- Security
- Privacy
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Your Mac’s Applications folder holds all your apps, whether they came preinstalled or you added them yourself. If you’re not sure where to find it, we’ll walk you through how to locate and access your apps folder step by step. Plus, if your apps are taking up too much storage, get a dedicated cleanup tool to help clear out the clutter and keep your Mac running smoothly.
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You can find the applications folder on your Mac from Finder, Spotlight, or Go. For quicker access in the future, consider adding it to your Dock.
Finder is the traditional file manager on a Mac; it is one of the easiest ways to access your Applications folder. Once you open a new Finder window, your Applications folder will appear on the left.
Click a blank spot on your desktop to bring up the Finder menu at the top of your screen. Or, open a new Finder window by clicking the Finder icon, which looks like a square blue smiling face, in your Dock. The Dock is where you’ll see your most-used apps and features — you can tailor it to suit your preferences.
Here’s how to get to Applications using the Finder on your Dock:
Click the Finder icon in your Dock.
Click Applications in the left panel.
Using the Spotlight search feature is another easy way to access your Applications folder. Spotlight is a handy system-wide search tool. It’s a great place to start whenever you need to find something.
To open Applications from Spotlight:
Click the magnifying glass icon in the top right of your screen to launch Spotlight.
Type Applications into the search bar.
In the search results, choose the Applications folder.
Once you’ve accessed the Applications folder, you can identify and remove unnecessary apps to clean your Mac and help it run more efficiently. Doing so can help you avoid the dreaded startup disk full error message.
You can use the Go menu to find and launch folders, like your Applications folder. Here’s how:
Click a blank area on your desktop.
Select Go in the top bar of your Mac.
Select Applications in the drop-down menu.
If you want even easier access to your Applications folder, add it to your Dock. Open Finder and right-click the Applications folder, then choose Add to Dock.
You can also drag the Applications folder from the left-hand Finder menu down to the Dock and place it in the far-right section. Now, you’ll be able to access your Applications folder directly from your Dock.
Optimizing your Applications folder and Mac can help improve performance, free up storage, and keep your system running smoothly. If your hard drive is squeezed for space, some apps might not work properly. Check your Mac’s storage to make sure you have enough space to run your apps and perform all your favorite tasks.
To free up storage, clear your Mac cache, remove duplicate files, delete unnecessary files and apps, and move large files to a separate storage location (like the cloud or an external hard drive). When you’re removing files, be careful not to delete any necessary system or hidden files.
If you’re nervous about doing a cleanup on your own, the best Mac cleaning software can help you do this safely and quickly. As well as speeding up your Mac, having fewer apps in your Applications folder will make it easier for you to find programs.
Avast Cleanup for Mac is dedicated cleaning software that will help you claim back space and boost performance effortlessly. It can also help improve your Mac’s security and privacy by clearing browser history.
And test your Mac’s performance before and after performing a cleanup to see how much space you gain. Our studies show that the average Mac user has 7 GB of bad photos, 8 GB of junk data, and 3 GB of duplicate files — that’s a lot of space you could be saving.
Get Avast Cleanup to help automate time-consuming file management tasks and claim back space. Avast Cleanup identifies unused apps and junk data in seconds. And as for those old photos clogging up your hard drive, it will identify clones, near-duplicates, and blurry images, making it easier to organize your library. Use Avast to take out your digital trash and help keep your Mac running like new.
