How to Show Hidden Files and Folders on a Mac

Open Finder., Click Go., Click Computer., Double-click your hard drive's icon., Press ⇧ Shift+⌘ Command+.., Press ⇧ Shift+⌘ Command+., Open Terminal., Type chflags nohidden into Terminal., Click and drag a hidden file or folder into Terminal., Press...

11 Steps 1 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Open Finder.

    This app is a blue, face-shaped icon on your Mac's Dock. , It's in the top-left row of menu items.

    Doing so invokes a drop-down menu., This option is about halfway down the Go drop-down menu., It resembles a grey box.

    On most Macs, the hard drive is entitled "Macintosh HD". , This key combination 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). , again.

    This will hide the hidden files again, making them invisible., Click Spotlight , type in terminal, and click Terminal when it appears., Make sure you leave a space after nohidden., Dropping the item onto the Terminal window will place the item's pathway--which is essentially its address--directly after the "chflags nohidden" command., This will run the command, which removes the "hidden" status of your selected item., It should now open like a regular file or folder.
  2. Step 2: Click Go.

  3. Step 3: Click Computer.

  4. Step 4: Double-click your hard drive's icon.

  5. Step 5: Press ⇧ Shift+⌘ Command+..

  6. Step 6: Press ⇧ Shift+⌘ Command+.

  7. Step 7: Open Terminal.

  8. Step 8: Type chflags nohidden into Terminal.

  9. Step 9: Click and drag a hidden file or folder into Terminal.

  10. Step 10: Press ⏎ Return.

  11. Step 11: Double-click the item.

Detailed Guide

This app is a blue, face-shaped icon on your Mac's Dock. , It's in the top-left row of menu items.

Doing so invokes a drop-down menu., This option is about halfway down the Go drop-down menu., It resembles a grey box.

On most Macs, the hard drive is entitled "Macintosh HD". , This key combination 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). , again.

This will hide the hidden files again, making them invisible., Click Spotlight , type in terminal, and click Terminal when it appears., Make sure you leave a space after nohidden., Dropping the item onto the Terminal window will place the item's pathway--which is essentially its address--directly after the "chflags nohidden" command., This will run the command, which removes the "hidden" status of your selected item., It should now open like a regular file or folder.

About the Author

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Sandra Ross

Sandra Ross is an experienced writer with over 11 years of expertise in lifestyle and practical guides. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Sandra creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.

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