How do I view hidden files on a Mac?

To view hidden files on a Mac, do the following:

  1. Open the Terminal (picture below shows where to find it).


     
  2. Type the following into the terminal, without the quotation marks: “defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES”.
  3. Hit the Return key on your keyboard.
  4. Restart Finder. (Follow the numbers on the screenshot below)


     
  5. You can now see hidden files. To undo this action, repeat Steps 1 to 4 but replace the “YES” part in Step 2 with a “NO”. (Do not include the quotation marks)
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