macOS 27 compared with macOS 26: We rewrote this guide on macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo): it now has 3 steps instead of 4. The macOS 26 page keeps the steps and screenshots as they were.

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-show-hidden-files-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

In this guide

Open a Finder window
Press Shift + Command + . (full stop)
Press the same keys to hide them again
If you do not see this option
If this does not work
Good to know
Sources

Quick answer

In a Finder window, press Shift + Command + . (full stop). Hidden files and folders, such as Library and .zshrc, appear dimmed. Press the same keys again to hide them.

3 of 3 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device: Mac
Shown on: macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)
App: Finder
Real screenshots: 3 of 3 steps
Checked: October 2026
Sources: 1 official, linked below

Step by step

Zoomed in on the setting. Tap to see the whole screenTap the picture to see it full size
Open a Finder window
Go to the folder you want to look in, for example your home folder.
On our MacBook Neo, the home folder sits in the sidebar under Locations, between iCloud Drive and Macintosh HD, and shows Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Movies, Music, Pictures, Public and Applications.
Done
Zoomed in on the setting. Tap to see the whole screenTap the picture to see it full size
Press Shift + Command + . (full stop)
Hidden items appear, dimmed next to your normal folders. Apple's keyboard shortcut list does not include this one; we used it on our MacBook Neo with macOS 27.0.1.
On our MacBook Neo, the home folder then showed Library, .cache, .CFUserTextEncoding, .local, .swiftpm, .zsh_history and .zshrc.
Done
Zoomed in on the setting. Tap to see the whole screenTap the picture to see it full size
Press the same keys to hide them again
Leave hidden items hidden in daily use.
On our MacBook Neo, they disappeared straight away, leaving only the normal folders such as Public and Applications.
Done

What we saw on our device

Open a Finder window: On our MacBook Neo, the home folder sits in the sidebar under Locations, between iCloud Drive and Macintosh HD, and shows Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Movies, Music, Pictures, Public and Applications.
Press Shift + Command + . (full stop): On our MacBook Neo, the home folder then showed Library, .cache, .CFUserTextEncoding, .local, .swiftpm, .zsh_history and .zshrc.
Press the same keys to hide them again: On our MacBook Neo, they disappeared straight away, leaving only the normal folders such as Public and Applications.

If you do not see this option

Your home folder is not under Favorites On our MacBook Neo it is listed under Locations in the Finder sidebar, below iCloud Drive and above Macintosh HD, with your user name.
Some items are cut off at the edge If the window is narrow, names such as Pictures are cut off. Widen the Finder window or scroll to see every hidden item.

If this does not work

Nothing changes when you press the keys Click inside the Finder window first so Finder is the active app; Finder appears next to the Apple menu in the menu bar. Then press Shift, Command and the full stop key together.
The hidden files stay visible Press Shift + Command + . again. On our MacBook Neo the hidden items vanished as soon as the keys were pressed a second time.
The items look grey or faded That is normal. Hidden items are shown dimmed so you can tell them apart from your everyday files and folders.

About this guide

macOS hides system files and folders, many with names that start with a dot, so they are not changed by accident. Sometimes you need to see them, for example to edit a settings file or find what is using space.

Screenshots: MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1, dark mode.