How to View, Show or Delete Hidden Files on Mac Properly

January 28, 2022Ashley Mae

My MacBook becomes slower and slower, but I have cleaned up the space, my friend suggests viewing hidden files, but how to show them on Mac? There are hidden files on Mac. Most of them are system and app files. Moreover, the malware hides the files on your hard drive too. Anyway, this guide tells you how to show and view hidden files on Mac laptops and computers. So that you can manage and control your storage easily.

Show Hidden Files Mac

Part 1: Why Files Might Be Hidden on Mac

It is essential to understand why a part of files is hidden on Mac. In some cases, these files are involved with the system running including libraries and files, backend directories, and many more. The removal of these files can lead to serious problems, such as system crashes.

However, sometimes you need to view the hidden files or even access the hidden files in order to fix software errors. Of course, it is a way to make some space on your Mac by deleting hidden files if you know what they are exactly.

Part 2: How to Show Hidden Files on Mac

There are three ways to show hidden files on Mac without extra apps. The built-in Finder and Terminal apps can meet your need. You can follow our steps below to get what you want easily.

Way 1: How to View Hidden Files in Finder

Step 1.
Click on the Finder icon on the Dock or double-click the Finder app in the Applications folder.
Step 2.
Head to the Macintosh HD folder under Locations on the left side of the Finder app.

Tip: If you cannot find the Macintosh HD folder, go to the Finder menu, and choose Preferences. Head to the Sidebar tab on the Preferences dialog, check the box next to your computer name.

Find Folder
Step 3.
Press Command + Shift + **. Keys on your keyboard at the same time. Now, you can view the hidden files on Mac. When you want to stop showing hidden files on Mac, press the button combination again.
Show Hidden

Way 2: How to Show Hidden Files in Library Folder

Hidden Library
Step 1.
To view the hidden files in the Library folder, fire up the Finder app.
Step 2.
Head to the Go menu, and choose Go to Folder on the top ribbon. Enter ~/Library and click Go to open the Library folder. Then press the Command + Shift + **. keys at the same time to show hidden files in the Library folder.
Step 3.
To access the System Library folder, open the Macintosh HD folder in the Finder app, and open the System folder. Hold down the Command + Shift + **. Keys. Now, you will see the hidden files in the System Library folder.

Way 3: How to Show Hidden Files by Terminal

Hidden Library
Step 1.
If you cannot find the hidden files in the Finder app, open the Terminal app instead. You can search for the terminal in the Search bar and open it from the result list.
Terminal App
Step 2.
Copy the command defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true, paste into the Terminal app and hit the Return key on your keyboard.
Command Line
Step 3.
Next, type killall Finder into the Terminal, and press the Return key again. Now, you can view the hidden files on Mac similar to normal files.

Note: To hide files again, perform the defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles false in the Terminal app.

Part 3: Ultimate Way to Show and Delete Hidden Mac Files

As mentioned previously, deleting hidden files on Mac could cause significant problems. In some cases, you have to delete hidden files to fix software errors or malfunction. Moreover, you need to manually delete the hidden files installed by a malware. Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner can help you simplify the job without technical skills

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How to Show and Delete Hidden Files on Mac

Step 1. Install Mac Cleaner
When you need to delete hidden files on Mac, download and install the best Mac Cleaner on your laptop or computer. Then launch it and you will be presented with three options, Status, Cleaner, and Toolkit. Go to the Cleaner tab, and choose the Large & Old Files option to move on.
Main Interface
Step 2. Scan hidden files
Click on the Scan button to begin looking for hidden files on your Mac immediately. When data scanning is done, click the View button to enter the preview window. Here you can browse the files according to the file size or date. You can also quickly locate the hidden file by entering the keyword in the Search bar.
Scan Large Old Files
Step 3. Delete hidden files
Make sure to tick the checkbox in front of each hidden file that you intend to delete. As long as you are ready, click on the clean button to initiate deleting hidden files on Mac. It may take a while if you delete a lot of files. When the process finishes, you will find your Mac works normally and the malfunction disappears.
Clear Large Old Files

Note: To prevent data loss and software issues, you'd better make a backup for the target hidden files. For example, you can make a copy on a flash drive or cloud server. If something wrong happens after deleting, move the copy to the original directory.

Part 4: FAQs about Showing Hidden Files on Mac

How to hide files on Mac?

Apple has introduced the ability to hide a file or a folder in Mac. To prevent others from reading your private files, put them into a single folder. Open the Terminal app, type in the command chflags hidden, and drag and drop the target folder into the Terminal app. Now, the folder is hidden. You'd better write down the directory.

How to find the Minecraft folder on Mac?

Open your Finder app, click and expand the Go menu, and select Go to Folder. Copy and paste ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft into the box and press the Go button. Then the Minecraft folder will open on your screen.

How to clear temporary files on Mac?

Firstly, quit out of all actively open apps on your Mac. Run the Finder app, and hold down the SHIFT key on Sierra or OPTION/ALT key on earlier systems as well as pull down the Go menu at the same time. Choose Library on the list, find and open the Caches folder. Now, you can delete caches and temporary files according to your need.

Conclusion

This guide has discussed how to show and view hidden files on Mac. Most hidden files are related to the system running. Of course, you can hide your private documents on Mac too. There are multiple ways to view all hidden files on your hard drive and you can follow our guide to get what you want. Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner can delete hidden files on Mac easily. More questions? Please leave a message below this post.

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