navigate to your Home folder. (Go > Home); or press Shift-Command-H.

2. Still in the Finder, choose View > Show View Options (or press Command-J).

3. A new View-Options palette or window will appear. Near the bottom of the new window is a setting titled Show Library Folder. Click/fill in the radio box to enable this option in order to immediately make your Library folder visible.

4. Close the View-Options window. Your Library folder is located at the root of your Home folder Shift-Command-H.