Deep within macOS there is a system folder where you can find product images of all Macs (made since 2000). This system folder contains high quality icons of iMacs, MacBooks, Mac Pros, Mac minis and Mac servers. In addition there are images of the iPhone, iPod and system images used by macOS.
In the past, this folder has also regularly ‘leaked’ the introduction of new products. It is therefore a folder that is closely monitored when a macOS update is available.
Why does Apple hide old product images in macOS?
The images are fun to look at once and a feast of recognition if you have been a Mac user for a while. But what are these images actually for? The images are used by macOS to identify products.
For example, you’ll see a picture of your Mac in  â–¸ About Mac â–¸ Display. In addition, the pictures are also used when you connect to another Mac over the network. The Mac you’re connecting to is identified, and the Finder shows you a corresponding picture of the connected Mac.
If you are connecting to a Windows PC, Apple has also added a special image for this. These machines are displayed as an old CRT monitor with the infamous blue screen (blue screen of death).
How to find hidden product images in macOS Finder
If you want to see all the product images in the system folder, you can find them in macOS Finder. Follow the steps below to open the folder:
- Open Finder
- Click on ‘Macintosh HD’
- Go to System â–¸ Library â–¸ CoreServices
- Find and right-click on CoreTypes.bundle, select ‘Show Package Contents’
- Then click on Contents â–¸ Resources
Open the hidden product images folder with Terminal
It is also possible to open the folder directly using macOS Terminal (Applications â–¸ Utilities). Copy and paste the command below into the Terminal window.
$open /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources
After executing the command, the system folder with the product images will be opened immediately.