6 Simple Ways to Open Terminal on Mac

how to Open Terminal on Mac

The macOS terminal is a tool that gives you complete control over your Mac using a command prompt, the one that you have seen the Windows. The terminal is for those users who are habitual of working on a Unix-based system and love to enter commands for the tiniest tasks.

Another reason why people prefer using a terminal is its simplicity and quick performance. Although using it isn’t child’s play and you need to learn commands to do so. There are some noobs who don’t even know how to open a terminal on mac and for them, we have prepared a listicle of mac terminal shortcuts.

In this article, we have thoroughly discussed the methods to open the terminal in mac along with the pictures where ever required. So, without wasting much of your time let us dig into the 6 ways to open the terminal on mac.

6 Quick Methods How to use the Terminal command line in macOS


Method 1: Open Mac terminal using Application folder

For users who have the finder window open, accessing the terminal would be possible from the Application folder. To do so you need to follow the steps below:

  1. From the left side of the windows, select Applications.
  2. Now click on the arrow and let the utility folder expand, it will start showing all of the utility programs installed in your Mac system.
  3. Scroll down a little and there you will find the terminal application, double click on it and it will be launched.

In this way, you can easily access the Mac terminal via applications which is not confusing at all. Having said that, let us see the next method to access the mac terminal.

how to open terminal on mac


Method 2: How to open the mac terminal using a launchpad

In this method, we will be learning how to open the terminal on mac using the launchpad. Generally, there are two ways to do so, we will be discussing both of them, so follow the steps below.

  1. On your keyboard, press Fn + F4 to open the launchpad or do it from the dock.
  2. Now lookup up the other folder and click on it.
  3. There you will find the terminal along with the other Mac utilities, just click on it and the terminal will be launched.

In this way, you can access the terminal using the launchpad. We have mentioned an alternate method as well

Alternate: 

For users who have arranged their launchpad’s items in a different way and deleted the “other” folder, finding terminal is a quick process.

  1. The first step is to open the launchpad which can be done from the dock or by pressing Fn + F4 on your keyboard.
  2. The next thing you have to do is type terminal in the search box and wait for the suggestions to load.
  3. The terminal program will show up, click on it and the terminal will be launched.

how to open terminal on mac


Method 3: Using SIRI

Siri has made it easier to control the Apple products, well one of the newest ways to open terminal in mac is using Siri voice command. So, follow the instructions below to learn how to open a terminal using Siri’s voice commands.

  1. On the menu bar, you will notice the Siri button click on it. You can even launch Siri from the application folder.
  2. Now say “open terminal” using the microphone, Siri will perform the task and the mac terminal will be launched. That’s it.

Method 4: How to Open Terminal in Mac Using Spotlight

As per the many mac users, they find this method the fastest and simpler method for mac terminal shortcut. We have penned down the instructions below for you.

  1. You can launch the spotlight using Command + space or just click on it if it is on the menu bar.
  2.  Type in “Terminal”.
  3. You will now be able to see the terminal application in the results, just click on it to launch it.

how to open terminal on mac


Method 5: Open Mac Terminal Using Finder

In this method, we will make use of the finder to open the terminal in mac. Follow the instructions below.

  1. Click on Go and select Utilities from the menu bar.
  2. In the folder you will find the terminal, just click on it to launch it.

how to open terminal on mac


Method 6: How to create mac terminal shortcut

Last but not the least, if you don’t remember the steps above whenever you want to open a mac terminal, we recommend you to create a shortcut and make this simpler.

To create a mac terminal shortcut:

  1. On your keyboard, hold control and click on the terminal icon in the dock or simply right-click on it.
  2. The options will appear, hover over it to see the more options.
  3. Now click on “Keep in the dock”.
  4. That’s all you need to do to create a mac terminal shortcut.

Isn’t that simple? Well, that’s how you can create a mac terminal shortcut on your pc if you have decided to use it on a regular basis.


In Context…

A terminal is a fascinating tool for mac users who are more interested in managing their work using commands. While some of the newbies who have recently shifted to the mac from a different OS might wonder how to open the terminal on mac.

In this article, we have helped out the beginners by writing down the 6 simple ways to open Terminal on Mac. The instructions are crystal clear and we have attached images wherever it was necessary.

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