How to Use Terminal on macOS for Beginners

The Terminal app gives you direct access to the Unix shell underneath macOS. This guide covers the essential commands every Mac user should know.

Open Terminal

Find it in Applications > Utilities > Terminal or search with Spotlight (Cmd+Space).

Essential Commands

pwd           # Show current directory
ls -la        # List files with details
cd ~/Desktop  # Change directory
mkdir myfolder  # Create a folder
cp file.txt backup.txt  # Copy a file
rm file.txt   # Delete a file

Customize the Shell

macOS uses Zsh by default. Edit ~/.zshrc to add aliases and customize your prompt.