If you’re looking up how to show hidden files on Mac, it’s because macOS hides a whole layer of them from you by default — mostly system and configuration files, the kind of thing you’d only accidentally break by poking around in them. Most of the time that’s exactly what you want. But sometimes you genuinely need to see them — installing certain developer tools, editing a config file, or troubleshooting something specific — and Finder simply doesn’t show them unless you ask. Let’s go through how.

How to Show Hidden Files on Mac: The Fastest Way

In any Finder window, press Command + Shift + period (.). That’s it — hidden files and folders appear immediately, shown slightly grayed-out so you can still tell them apart from regular files. Press the same shortcut again to hide them.

This works across current versions of macOS and is genuinely the method worth remembering — no menus, no settings, just one shortcut you can use anywhere in Finder. It sits alongside Finder’s other display options, which Apple documents in its Finder preferences guide if you want to see everything else you can customize about how files are shown.

Why Are These Files Hidden in the First Place?

Files and folders that start with a period — like .git or .config — are treated as hidden by macOS (and by Unix-based systems generally, since macOS is built on one). This isn’t Apple hiding things from you arbitrarily; it’s a long-standing convention for marking files that are meant to be used by the system or by specific applications rather than edited directly by a regular user. Hiding them by default is mostly a safety measure — it’s much harder to accidentally delete or corrupt a config file you can’t see.

The Terminal Method (For a More Permanent Toggle)

If you’d rather have hidden files stay visible until you deliberately turn them back off — rather than toggling with a keyboard shortcut each time — Terminal offers a more persistent option:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
killall Finder

Running this makes hidden files stay visible across Finder windows and restarts, until you reverse it with the same command using false instead of true. This is worth knowing if you’re doing extended work that involves hidden files regularly, but for a one-off look, the keyboard shortcut is faster and doesn’t require Terminal at all.

A Word of Caution Once You Can See Them

Being able to see hidden files doesn’t mean you should start editing or deleting them casually. Many of these are genuinely load-bearing for macOS or for specific apps, and modifying the wrong one can cause real problems. Look, but don’t touch anything you don’t specifically understand the purpose of — the same caution applies if you’re using Terminal for other Mac troubleshooting, like force quitting a stuck app with killall or pkill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Command + Shift + period is genuinely the only shortcut worth memorizing here — everything else is optional depth for when you need it. And if it’s a frozen app rather than a hidden file giving you trouble on the same Mac, our Mac force quit guide covers all five ways to close it safely.

Thumula Basura Suraweera

I’m a tech-savvy writer and passionate software engineer who loves exploring the intersection of technology and creativity. Whether it’s building efficient systems or breaking down complex tech topics into simple words, I enjoy making technology accessible and useful for everyone.