The other way is to dig manually through your ~/Library folder, but that’s not time-efficient and can even put your data at risk if you accidentally delete something you shouldn’t. How to show hidden files on Mac with easeįor those who need a quick answer, the best way to show hidden folders Mac has hidden is to install a utility that can do it. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to see the ~/Library folder contents.ġ. If you’re not sure what each particular file does, it’s better not to edit them.

Where and how to find the Library folder?īefore you decide to go into ~/Library, we have to warn you to be cautious. You’ll find all of them in a ~/Library folder. There are, however, tons of system files among those hidden items that just eat up your storage space for no particular reason. So some of the files Apple hides on Mac are hidden for a reason - they are essential for your macOS to run smoothly, and you shouldn’t remove hidden files Mac uses to operate properly. It’s not a shock that, since those days, developers have taken more care to hide away files that are essential to their operating systems.

Those of us who have lived online for long enough will remember the Delete System32 hoax, with which trolls encouraged naive PC users to delete their Windows 2000 system directory. Is it normal that 'System' takes up 90GB+ of storage? What does it contain? How to get your System folder under control? Why files and folders might be hidden? Most of them are hidden away in the ~/Library folder, but the truth is that the average Mac holds a treasure trove of files and folders that you either no longer need or may want to access for troubleshooting purposes. There are, however, times when you need to access those files.

Can i lock a folder on mac