docs-maui/docs/macios/system-special-folders.md

title	description	ms.date
System special folders on Mac Catalyst	Learn about how the .NET Environment.GetFolderPath API behavior differs between macOS and Mac Catalyst.	07/19/2024

System special folders on Mac Catalyst

The xref:System.Environment.GetFolderPath%2A API returns the path to the system special folder that's identified by the xref:System.Environment.SpecialFolder enumeration. However, its behavior is different between macOS and Mac Catalyst. The following table provides a comparison of its behavior between macOS and Mac Catalyst for all supported xref:System.Environment.SpecialFolder enumeration values:

Environment.SpecialFolder Enum value	Returned path on macOS	Returned path on Mac Catalyst
AdminTools
ApplicationData	$HOME/Library/Application Support	$HOME/Documents/.config
CDBurning
CommonAdminTools
CommonApplicationData	/usr/share	/usr/share
CommonDesktopDirectory
CommonDocuments
CommonMusic
CommonOemLinks
CommonPictures
CommonProgramFiles
CommonProgramFilesX86
CommonPrograms
CommonStartMenu
CommonStartup
CommonTemplates	/usr/share/templates	/usr/share/templates
CommonVideos
Cookies
Desktop	$HOME/Desktop	$HOME/Documents/Desktop
DesktopDirectory	$HOME/Desktop	$HOME/Documents/Desktop
Favorites	$HOME/Library/Favorites	$HOME/Library/Favorites
Fonts	$HOME/Library/Fonts	$HOME/Documents/.fonts
History
InternetCache	$HOME/Library/Caches	$HOME/Library/Caches
LocalApplicationData	$HOME/Library/Application Support	$HOME/Documents
LocalizedResources
MyComputer
MyDocuments	$HOME/Documents	$HOME/Documents
MyMusic	$HOME/Music	$HOME/Documents/Music
MyPictures	$HOME/Pictures	$HOME/Documents/Pictures
MyVideos	$HOME/Movies	$HOME/Documents/Videos
NetworkShortcuts
Personal	$HOME/Documents	$HOME/Documents
PrinterShortcuts
ProgramFiles	/Applications	$HOME/Applications
ProgramFilesX86
Programs
Recent
Resources		$HOME/Library
SendTo
StartMenu
Startup
System	/System
SystemX86
Templates	$HOME/Templates	$HOME/Documents/Templates
UserProfile	$HOME	$HOME
Windows

The returned system paths for ApplicationData, Desktop, DesktopDirectory, Fonts, LocalApplicationData, MyMusic, MyPictures, MyVideos, ProgramFiles, System, and Templates differ between macOS and Mac Catalyst. This is because by design Mac Catalyst matches the behavior of iOS.

[!IMPORTANT] The $HOME path differs between apps which have the App Sandbox capability enabled or disabled. In a sandboxed environment $HOME resolves to /Users/<username>/Library/Containers/<bundle-id>/Data, while in a non-sandboxed environment it resolves to /Users/<username>. For more information about capabilities, see Mac Catalyst capabilities.

Match macOS behavior on Mac Catalyst

If you need to match macOS app behavior and use the same system paths on Mac Catalyst, the recommended way of obtaining such paths is shown below:

• Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.ApplicationSupportDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.DesktopDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.DesktopDirectory

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.DesktopDirectory, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.DesktopDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.Fonts

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Fonts, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use Path.Combine(new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.LibraryDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path, "Fonts").

• Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.ApplicationSupportDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.MyMusic

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyMusic, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.MusicDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.MyPictures

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyPictures, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.PicturesDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.MyVideos

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyVideos, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use new NSFileManager().GetUrls(NSSearchPathDirectory.MoviesDirectory, NSSearchPathDomain.User)[0].Path.

• Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use "/Applications".

• Environment.SpecialFolder.System

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use "/System".

• Environment.SpecialFolder.Templates

  Instead of Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Templates, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.None), use Path.Combine(NSFileManager.HomeDirectory, "Templates").