# How to Show Hidden Files on Mac

> Press Command + Shift + . in Finder to see hidden files on a Mac. How to keep them visible, reach ~/Library, and tell which hidden items are safe to delete.

Published: 2026-11-09

To show hidden files on a Mac, open a Finder window and press `Command + Shift + .` (period). Hidden items appear dimmed, and the same keys hide them again. It works in Finder and in most Open and Save dialogs, and it changes only what you see, not the files. The rest of this page covers the permanent setting, Terminal, how to reach `~/Library`, and which hidden items are safe to touch.

## Three ways to see them

| You want | Do this | Lasts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A quick look in Finder | `Command + Shift + .` | Until you press it again |
| Finder to always show them | The `defaults` command below | Until you delete the setting |
| A list with names and flags | `ls -a` or `ls -lO` in Terminal | That one command |

The permanent setting needs Finder to restart, which closes and reopens its windows:

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

To return to the default:

```bash
defaults delete com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles
killall Finder
```

Most people are better off with the shortcut. With everything always visible, every folder fills up with `.DS_Store` and `.localized`, which makes it easier to drag or delete the wrong thing.

## Why a file is hidden

macOS hides an item for one of two reasons. Its name starts with a period, like `.zshrc`, which is the old Unix convention. Or it carries the `hidden` flag, which is how `~/Library` stays out of sight even though its name is ordinary. In Terminal, `ls -a` reveals both kinds and `ls -lO` prints the flag:

```bash
ls -a ~
ls -lO ~ | grep hidden
```

You can set the flag yourself. This removes it from `~/Library`, so the folder stays visible in your home folder:

```bash
chflags nohidden ~/Library
```

`chflags hidden` on a path puts it back out of sight. It hides the item from Finder only, so it is not privacy: `ls -a` and any app with access can still read it.

## Getting to ~/Library and other hidden folders

You do not have to reveal everything to open one folder. In Finder, hold `Option` and open the **Go** menu, and **Library** appears in the list. For any other path, press `Command + Shift + G` to open **Go to Folder** and type it, for example `~/.config` or `/private/var/log`. [What is in the Library folder](https://mole.fit/blog/mac-library-folder-explained) covers what each folder under `~/Library` holds.

## What the hidden items are

| Item | What it is | Can it go |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `.DS_Store` | Finder's view settings for that folder | Yes, Finder writes a new one, and you lose that folder's icon positions and view |
| `.localized` | An empty marker that lets a folder show a translated name | Leave it, it takes no space |
| `~/.Trash` | The contents of your Trash | Empty it through Finder |
| `.zshrc`, `.zprofile`, `.gitconfig` | Your shell and tool settings | No, unless you know what is in them |
| `.ssh`, `.gnupg` | Private keys and known hosts | No, losing a key can lock you out of servers |
| `~/.npm`, `~/.cache`, `~/.cargo`, `~/.gradle` | Developer tool caches and packages | Often, through the tool's own clean command |
| `/private`, `/usr`, `/bin` | Parts of the operating system | No |

A hidden folder that holds many gigabytes is usually one of the developer folders. To see the biggest items in your home folder, hidden ones included:

```bash
du -hd 1 ~ 2>/dev/null | sort -h | tail -20
```

macOS may ask whether Terminal can read Desktop, Documents or other protected folders while this runs. Saying no only makes those figures smaller.

## What not to do

- Do not delete a dot folder because its name means nothing to you. `.ssh` and an app's config folder look exactly like a cache.
- Do not run a command that removes every `.DS_Store` on the disk to save space. They are tiny, and Finder writes them back.
- Do not leave the permanent setting on if you share the Mac with someone less used to it. A dragged system file is easy to miss.
- Do not rely on `chflags hidden` to protect anything private.

## Where Mole fits

[Mole](https://mole.fit/)'s **Analyze** tab already includes hidden items, with no shortcut to press, so a large `~/.docker` or `~/.gradle` shows up beside your ordinary folders, and most dot-folders draw with a dimmed list icon. Hover a row or tile and known folders carry a short note saying what they hold. Moving something to the Trash is your choice from the right-click menu, and Finder's Put Back undoes it. A few Apple index folders at the very top of the disk, such as `.Spotlight-V100` and `.fseventsd`, are left out of that top level. Analyze refuses the head of the tree, such as `~/Library` itself, and it does not list system areas such as `/private` at all.

## FAQ

### Why does Command + Shift + . do nothing?

Click in a Finder window first so Finder is the active app, and use the period key on the main keyboard. In a folder with no hidden items, nothing will change. Some apps draw their own file dialogs, where the shortcut does not apply.

### How do I hide the files again?

Press `Command + Shift + .` again. If you used the `defaults` command, run the delete command above, followed by `killall Finder`.

### Does showing hidden files slow the Mac down?

No. It changes which items Finder draws in a list. Nothing is moved, and no file changes.

### Is it safe to delete hidden files?

Some are and some are not, which is why the name alone is not enough. Find out what owns the file first, and prefer the owning tool's clean command. Move it to the Trash rather than deleting it outright, so you can put it back if something stops working.

### How do I show hidden files in an Open or Save dialog?

Press `Command + Shift + .` while the dialog is open. The items appear dimmed in the list, and you can select them there.

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