How to Open Terminal on Mac [6 Different Ways]

If you are a new Mac user, you must know that Terminal a command shortcut hub to control the Mac with the help of command prompts. In short, it is Mac’s command-line interface. If you are used to Unix type computer or work with commands, then the terminal is the go-to option on Mac. Moreover, it allows you to take over your operating system quickly. To use the terminal, you have to familiarize yourself with the basic general rules. Then, you can dig in and learn more complex commands for various tasks. Before that, you must know how to launch or Open Terminal on your Mac devices. There are different ways to do it, and the following section will explain those methods. Choose the one that you find convenient.

Tip! Visit this Apple support page to explore more about Terminal.

1. Open Terminal on Mac Using Siri

Siri is like your assistant that works based on your voice command. All those who are a fan of Apple would love Siri. It will also help you to open a terminal on your Mac.

Step 1: You can find the Siri button on the Menu bar. Or in the applications folder. Click to open.

Step 2: Using the microphone on your Mac, say “Open the terminal.”

Step 3: The terminal will appear on the screen within a few minutes.

2. Open Terminal on Mac Using Spotlight

Spotlight is like a search engine for your Mac. You can search for any applications or folders using the spotlight.

Step 1: You can find the spotlight search bar on the home screen’s menu bar. Click on it to open. You can also launch it with the help of Shortcut: Command + Space.

Step 2: Type terminal.

Step 3: You will find the Terminal application on the list. Click on it to open.

3. Using Finder

Finder is the first thing you could find on a Mac. It helps you to find and organize the files on your Mac.

Step 1: Open Finder.

Step 2: On the menu bar, select Go followed by Utilities.

Step 3: Find and double-click the Terminal folder to open it.

4. Under Applications Folder

The next way to open a terminal on Mac is by using the application folder.

Step 1: Open Finder.

Step 2: Choose Applications. You can find it on the left side panel. Or if you have placed on the dock, click it to open.

Step 3: Expand the utilities by pressing the drop-down arrow.

Step 4: Double click on the terminal to launch it.

5. Using Launchpad

Launchpad is similar to the Start menu on Windows PC. It is mainly used to launch the applications.

Step 1: Launchpad can be found on the dock. Click to open it. Or, simply press the F4 key to open it.

Step 2: You can find the others folder. Click to open it.

Step 3: Scroll down to find the terminal. Double click on it to open.

6. Open the terminal on Mac from Dock

The dock is like a hot seat. You can find the most used and recently used apps. You can add a terminal to the dock and open it immediately at any time.

Step 1: Open the terminal in any one of the above ways.

Step 2: Then right-click on the dock icon on the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: Choose Options >> Keep in the dock.

Step 4: Now, you can launch Terminal from the dock whenever you want.

Related Guide: How to open Task Manager on Mac

Some basic Command Prompts

Yes, the terminal can be opened in any one of the above-mentioned ways. Meanwhile, here are a few basic command prompts that you can use on Terminal:

• To open an Application: Open -a app name. For example, to open Apple Photos: Open -a Apple photos.
• To copy files from one folder to another folder: ditto (folder 1) (folder). For example: to copy the files from Movies to watched movies folder, type: ditto (movies) (watched movies).

The terminal is the preferred option to do things quickly on your Mac. The only thing you have to do is remember the command prompts to complete the tasks with ease. Did the information provided in the guide is very helpful? Mention your feedback below.