How to Show Hidden Files on Mac?: Resolving Your Tech Queries

People familiar with the Windows operating system often find operating MacBooks challenging. This is due to the different interfaces and functions in both operating systems, leading to new users who don’t know how to show hidden files on Mac. Performing the methods is not at all difficult. It is as simple as restarting the MacBook Pro.

At most, users are only familiar with one method, i.e., Command + Shift + (.) Period, but there are mainly 5 distinct methods to show hidden files on Mac, each having a different set of steps. Follow any of these methods to open hidden files. 

Going with the finder to view hidden files on Mac is the easiest approach with the least number of steps. You just need to follow these steps: 

• Head to the directory where you want to view hidden files on Mac.
• Press the keyboard shortcut “Command + Shift + . (period)”. All the hidden files will be displayed in a gray logo theme.
• Once the work is done, press “Command + Shift + . (period)” to hide files again. 

Rather than this, if you want to locate all the hidden files in one place, follow these steps:

• Click on Finder and go to the preferences to open Finder preferences. 

  

• In general, select the hard disk option to show on the desktop. 

  

• Now, open the root directory of the Mac, Macintosh HD folder, and press “Command + Shift + . (period)” to find all the hidden files on the Mac. 

  

Another method to reveal hidden files on Mac is via the Mac’s terminal, command-line interface panel. It allows the user to interact with the Mac operating system. Just follow these steps to show hidden files on Mac.

• Press “Command + Space Bar” to open the spotlight (search bar), type Terminal, and click the first search feature. 

  

• Once the command-line interface appears, type “defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true” and hit “Enter or Return key.”

  

• Now, type “killall Finder” and again press the “Enter or Return key.” All the hidden files will now be visible in their directories. 

  

• To again hide the files on your Mac, give the “defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE” command, followed by “killall Finder”.

  

Remember to enter the “killall Finder” command, or you will need to manually close or reopen the Finder before actually accessing the files. 

If you want to open a specific hidden file on the desktop without showing all the hidden files in the directories, you can opt for the following commands:

• Open the terminal on your Mac, enter the first command, “cd desktop”, and hit the “Enter or Return” key.

  

• Now enter “ls -a” to list all the hidden files in all the directories, but the files will still remain hidden. 

  

• To turn these hidden files to appear on the desktop, type “chflags nohidden [FILE NAME]”. Replace “[FILE NAME]” with the file’s name, or drag and drop the file. At last, press the “Enter or Return” key. 

  

• To again hide the file, type “chflags hidden” and drag and drop the file.

  

If you find the aforementioned methods challenging to execute, preferring a third-party file management program is a better choice. It makes the administration of stored files easier for users. 

One such program is named Forklift, a substitute management software program for Finder on Mac. To access the program on your device, download the software from the official site, “www.Binarynights.com.” 

Wondering “how to show hidden files on Mac with Forklift?” Follow these steps to unhide or hide files with Forklift:

• First launch or open the Forklift app on your Mac.
• Now, click the view option in the menu bar and hit the show hidden files option. It will show all the hidden files in the opened directory of your Mac.
• To again hide the revealed files, unselect the show hidden files option.

Disclaimer: 

This article is only for informational purposes. We don’t promote any use of third-party management software, as it may lead to the installation of malware and viruses on your device. Use these software programs at your own risk. 

Apart from hiding and unhiding files with a single click, the programs are used to perform a plethora of management tasks like renaming, transferring, syncing, and previewing files.  

Why are Some Files Hidden on Mac?

Apple kept some system files hidden in the MacBook to avoid any accidental deletion or renaming. Any tempering with these files can conversely impact the performance and functionality of the device. The development team of Apple purposely hides these files to maintain system stability and security on Mac devices. 

Most of the time, users don’t even notice these files, even while performing crucial tasks that require the use of these files. 

Bottom Line

Any new MacBook user finds it difficult to get along with the operating system. Although performing certain tasks, like opening hidden files on a MacBook, includes additional steps as compared to the Windows operating system, the overall optimization of the MacBook is better. Users can also access the hidden files in directories with a combination of keyboard keys. 

Remember that making any changes to these files may result in negatively affecting the performance and functionality of your MacBook.