If you’re trying to find the Utilities folder on your Mac, you are probably trying to run one of the utility applications built into your macOS. This folder contains various useful applications to help you perform maintenance and diagnostics, configuration tasks, and more.
The Utilities folder is on your system’s hard drive and located at /Applications/Utilities.
My name is Eric, and as a software engineer, I spend most of my day on computers. Hence, I am very familiar with the location of specific things like the Utilities directory on a Mac operating system. In fact, I use many of these utilities daily, and I can quickly show you how to get there.
Keep reading below if you would like to learn more about where the Utilities folder on a Mac is located and how you can easily find it. I will show you below some quick and easy methods for doing this.
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Multiple Methods to Open the Utilities Folder on Mac
As with many other things on your computer, there are multiple ways that you can find and get to the Utilities folder. We’ll cover a number of them below. Your chosen method may depend on what you are trying to do and which works best for you.
Finder
Finder is my go-to method for finding and going to any folder on my Mac. Although there may be quicker methods, this is the one I like because it allows you to see graphically on your display where you are going, where something is located, and what else is around.
It also allows you to perform other tasks when you get there if needed. Believe it or not, Finder has different ways to locate and navigate to the Utilities folder. Let’s take a look at a couple of them below.
1. Shortcut Key
The quickest way to get to the Utilities folder in Finder is to just use the shortcut key combination. With the Finder window open and active on your desktop, just press the SHIFT+COMMAND+U keys, and it will take you right to it.
If you want to just navigate to the folder, follow the steps below. This takes a bit longer, but it helps you learn and remember where the folder is.
Step 1: Open Finder.
Click on the Finder icon at the bottom left side of the screen.
Step 2: Select Applications.
Select Applications on the left side pane of the Finder window.
Step 3: Click on the Utilities folder.
Open the Utilities folder by scrolling down on the right side pane of the Finder window until you see Utilities, and then click on it.
You will now be in the Utilities folder.
You can use the Go menu from the Finder to quickly get there. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open Finder
Use the same method shown above to open the Finder application.
Step 2: Click on the Go menu
Click on the Go Menu at the top of the screen.
Step 3: Click on Utilities
Click the Utilities selection, which is normally located near the bottom of the dropdown menu.
You should now have a window opened up in the Utilities folder.
4. Search for the folder
One last option in Finder is to search for the Utilities folder in the search field at the top right side of the Finder window. Just follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open Finder
Open Finder using the same method shown above.
Step 2: Type Utilities in the search field.
Click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the Finder window and then type Utilities in the search field.
Step 3: Hit the return key or click on the main window.
Once the search results come up, you can hit the return key or just click on the main part of the window, and you will be in the Utilities folder.
Spotlight Search
You can use Spotlight to find almost anything, including folders on your Mac. All you need to do is click on the Spotlight search magnifying glass on the top right side of your desktop.
Then just type Utilities in the search field. Once you see the results, a Utilities folder should be in the list. Click on it, and it will take you there.
Mac Terminal
If you like using the command line, you are familiar with navigating your system with Mac Terminal. Using Mac Terminal, you can navigate almost anywhere on your system, including the Utilities directory.
You can use Mac Terminal to search for the Utilities directory if you don’t know where it is, but in our case, I have already told you that it is located in /Applications/Utilities. You can easily get there by opening Mac Terminal (located in the Utilities folder) and typing the cd command as shown below.
cd /Applications/Utilities This will take you right to the Utilities folder.
FAQs
Below are a few questions about the Utilities folder on a Mac.
What is in the Utilities folder, and what is it for?
In reality, the Utilities folder is just a regular folder like any other on your system. The difference is the contents of the folder. The Utilities folder contains system utilities like Mac Terminal, Activity Monitor, Disk Utility, and more. The system groups them all there so you can easily find your system utilities in one place.
Can I open a Mac Terminal session that starts in the Utilities Folder?
Yes, you can do this. If you first use Finder to navigate to the Utilities folder described above, you can open a terminal session right there in the Utilities folder.
Can I use Siri to get to the Utilities Folder?
You can use Siri to do many things, but this is not one of them. Unfortunately, Siri does not work with Finder because Finder has not added support for Siri, so it cannot navigate to the Utilities folder.
Conclusion
The Utilities folder on your Mac is located under the Applications folder, and there are several ways to get there using Finder, Spotlight search, and even Mac Terminal. This folder groups together common utilities you may need to perform tasks on your system.
I hope the information above has helped you find your Mac’s Utilities folder. As usual, let me know if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear from you.
