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If you are familiar with Windows, you are aware that the AppData folder houses files and directories containing information about your software, such as custom settings. But does Mac have AppData? Yes, it is the answer.
Application Support, Caches, and Preferences are the three sub-folders of the secret Library folder where you can find the Mac version of Windows' AppData folder. Do not confuse this Library folder with the other two Library folders on Mac; it is a part of the Home folder, which is frequently referred to as /Library.
What is Mac AppData?
The AppData folder on Mac is hidden by default and saves data from programs and apps relevant to your user profile, just as the AppData folder on Windows 10. Caches, temporary files, configuration files, preferences, etc. are only a few examples of these files.
Roaming, Local, and LocalLow are the three subfolders found in the Windows AppData folder. The three directories known as Applications Support, Caches, and Preferences are where macOS also keeps app data.
You must first navigate to the secret Library folder using these instructions in order to access the Mac equivalents of the AppData folder.
Opening the Library on a Mac:
- Launch Finder.
- From the menu bar on the top-left, select Go > Go to Folder.
- Input /Library and press Enter.
We will describe what is kept in each of the three AppData files here. Opening the Library on a Mac:
- Launch Finder.
- From the menu bar on the top-left, select Go > Go to Folder.
- Input /Library and press Enter.
- Accessing AppData on a Mac.
- As an alternative, you can retrieve MacBook AppData by using the shortcut. Press and hold Shift, Command, and G when starting Finder, then press Enter. You can access the corresponding subdirectory to save app data or look for a certain file now that you are in the Library folder.
Applications Support in the library
Application Support is a component of the Mac version of the AppData folder.
The system and third-party apps store the files necessary for their functioning in the /Library/Application Support folder. It holds all of the application data that is needed to support but not run an application.
This folder can be used to modify an application's behaviour in ways that the default settings are unable to, or to correct cache or database issues.
You can force a clean start and restore the app to its original state by deleting the Application Support folder. Additionally, if you want to uninstall an application, make sure to also delete the Application Support folder that is linked to it.
The equivalent of the AppData folder on a Mac is the /Library/Caches folder
The cache files produced by the apps are stored in the /Library/Caches folder, as the name suggests. The cache files store data that is necessary for an app to operate more quickly, yet many are only temporarily required. When cache files accumulate, they may take up a significant amount of space on your hard disc or cause problems with a program.
In that scenario, you can backup the cache files to prevent erasing important data and then remove them to determine if the problem is fixed. It is advised that you delete these files only after following recommendations from reliable sources.
~/Library/Preferences
On a Mac, the equivalent of the Preferences folder is the AppData folder.
The personalized settings you created using the Preferences command of these applications are stored in the /Library/Preferences folder. It contains files with the.plist extension. These.plist files can be altered, thus occasionally they can get corrupted and cause problems with the associated program.
As a result, erasing an app's .plist file is helpful for fixing issues with it. Note that after removing the .plist file, the app returns to its default settings, therefore you must configure the customization once more.
Additionally, because they won't be rebuilt like other files, such as Favorites.html, you should exercise caution when removing files that store your preferred websites.
Mac AppData Roaming
Windows saves default templates, configuration files, and other supporting information in the Roaming folder. This fits with how the Mac's Application Support folder operates. Therefore, the /Library/Applications Support folder on Mac is the equivalent of the AppData/Roaming folder on Windows.
Mac's minecraft folder
You might occasionally need to enter the minecraft folder if you play Minecraft on a Mac to do operations like installing a resource pack. However, the issue is that the Minecraft folder is not visible on Mac. This is due to the fact that it is hidden and cannot be found using Finder's search function.
How to locate the Minecraft folder on a Mac?
Activate a Finder window.
Select Go to Folder from the Go option at the top.
Enter the command /Library/Application Support/minecraft.
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Written & Updated by Justin Kenny
Justin Kenny is a writer & editor of DoYourData. He joined DoYourData in 2016 and focuses on writing articles about Windows data recovery, Mac data recovery, external device data recovery, hard drive clone, data erasure, Mac cleanup, computer issue fixes, etc. He is a super fan of Apple devices and is big on testing new digital device and system utility software.