Mac’s Terminal app is a powerful tool that allows you to gain root-level access to your system. No doubt, running shell commands isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the Terminal can be a useful tool if the intended action isn’t available on the macOS GUI. If you are new to Mac, this article will show you how to open Terminal on Mac without any problems.
There are different ways to run a Terminal application on a Mac. We have discussed them in detail here. If this is your first time trying to use Terminal, check it out Three useful terminal commands Every Mac user should know. That said, let’s start.
A quick tip: If you’re in this article just to find out how to add the Terminal app to the Dock, skip to Method 6.
1. Use Spotlight Search Open Terminal on the Mac
This is the fastest and easiest way to open Terminal on your Mac. Follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Press “Command + Space bar” to open Spotlight Search.
Note: Alternatively, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the top menu bar or press the F4 key on your keyboard to bring up Spotlight Search.
Step 2: Type Terminal and press Return.
It is. There are almost no steps to open Terminal on a Mac. Well, if you don’t want to open it with Spotlight Search, there is another way. Go to the next method.
2. Access Terminal on Mac using Launchpad
This is another easy way to open Terminal on your Mac. Follow along.
Step 1: Open Launchpad from the Dock.
Step 2: Type terminal and press Return on your keyboard.
3. How to launch Terminal using Finder on Mac
Knowing how to open Terminal using the Finder can save time and be more efficient. The steps are easy to follow.
Step 1: From the desktop, click Go.
Step 2: Select Utilities from the drop-down menu.
Note: Alternatively, you can right-click the Finder icon in the Dock and select Utilities from the list.
Step 3: Go to the Terminal app and double-click to open it.
It is. This way you can quickly open the terminal. If you are accessing some files or folders and want to access macOS Terminal, go to the next method.
4. Launch Terminal using the Applications folder
This is an easy way to open Terminal on Mac. The steps mentioned in this method are different from the method discussed above. However, it is easy to perform.
Step 1: Open Finder from the Dock.
Step 2: Go to the Applications folder.
Step 3: Navigate to the Utilities folder and double-click to open it.
Step 4: Find the Terminal app and double-click it to open it.
And so. This way, you can quickly open the Terminal app without having to perform other steps or methods.
5. How to find a terminal using Siri on Mac
There’s no hands-free way to open Terminal except, you guessed it, using Siri.
All you have to do is press the Siri button from the menu bar, open it from your Applications folder, or say “Hey Siri” (if Siri is enabled in Settings). Once Siri starts listening, say Open Terminal. And be sure it will open a terminal application.
6. How to create a Terminal shortcut on macOS
If you use Terminal every day, creating a shortcut in your Dock is better to use.
Note: First, open the Terminal app using any of the methods listed above and then follow the steps below.
Step 1: Right-click the Terminal icon in the Dock.
Advice: Alternatively, you can hold down the Control key on your keyboard and click the Terminal icon in the Dock.
Step 2: Go to Options and select “Keep in Dock”.
Fun fact: “Keep in Dock” on Mac is the equivalent of “Pin to Taskbar” on Windows.
It is. The terminal will be docked and available for easy access when you need it.
7. How to open Terminal from macOS Recovery
You may need to access or modify specific system files on your Mac. Well, you can go into Terminal using macOS Recovery to change things. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: First, turn off your Mac. Press and hold the Power button until you see the Startup Settings screen; Now click on Options.
Note: If your Mac is running on Intel (not an M1 or M2 processor), press “Command + R” when it starts to boot into macOS Recovery.
Step 2: Go to Utilities from the menu bar and select Terminal from the drop-down menu.
This way, you can open Terminal even in macOS Recovery boot mode. Have more questions? Check out the next section.
Frequently asked questions about opening Terminal on Mac
Yes, you can open multiple terminals on a Mac. To do this, launch the Terminal app and click on the File menu at the top of the screen. Choose New Window from the menu to open a new terminal window. You can continue to open new windows by selecting New Window each time.
If you need to access Terminal without logging into your Mac, you can use single user mode. This will boot your Mac into a special environment that you can access through the command line interface.
In the Mac Terminal app, you can switch between tabs using Command+Shift+[ or Command+Shift+] Keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts allow you to move to the previous or next tab, respectively. This will allow you to work with multiple terminal sessions at the same time.
To determine if the Terminal app is running on a Mac, simply open the Activity Monitor app by searching for it in Spotlight or navigating to Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor. In the activity monitoring application, look for the terminal process in the list of processes. If it appears, it means Terminal is running on a Mac.
Find it fast
The terminal app works at different stages for different users. Now that you know how to open Terminal, it’s fun to try 11 Terminal tricks on your Mac that will let you explore macOS.