Where is User Application Folder in my Home Folder?

Question

Level 1

25 points

Where is User Application Folder in my Home Folder?

As far back as I can remember, in addition to the primary, system-wide Applications folder on every Mac, OS X has also provided an Applications folder inside the Home Folder of each User account for small custom apps being used solely by that specific User — apps not accessible to other User accounts.

I just did a clean install of OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and don't see a Home/Applications folder (~/Applications).

Has this folder been hidden?

Has it been removed in OS X El Capitan?

Is it located somewhere else?

Can I place an empty folder in that Home Folder and call it Applications?

Thanks for any help provided!

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), Logic

Posted on Apr 8, 2017 12:00 PM

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Answer 1

dialabrain

Level 10

135,641 points

Apr 8, 2017 1:48 PM in response to Csound1

FWIW, I do have an install of Sierra that did indeed create a /Users/louis/Applications folder because I have a Chromebook and when I installed Google Chrome on my Mac it was nice enough to install the Chromebook Recovery Utility in it. 😎

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Answer 2

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

Apr 8, 2017 1:39 PM in response to babowa

I had one in Yosemite, but I made it myself for an app that I did not want generally available.

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 8, 2017 12:14 PM in response to KiteSurfer

There is no such folder unless you create one or one is created when setting up managed accounts with Parental Controls. If you are not creating managed accounts, then you should not save applications anywhere but in the normal Applications folder.

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Answer 4

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 8, 2017 12:57 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Certainly, if you created one in the past and always upgraded OS X, then it would remain untouched. Try doing an Erase and Install. Never seen one created by that. I've done several recent Erase and Installs of both El Capitan and Sierra. Not seen them create an Applications folder in the Home folder.

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Answer 5

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,656 points

Apr 8, 2017 1:12 PM in response to Kappy

My installs are all separate, two of them are new installs without a legacy OS. I wish you would stop arguing over this these folders exist. I can google mac os x users home applications folder and you will see topics on the subject, some from these discussion pages. Indeed the screenshot I showed you of the users Applications folder in my Sierra install the Applications folder has the Applications symbol on it, so it was created by the installation software.

https://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/mac-101-the-two-applications-folders/

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Answer 6

babowa

Level 9

78,556 points

Apr 8, 2017 1:17 PM in response to Eau Rouge

The other point (i've read) is that for updates, the regular Applications folder is the one that is checked/searched; with the automated check/download of updates, it is best to only have applications in the folder so designated by the OS.

I remember having seen an Applications folder in my Users folder, but that was way before Snow Leopard and it disappeared many OS versions/years ago. See this article from 2010:

https://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/mac-101-the-two-applications-folders/

And here is one from 2015 with some explanations on how it's created (which I did not know)

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/applications-folder-in-home-folder.1914644/

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Answer 7

KiteSurfer Author

Level 1

25 points

Apr 8, 2017 2:46 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Elegant, simple solution and it worked. Certainly didn't mean to start a flame war but for what it's worth, ALL of my OS's going back decades had a ~/Application folder installed with the OS, including OS X Lion which I've been running since 2011. Perhaps it was removed in a later OS, but when I created one in my Home folder, it immediately converted to a Home Folder-style icon. Bottom line, no harm in having a User Applications folder for those little downloadable Apps that don't require an installer or for Applescript and Automator Apps one builds oneself.

Thanks Eau Rouge!

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