How to show hidden files on a Mac
Press Shift-Command-Period in Finder to show hidden files on a Mac, and again to hide them. What those files are, which ones are safe to touch, and the Library folder.
In any Finder window, press ⇧⌘. (Shift-Command-Period). Hidden files and folders appear, slightly dimmed. Press the same keys again to hide them. The shortcut also works in every Open and Save dialog.
Show them permanently
In Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
killall Finder
Replace true with false to go back. Most people are better off with the shortcut: seeing every hidden file all the time makes folders noisy.
What those hidden files are
| Name | What it is | Safe to delete? |
|---|---|---|
.DS_Store |
Finder’s view settings for that folder | yes, Finder recreates it |
.localized |
tells macOS to show the folder name in your language | leave it |
._filename |
Mac file details, on drives formatted for Windows | yes, on a USB stick shared with a PC |
.Trashes, .Spotlight-V100, .fseventsd |
Trash, search index and file events of a drive | no |
.git, .env, .zshrc |
developer and shell settings | only if you know what they do |
A dot at the start of the name is what makes a file hidden on macOS. Folders like ~/Library are hidden with a flag instead, and don’t need a dot.
Open the Library folder
Hold ⌥ (Option) and click the Go menu in Finder: Library appears in the list. Or press ⇧⌘G and type ~/Library. It holds app settings, caches and support files. Deleting inside it can reset or break apps: move files to the Trash, don’t empty it until you’ve checked the app still works.
Hide a file yourself
In Terminal, chflags hidden ~/Desktop/private hides a file or folder; chflags nohidden shows it again. Renaming a file to start with a dot also hides it, but Finder refuses that name; Terminal’s mv does it.
Hidden files and sorting
Hidden system files belong where they are: a tool that sorts folders should leave them alone.
Sort the files you can see
DeclutrDeclutr sorts Downloads, the Desktop or any folder into category folders by file type: Documents, Images, Videos, Audio, Archives, Apps, Code & Scripts, 3D Models and more. It leaves hidden system files where they are and stops to ask before a folder that looks sensitive. One Undo button puts every file back. The sort is free; Pro, a one-time $8.99 purchase in the US, adds watched folders, scheduled cleanups and rules. It needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Related: how to organize files on a Mac and how to free up disk space on a Mac.
Questions people ask
How do I show hidden files on a Mac?
In a Finder window, press Shift-Command-Period (⇧⌘.). Hidden files and folders appear dimmed. Press the same keys again to hide them. It also works in Open and Save dialogs.
How do I show hidden files permanently on a Mac?
In Terminal, run defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true, then killall Finder. To undo it, run the same command with false.
What is the .DS_Store file on a Mac?
A hidden file Finder creates in each folder to remember its view settings: icon positions, sort order, window size. It is harmless and safe to delete; Finder makes a new one when needed.
How do I open the Library folder on a Mac?
In Finder, click the Go menu while holding Option: Library appears in the list. Or press Shift-Command-G and type ~/Library.