Apple has based its business model on providing secure devices to users. However, this security comes at the cost of lesser user control of the devices. If you want to get more control over your Mac, the best way is to use Mac Terminal. This Command-Line Interface (CLI) allows you to run system commands to configure the Mac according to your needs.
Don’t know how to open Terminal on Mac? By reading this article, you will be able to learn 7 easy methods to open the Terminal.
CONTENTS
Method 1: Find and Open Terminal on Launchpad
Launchpad can turn out as an efficient way to open Terminal on Mac. This contains all the important tools within your Mac, including the Terminal. To use Launchpad to open Terminal on your Mac, you have to follow the steps below:
Step 1: Access the Mac Launchpad: Access the “Launchpad” from the Dock of your Mac and look for the search bar on the top. Type “Terminal” and find your application in the search results.
Step 2: Select the Terminal: As the Terminal appears on the screen, tap to launch it on your Mac successfully.
Method 2: Open Terminal via Spotlight Search
The Spotlight Search feature is a great way to quickly find the required data or apps on the Mac. Through it, you can search for anything located on your Mac, like files, apps, movies, documents, etc. These are the steps required to open Terminal on Mac via Spotlight Search:
Step 1: Use the Spotlight Search Feature: Click the “Magnifying Glass” icon located on the right side of the top toolbar or press the Command⌘ + Space keys. It will open the Spotlight Search, where you need to type “Terminal.”
Step 2: Launch the Terminal from Search: After typing “Terminal” in the Spotlight Search, press the “Return” key on the Mac keyboard to access it.
Method 3: Open Terminal in Utilities
The Terminal on Mac is a system tool located in the “Utilities” folder. The “Utilities” folder contains similar tools that are used to run system-level tasks like Disk Utility, Activity monitor, screenshot, etc. You can follow these steps to open Utilities and run Terminal on your Mac:
Search Terminal in Utilities: Use the “Shift + Command + U” key on your Mac to open the “Utilities” folder. Here, navigate to “Terminal” and double-click it to start “Terminal” on your Mac.
Method 4: Add Terminal to Mac Dock
Equivalent to the taskbar of Windows, the Dock in Mac allows you to access frequently used apps with one click. If you use the Terminal frequently, adding it to the Dock is best for easy access. Use these steps to add Terminal to Mac Dock:
Step 1: Open the Terminal on Mac: Launch the “Terminal” on your Mac using Spotlight Search or any other method. Once it appears in the “Dock,” hold the “Control” key and click the “Terminal” icon.
Step 2: Add Terminal to the Dock: In the pop-up window, tap “Options” and select “Keep in Dock.” It will add the “Terminal” to the “Dock” on your Mac.
Method 5: Create a Keyboard Shortcut to Open the Terminal
Don’t want to go through a long process to open Terminal on Mac? You can easily define a keyboard shortcut to launch the Terminal on Mac whenever you need. Below are the steps needed to create a keyboard shortcut to open Terminal on Mac:
Step 1: Access the App Shortcuts Feature: Open “System Settings” on your Mac through “Dock.” Scroll down and select “Keyboard” from the left sidebar. Here, click “Keyboard Shortcuts” and press “App Shortcuts” from the left side toolbar.
Step 2: Locate the Terminal Option: Tap the “+” icon and press “All Applications” on the new window. In the drop-down menu of “All Applications,” press “Others” and search for “Terminal” in the pop-up window.
Step 3: Define a Shortcut for Terminal: Select “Terminal,” give the shortcut a name and define the keys for the keyboard shortcut. Now press “Done” to add the shortcut for Terminal.
Method 6: Open Terminal via Siri Voice Assistant
Siri is among the best services available on Mac. All you need to do is speak your required command out loud, and Siri will perform them for you. Similarly, you can also open Terminal on Mac using Siri voice assistant through the following steps:
Step 1: Use the Siri Feature of Mac: Press the “Siri” icon located at the top right corner of your Mac to open Siri. If enabled in Siri preferences, you can also say “Hi Siri” to initiate Siri.
Step 2: Ask Siri to Launch Terminal: Once “Siri” is activated, use a voice command like “Open Terminal” to open the Terminal on your Mac.
Method 7: Open Terminal via Finder
Finder is the way to go if you want to perform any action on your Mac, including opening the Terminal. With the help of this tool, you can access any file, folder, or application on your Mac. To open Terminal on Mac using Finder, use these steps:
Step 1: Open the Utilities Folder: Go to the “Dock” on your Mac and click “Finder” to open it. Press “Applications” from the left side and look for “Utilities” in the apps.
Step 2: Find and Open the Terminal: Double-click “Utilities,” and on the next screen, find “Terminal.” You can launch it by double-clicking the “Terminal” icon.
Bonus Tip: How to Open Terminal in Current Folder for Mac
It is possible to navigate to any targeted folder through Terminal on Mac. However, it is also possible to directly open Terminal on Mac in the targeted folder. You might need to enable this feature from the system settings on your Mac. Once enabled, it will help you save time when using Terminal. Here is how you can open Terminal directly in the targeted folder on Mac:
Step 1: Select the Terminal Option from the Menu: On your Mac, navigate to your targeted folder and right-click on it. In the resulting menu, click “New Terminal at Folder” or “New Terminal Tab at Folder” to launch the Terminal in the targeted folder.
Step 2: Access the Keyboard Shortcuts Option: If the option isn’t there, click “System Settings” from the “Dock” and move to “Keyboard” settings. Now tap “Keyboard Shortcuts” and select “Services” from the left side.
Step 3: Enable the Terminal Options: In the “Services” screen, expand the “Files and Folders” category and check “New Terminal at Folder” and “New Terminal Tab at Folder” to enable them.
Conclusion
In simple words, Terminal on Mac is a powerful tool that allows you to run system-level commands without compromising the system’s security. This article has explained the 7 quickest ways to open Terminal on Mac to help you. However, you need to be careful when using Terminal on Mac, especially in Admin Mode, as a wrong command can easily lead to system failure.
Mac Terminal FAQs
In this part, we have answered a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand more about Mac Terminal:
What is Terminal on Apple Mac?
Similar to the Command Prompt in Windows, the Terminal is a command-line interface (CLI) tool in Mac to run to interact with the operating system. Like CMD, you need to run different text commands to perform different system tasks. These tasks include managing files, installing software, modifying system settings, and many more.
Is there a shortcut to open Terminal on Mac?
There is no shortcut key to open Terminal on Mac. However, you can easily define a customized shortcut key through system settings. The Spotlight Search and Dock can also be used to quickly launch Terminal on Mac.
How to open Terminal as admin on Mac?
Unlike Windows, you can’t run the Terminal as Administrator on Mac. In Mac, an administrator is referred to as the “root” or Superuser, and the “sudo” command, called Superuser Do command, is used for admin privileges. It can only be used by the administrator users, and the user password is required to run a “sudo” command.
How to quit Terminal on Mac?
When you finish your work in Terminal on Mac, type “exit” and press “Return.” It will save the session and exit the process. Now you can press the “x” icon to close the Terminal window on your Mac.
