Top 5 Ways to View Hidden Files on Mac

Have you ever wondered why macOS consumes GBs of space? The operating system comes with native macOS default apps as well as files and folders to make the Mac system work as intended. Apple hides these files and folders from a consumer for good reason. Such files are very unlikely to be deleted or removed and prevent users from accidentally messing up basic operating system functions. However, there may be times when you need to see hidden files on Mac.

Power users can access hidden files on Mac to fix OS glitches and bugs. You can also remove some of the irrelevant files and free up Mac storage. However, we do not recommend deleting hidden files on Mac unless you know what you are doing.

There are multiple ways to view hidden files and folders on Mac. Read on to learn how to access hidden files on Mac.

1. Use a Keyboard Shortcut in the Finder App

This is the easiest way to see hidden files in the Finder app. On Mac, just open the Finder app.

Press Command + Shift + keys. (Period) and you will notice that hidden files appear partially transparent in the selected folder.

Use the same keyboard shortcut to hide hidden files and remove them from the main view.

2. Use Library Folder in Finder Menu

While the above trick applies to all folders on the macOS system, users cannot see hidden files from the Library menu. The library menu itself is hidden from the Finder on Mac.

The Library folder mostly contains macOS system files and automatically saved versions of Microsoft Office documents. Browsing the library menu is useful when you aim to find old Word or Excel documents.

We’ve seen users encounter random crashes in Office apps on Mac right in the middle of the job. In such cases, you can view hidden files from the Library menu and pull the saved version of Office documents.

Here’s how to do it.

Stage 1: On Mac, open the Finder menu.

Step 2: Click Go in the menu bar.

Stage 3: Select Go to Folder from the menu below.

Step 4: Medicine /Library and hit the Go button at the bottom.

You will see the Library folder appearing in the Finder menu. Using this method you will not need to use Command + Shift +. (Dot) keys to control hidden folders in the library menu.

If this is too much for you, we have an alternative method. Follow the steps below.

Stage 1: On Mac, open the Finder menu.

Step 2: Hold down the Option key and select Go in the menu bar.

Stage 3: You will see the Library folder appearing at the bottom of the main menu.

Step 4: Click on it and open the Library menu on Mac.

This much. You will see all the hidden files in the Library folder on Mac.

3. Find Hidden Files on Macintosh HD

There is also another Library folder in the Finder menu. Apple hid it in the Macintosh HD section of the Finder menu. The Macintosh HD folder itself is hidden in the Finder menu. Here’s how to access it.

Stage 1: Open Finder on Mac.

Step 2: Click on Finder at the top and choose Preferences.

Stage 3: Select Sidebar in the Preferences menu.

Step 4: You will find your Mac listed under the Locations option.

Step 5: Activate the checkbox next to it.

Step 6: You will see your Mac appear in the Finder sidebar menu.

Step 7: Open it and select Macintosh HD from the menu below.

Step 8: In the Macintosh HD menu, you will see the Applications, Library, System and Users folders.

Step 9: Press Command + Shift + keys. (Period) and you will see all hidden files and folders.

You will find the third library folder here in the System menu. It contains all the files required for macOS to run.

4. Viewing Hidden Folders Using Terminal

Another way to view hidden folders and files on Mac is to use the Terminal app.

Stage 1: Press Command + Space and open the Spotlight Search menu.

Step 2: Search for Terminal and open the app.

Stage 3: Run the script below.

defaults com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles writes true

press enter

lethal Finder

Now Finder will show hidden files and folders on your Mac. These files and folders appear more transparent and paler than non-hidden folders on a Mac.

To go back, open the Terminal application and type the following command with the value False.

defaults com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles writes false

press enter

lethal Finder

5. Use Third-Party File Manager on Mac

If the above-mentioned methods seem too complicated to you, there is another way to find hidden files.

You can easily view hidden files on Mac by using third-party File Manager or Finder alternatives like Forklift or Commander One.

Commander One app as it is one of the best Finder alternatives for Mac. It also works flawlessly as an FTP client on Mac.

Go through the steps below.

Stage 1: Download Commander One from the official website.

Download Commander One for Mac

Step 2: Install the app on Mac and open it.

Stage 3: Select the View menu at the top.

Step 4: Click Show Hidden Files from the drop-down menu.

You’ll soon see transparent files appearing in the Commander One app.

Remove Hidden Duplicate Files Using Third-Party Software

Some users may want to see hidden folders to check for duplicate files and remove them to free up storage space on Mac. If you are one of them, we have a better solution for you.

Using Duplicate File Finder Remover, you can easily scan Mac to find and remove duplicate files from the machine. No need to go through a long process to access and delete duplicate files on Mac.

Follow the steps below.

Stage 1: Download Duplicate File Finder from the Mac App Store.

Download Duplicate File Finder for Mac

Step 2: Open the app and import the folder you want to scan.

Stage 3: Hit the scan button and let the app find all the duplicate files in the specific folder.

The application will provide an overview of the data that can be removed. Repeat the steps for all folders on the Mac and you’re good to go with some free storage.

Access Hidden Files and Folders on Mac

There are multiple ways to check hidden files and folders on Mac. Several GT team members use a third-party file manager or Macintosh HD folder on Mac to view hidden files on Mac. If you only want to access hidden files to free up storage space on Mac, you can also get help from a file cleaner app.

Which method will you use? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Next: Want to further optimize your Mac? Read the post below to find the seven best macOS apps to beautify your Mac.