How to Show / Hide Hidden Files in the Finder (Mac OS X)

By default, Mac OS X hide all the Hidden Files. For those familiar with Unix files and folders, you have probably noticed that folder like /usr, /bin, /etc do not show up in finder. Besides, files that start with a dot like .bash_history also out of your sight.

Is it possible to make those hidden files work in Finder? The answer is Yes. We can easily show the hidden files by using simple terminal command.

To show all the hidden files:-

• Launch Terminal
• Type “defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE” (without the quote)
• Type “killall Finder”(without the quote) to restart the Finder

After that, you will realize that all the hidden files are show on your Finder.

To hire the Hidden Files:-

• Launch Terminal
• Type “defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE”(without the quote)
• Type “killall Finder”(without the quote) to restart the Finder

Done!