How do I show hidden files on a Mac?

In Finder, press Command-Shift-Period; press it again to hide them. In Peekaboo the same keys work everywhere in the app.

Why can’t Spotlight find hidden files?

Spotlight skips most hidden files and folders. Peekaboo’s hidden: token and Search Everywhere read the disk directly, so they find what the index doesn’t list.

Is it safe to show hidden files?

Showing them changes nothing. Editing or deleting them can break apps or settings, so leave the ones you don’t recognise alone.

Does it show files that hold passwords?

It lists them, marked with a lock, and never previews their contents.

Peekaboo · Hidden files

See and search the hidden files on your Mac

Finder can show hidden files, but its search and Spotlight still mostly skip them. Peekaboo shows them with the same keys, and its search can walk the disk to find the ones Spotlight never indexed.

Download free trial14 days free · macOS 14+ · Added in 0.1.0 · Updated November 7, 2026

What it does

Finder’s keys: ⇧⌘. shows hidden files in every folder in the app, and stays on until you press it again.
Search that finds them: Add hidden: to a search to include hidden files. Search Everywhere walks the whole disk for files Spotlight doesn’t index, hidden ones included while Show Hidden Files is on.
Dotfiles, in groups: With developer features on, Dotfiles & Config gathers the settings files tools keep in your home folder: shell, Git, SSH and keys, package managers, editors, cloud and containers, and Library folders.
Secrets stay closed: Files that hold keys or tokens are marked with a lock and never previewed.

How to use it

1Press ⇧⌘. to show hidden files.⇧⌘.
2Search with hidden: and a name, like “hidden: zshrc”, or browse a folder.
3Or turn on developer features and open Dotfiles & Config.⌥⇧⌘.

When another app fits better

If you only need a hidden file for a minute, Finder’s own ⇧⌘. does it, and our guide covers the rest. If you edit dotfiles all day, a terminal and your editor are the real tools; for a two-pane file manager that shows hidden files per window, look at [ForkLift](/alternatives/forklift/) or [Path Finder](/alternatives/path-finder/).

Questions

How do I show hidden files on a Mac?: In Finder, press Command-Shift-Period; press it again to hide them. In Peekaboo the same keys work everywhere in the app.
Why can’t Spotlight find hidden files?: Spotlight skips most hidden files and folders. Peekaboo’s hidden: token and Search Everywhere read the disk directly, so they find what the index doesn’t list.
Is it safe to show hidden files?: Showing them changes nothing. Editing or deleting them can break apps or settings, so leave the ones you don’t recognise alone.
Does it show files that hold passwords?: It lists them, marked with a lock, and never previews their contents.