Show Hidden Files on Mac: How to View These Items on MacOS?

MacOS, like other operating systems, hides some files to protect important files from being deleted and prevent system corruption. But sometimes you may need to access "hidden" files on your Mac, such as editing system files or application settings, manually cleaning up the system, troubleshooting, and more. This article will explain how to show hidden files and search for hidden files on your Mac, including using Finder apps and Mac terminal apps.

Why does Mac hide files?

There are many reasons why your computer hides files. Typically, your device removes some important information to help your Mac run as a whole. In other cases, you may want to show hidden files because of their read or edit settings. The owner may choose to hide content containing sensitive information, and you may not have the necessary permission to view them.

Sometimes, files may be hidden on your Mac because they haven't been used for a long time. You can still search for these files, but for example, they won't appear in your "recent use" until you reopen them.

How to view hidden files on Mac?

You can display hidden files on your Mac in a variety of ways, including the following:

1. Use shortcut keys to display files in Finder
2. View hidden files on your Mac through the terminal
3. Check the ~/Library folder of Mac
4. Show hidden files in Commander One
5. Show hidden folders using AppleScript

Let us introduce each method in more detail.

1. Use shortcut keys to display the file in Finder

The easiest way to show hidden files on your device is to use the Show hidden files shortcut key. Follow these steps to use shortcut keys on your Mac:

1. In macOS's Finder, go to any folder where hidden files may be placed (for example, the Macintosh root directory).
2. Press Shift Command (⌘) period to switch and view hidden files immediately.

The following is an example of the Macintosh HD directory after the hidden file is visible:

2. View hidden files on your Mac through the terminal

Terminal is a standard Apple application that can be found in Launchpad. This application helps perform various tasks on your Mac using special commands, including the ability to display hidden files on your Mac. To find and make hidden files on your Mac accessible, follow these steps:

1. Open through Activity Monitor or Spotlight. Searching in Spotlight is the easiest way to do it.
Copy and paste the following command into the terminal window, omitting the end period:
2. • defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true killall Finder.
To hide the file, you need to repeat this.

3. Check the ~/Library folder of Mac

To view hidden files on your Mac via ~/Library, you need to open Finder or click on Desktop. Then, follow the steps below:

Go to the
1. Menu bar and select Go to > Go to folder . Alternatively, press Ctrl Shift G on the keyboard to access the Go to Folder menu.
Enter
2. ~/Library as the path.

4. Show hidden files in Commander One

Commander One is a third-party file manager for macOS. It's especially easy to view hidden files in Commander One, as this app has a special switcher for this operation in its upper panel. Here's how to show hidden files in Commander One:

Open
1. Commander One.
Click the
2. Switcher icon ; it is located on the far left of the middle of the page.
3. View the file on the left.

After clicking the switcher, you can see everything that is usually not visible and delete what you want.

5. Use AppleScript to show hidden folders

AppleScript is a scripting language used in macOS. It can be viewed and edited in a program called Script Editor. In our example, its practical application is to display hidden files and folders in macOS by creating commands. However, this method may be more complex than the one described above. For those who use it for the first time, the following detailed instructions will help with the task:

1. Open the Script Editor application from Launchpad.
2. Click the New Document button.
3. Paste the code shown in the screenshot below (step 2) into the editor window (omit the period at the end!).
4. Click the Run button.
5. Click TrueShow hidden files, click FalseHide them.
6. Save this file for later use.

Use our tips to show hidden folders on your Mac and delete them

It is much easier to find hidden files on your computer than you think, and you have a variety of options – choose the one you think is easiest to use. After viewing the file, you can delete any unwanted files. However, you must be careful. Deleting important files can damage your operating system and void your warranty, so don't touch anything unless you know exactly what you want to modify. We recommend that you use third-party tools that can safely delete files and folders from your device rather than relying on limited technical experience.

MacKeeper's Safe Cleanup

solution allows you to do this, and you can get one action for free. So, it's worth a try. Frequently Asked Questions about Hidden Files and Folders on MacBook

1. How to view all files on your Mac?

The easiest way to view all files on a Mac is to use the

Shift Command (⌘) period

keyboard shortcuts. If you want to find files quickly, you need to use Spotlight, a built-in macOS search tool. You can call the Spotlight window from the menu bar on the right (magnifying glass icon) or use

Command Space

. Another way to find a file is to contact Finder Explorer for help. To do this, open the app and enter the query of interest in the search bar located in the upper right corner.

2. How to permanently display hidden files on your Mac?

To permanently show hidden files on your Mac, you should open a terminal, type

sudo chflags nohidden

, and press Enter. After moving files that appear in the terminal, you can now view them anytime. 3. How to view hidden files on SD card on my Mac?

Whenever you insert an SD card or connect another data store to your Mac, it appears in the left panel of "Position" in Finder. If you go to that location and press

Shift Command (⌘) period

, you will be able to see hidden files on the SD card, USB drive, or external hard drive. 4. How to find large hidden files on your Mac?

You can use the same tricks in this guide to find large and small hidden files. Again, the best way is to go through the

Shift Command (⌘) period on the keyboard.

5. How to delete hidden files on your Mac?

First of all, you need to understand that some files are hidden in macOS to protect them from being deleted. Deleting them can damage the entire computer.

However, some hidden files are useless residual files that take up a lot of storage space. Use specialized software (e.g. MacKeeper) to delete junk files without corruption of important files.

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