Like Linux systems, a terminal is present on the macOS too, and from there, you can command your Mac to complete a certain task. But using the terminal on your macOS might be difficult for the first time if you have been using the graphical interface for a long time. There are some basic commands that you can learn if you want to use the terminal on your Mac to complete tasks easily. But opening the terminal is another thing that many of us don’t know about. Here, check out some of the quickest ways to open Terminal on Mac, and later we will talk about the basic terminal commands to apply on macOS.
How to Open Terminal with Spotlight Search
You can open the terminal quickly on your Mac from the spotlight search. The spotlight search button is available on the menu bar. You can also use the keyboard shortcut ‘Command + Space’ to open the spotlight search.
Step 1- Open Spotlight Search by pressing ‘Command + Space’ at the same time.
Step 2- Type “terminal” on the spotlight search.
Step 3- The results will come up, and you will see the Top Hit List from where the terminal will be found.
Step 4- Double-click on the result to launch the terminal.
Now the terminal will open on your Mac computer, and you can apply commands to complete the tasks. Nevertheless, let us have a look at other methods to open the terminal also.
Opening the Terminal from Launchpad
If you want to open the terminal from the Launchpad, you will have to get the Launchpad on your Mac first. But your Macbook computer probably has the Launchpad installed, and you can go to System Preferences, then Keyboard, and click on the keyboard shortcuts. Then the Launchpad dock will be listed on your left side. The right side will show whether the Launchpad is turned on or not. You can now double-click in the space on the right side and click on any key combination you wish to try. Alternatively, you can click on the ship icon from your taskbar or press F4 on your keyboard to open the Launchpad. After opening the Launchpad, follow the steps below:
Step 1- Type “terminal” on the launchpad.
Step 2- When the result appears, you can hit the Return key or click on the terminal icon.
Step 3- Now the terminal windows shall appear.
Once the terminal opens, you can type any command here and start working on your command line skill. But if you want to learn other ways to open the terminal, here are some other alternatives for you.
Opening the Terminal from Application Folder
You can find the terminal in the Applications and Utility folder, or you can launch it from the program icon from Finder. The applications & Utility folder is the first place that comes to mind when you search for newly installed programs on your device. Here is how you can open the terminal from the application folder:
Step 1- Right-click on your desktop, and Finder will appear.
Step 2- Now, the menu bar will appear right at the top of your computer.
Step 3- Click on Go and pick Applications.
Step 4- Now, on the Applications folder, you can scroll through to Utilities and double-click on the option to open it.
Step 5- You will find a terminal inside the utility option.
Now when you double-click on the terminal app, it will launch on your screen. You can also ask Siri to open the terminal for you. Let’s see how.
Opening the Terminal with Siri
Your Mac has Siri just like your Windows has Cortana, and if you command these AI agents to perform certain tasks, they gladly will. For instance, you may request Siri to start Terminal on your macOS for you. Here is how you can do it:
Step 1- Click on the Siri button from the menu bar.
Step 2- You can also open Siri from the Applications folder.
Step 3- Now use your microphone and say “Hey Siri, Open Terminal”
Now the terminal window will open on your computer from where you can use any commands you like and do any job in a jiffy. But since you are already using the terminal, you can make a shortcut on your computer so that you don’t have to go through all these hazards when you need to open the app.
How to Create a Shortcut for Your Terminal app on macOS
Create a shortcut of the terminal on your dock. Here is how you can put the terminal icon on your dock:
Step 1- Hold the Ctrl key and click on the terminal icon on your dock (if you have lately opened the terminal, the icon will be there). You can also right-click on the icon.
Step 2- Hover your mouse over the pop-up menu.
Step 3- And click on the Keep in Dock option.
Now that you know how to open the terminal on your macOS and how to keep a shortcut of the app so that you can open it more frequently and easily, you need to know some commands to start using the terminal.
Useful Terminal Commands for Mac
Some commands in the terminal are easy to use, while some are difficult. But these are the easiest commands that you can use right now.
To check the response of a domain or IP address, you can ask the server for a response using the Ping command before the URL or web address:
ping www.google.com
To disable screenshots on your Mac, you can use:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool TRUE
To show hidden files in Finder:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool TRUE
To prevent your Mac from sleeping:
caffeinate
To check for updates on your Mac, use:
defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate ScheduleFrequency -int 1
Conclusion
Bookmark these commands or memorize them if you can because they will help you get a job done quicker than ever. If you are interested in learning more terminal commands, you can check out our other guides. Also, if you have any confusion regarding the terminal for macOS, feel free to ask us in the comment box below.