How to Hide /Show Hidden Files on Mac : Since the beginning on personal computers we’ve locked our folders and files in order to hide them from other users. Hiding a large number of files makes the UI appear cleaner and better controlled.
If you’ve been using the macOS for quite a while and are now comfortable with it, you may not be aware of how to hide or unhide folders and files. It’s because you’re not able to do this via the menu bar as you do on Windows. In macOS you must make use of an alias key combination or terminal command to hide or show obscure files in Mac.
This guide will guide you through the steps to conceal your files on an Mac computer.
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How do you hide or show hidden Files in Mac?
Here are all the ways that you can utilize to conceal or display hidden files On Mac. The steps are fairly simple and we’re sure you’ll be getting knack of it within a matter of minutes. To hide or unhide documents on Mac,
Utilizing an Shortcut Key Combination
The easiest method of hiding or unhiding files on Mac is to use the shortcut key combination. So, with just few clicks, you are able to show or hide the file on the computer according to preferences.
In this regard,
- Browse to the folder that you’d like to see the files that are hidden.
- After that, press Command and Shift. (period) together.
These hidden files will be apparent. - To conceal the folders and files To hide the folders and files, use the combination of Command + Shift + . (period) again.
By using the terminal
There are commands you can type to hide and reveal documents on your Mac using the terminal. But, if you’d like to hide only one file, the process to do this is a bit different.
We have outlined all the crucial actions you need to take in the following paragraphs:
- Use the combination of Command plus Space to open your Spotlight.
- Log in and enter the the terminal..
- Cut and copy the following codes , then hit Enter after each one of them:
defaults to write com.apple.Finder Apple Show All Files true kill all Finder - Enter
exit
to close the terminal when you’re done.
To decrypt the files, you’ll need work with the terminal too. For this,
- Use the combination of Command and Space to launch the Spotlight.
- Enter your information and then enter the The Terminal.
- Paste in the codes below and hit Enter after each of them:
defaults to write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles is false
killall Finder
- Use the keyboard
exit
to end the terminal after you’re done.
But, if you wish to hide just one directory or file
- Use the combination of Command+Space to open the Spotlight.
- Enter your information and then head to the terminal..
- Paste and copy the code below:
Chflags hidden
- The file can be dropped from Finder in the terminal.
- Then, press Enterto block this file.
- Use the keyboard
exit
to close the terminal when you’re done. This is How to Hide /Show Hidden Files on Mac.
Utilizing Third-Party Software
If you’re not happy with the above methods You can choose to utilize third-party software to simplify things for you. We do not recommend to our readers to use third-party apps but in certain situations, these apps appear to be more efficient than conventional methods to know How to Hide /Show Hidden Files on Mac is very easy if you operate third-party software.
Also Read : How to Check Your CPU Cores and Threads in Windows
Some third-party programs are not trustworthy, and some may be used to get your system. But, after conducting our research, we discovered the following: Forklift, Fman, Total Finder, and Commander One are among the most well-known Mac software for managing files available currently.
Are there hidden files on Mac?
How to Hide /Show Hidden Files on Mac : When you de-hide previously hidden data for the first-time on an Mac PC, you could be surprised to find a huge amount of data that was hiding prior to. These are crucial OS files that are pre-hidden straight out of the box.
These files are hidden with only one purpose: to keep your OS running smoothly and functional. They are there to ensure an appropriate security level, as the deletion of the files in a single instance could have a significant impact on the way your computer functions.
We recommend that not to alter or erase the files on your computer and How to Hide /Show Hidden Files on Mac you have read. Let them be just as they are since that’ll be the best choice for you.