How to Show Hidden Files and Folders on a Mac: 4 Simple Methods

This wikiHow teaches you how to view and unhide hidden files and folders on your Mac by using Finder, the Terminal app, or third-party file manager apps. We’ll also go over how to find the Library folder , which is hidden by default in macOS. Just keep in mind that editing, renaming, or deleting hidden files on your Mac can cause serious issues, so be very careful about making any changes.

Things You Should Know

To reveal hidden files in Finder, go to Go > Computer > Macintosh HD and press Shift + Command + . (period).
In Terminal, enter the command “defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true”, then “killall Finder”.
Use third-party file managers for quick and easy access to hidden files and folders.
Reveal the Library folder by opening Finder, then holding the Option key while clicking Go.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Finder

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Click on the

Finder icon on your Mac's Dock. This will open a new Finder window.
2
Click Go . It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Doing so opens a drop-down menu.
- If you don’t see Go at the top of your screen, double-check that you have the Finder window selected.
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3
Click Computer . This option is about halfway down the Go drop-down menu.
- You can also use the keyboard shortcut ⇧ Shift + ⌘ Command + C .
- If you want your computer to be visible in the Finder sidebar so you can access it more easily, click Finder in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select Settings and click the Sidebar tab. Check Computer (or your device’s name) and anything else you want displayed in the sidebar.
4
Double-click your hard drive's icon. It resembles a grey box.
- On most Macs, the hard drive is entitled "Macintosh HD".
5
Press Shift + Command + period. Pressing ⇧ Shift + ⌘ Command + . at the same time will display any hidden folders in your Mac's hard drive. Any hidden folders or files will appear as grayed-out.
- This keyboard shortcut can be done from any Finder window. The main Hard Drive folder usually contains hidden system files and folders so you should be able to see this better here when the hidden files are visible (grayed-out).
Use the same command again to make the files invisible.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making Hidden Files Visible

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1
Open Terminal. Click the Launchpad icon in your Dock (it looks like a square with a grid of colorful icons in it), then search for terminal . Click the

Terminal icon when it appears.
- You can also search by pressing ⌘ Command + Spacebar , then typing terminal into the Spotlight search bar.
Once you’ve entered this command, press return .
Press return again. You should now be able to see all the hidden files and folders in Finder .
To reverse the process and make the files invisible again, enter the same command you used before, but replace true with false . Press return .
Enter this command and press return again. This will re-hide the hidden files and folders.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Third-Party Tools

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1
Download a file manager app. File managers are third-party apps that allow you to easily browse, edit, and organize your files. Some popular options that can show hidden files include Commander One, TotalFinder, and ForkLift.
- Some file manager apps are free, while others may require you to pay to get access to all the features you want.
- You can install many file managers through the App Store , but you may need to download others from the web.
The way to reveal hidden files and folders will depend on the app you’re using. You may need to do this through the Options menu, by using a keyboard shortcut, or by clicking a button in the app’s menu bar.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Revealing Library Folders and Files

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Click the

Finder icon in the Dock to launch a new Finder window.
2
Hold ⌥ Option and click Go . While holding down the ⌥ Option key, click Go in the menu bar at the top of the screen. This will cause Library to become visible in the list of locations.
- You can also press and release ⌥ Option while the Go menu is open to toggle the Library option on and off.
3
Click Library to open it. While still holding down ⌥ Option , click on Library . This will open the Library folder in Finder .
- Alternatively, you can open Go , then select Go to Folder… . Type ~/Library into the text box and select the Library folder from the results to open it.
4
Drag Library to the sidebar to make it permanently visible (optional). If you want to make it easier to access the Library folder, click Library at the top of the Finder window . When the folder icon appears, click and drag it to the Finder sidebar . Drop it in whichever location you prefer (e.g., under the Favorites header).
- You can always hide Library from the Sidebar again by clicking it and dragging it outside of the Sidebar.

Expert Q&A

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Is it good to show hidden folders on your Mac?

Chiara Corsaro
Phone & Computer Repair Technician
Chiara Corsaro is the General Manager and Apple Certified Mac & iOS Technician for macVolks, Inc., an Apple Authorized Service Provider located in the San Francisco Bay Area. macVolks, Inc. was founded in 1990, is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating, and is part of the Apple Consultants Network (ACN).

Chiara Corsaro

Phone & Computer Repair Technician

Expert Answer

Revealing hidden files involves messing around in the Terminal, which is where the main system of the computer is located. If you accidentally move, open, or delete the wrong thing, you could render your system inoperable. There's really no good reason to do this.

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Question

How do I see the number of folders in a tree on a Mac?

Dishant Gusain

Community Answer

Enable the Finder "Status" bar, which can be enabled in the View menu or by pressing Command-forward slash on the keyboard.

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I have a virus called .dir but i dont know how to access the folder since its hidden. How do I access it if it's a hidden file?

Floris_Fireball

Community Answer

Some apps use .dir for good purposes. Make sure before you remove it! Follow the steps to show the hidden file, then right-click it and simply click "Move to Trash".

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Usual day-to-day usage of a Mac doesn’t require hidden files to be visible. After you have performed a task that requires these files to be shown, it is wise to hide them again to protect against any accidental damage. ^{[1]
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Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}

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If you’re looking for ways to free up space on your Mac, try safer alternatives like moving files to iCloud or setting your computer to automatically empty the trash bin.

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Warnings

It is possible to do serious damage to your programs and/or operating system if you incorrectly delete or change system files. Refrain from editing or removing these files. ^{[2]
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Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}

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How to Show Hidden Files and Folders on a Mac: 4 Simple Methods

Things You Should Know

Steps

Using Finder

Making Hidden Files Visible

Using Third-Party Tools

Revealing Library Folders and Files

Expert Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

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