Show/Hide Hidden Files using Terminal Aliases

Do you find yourself frequently searching for the commands to show and hide hidden files on your Mac? If so, you're in luck! Today I'll be sharing a simple and easy-to-remember way to speed up this process using terminal aliases.

'show hidden files'

To begin, open Terminal. You can find it in Finder > Applications > Utilities. Once opened, paste the following command: `defaults write AppleShowAllFiles YES killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app`. Then, press Enter and enter your Mac's administration password if required.

Next, you'll need to save this change by pressing `ctrl + O` and hitting Return. Finally, exit Terminal by pressing `ctrl + X`.

Creating a Permanent Alias

To make this process even quicker, we can create an alias that will allow us to show or hide hidden files with just one command. An alias is essentially a shortcut for one or multiple commands.

To create the alias, open Terminal and paste the following: `sudo nano ~/.bash_profile`. This will open your `.bash_profile` file in the Nano editor.

Add the following lines to the file:

```

alias showFiles='defaults write AppleShowAllFiles YES killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'

alias hideFiles='defaults write AppleShowAllFiles NO killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'

```

Save and exit the file by pressing `ctrl + O` and hitting Return, then `ctrl + X`.

Using Your New Alias

To show hidden files, simply type `showFiles` in Terminal and press Enter. To hide them again, replace `showFiles` with `hideFiles`. That's it!

If you're using a version of macOS earlier than Sierra, you can still set up a toggle command via Terminal. See our separate article for more information.

The Quickest Way to Show/Hide Hidden Files

Since the release of macOS Sierra, it is now possible to use the shortcut `CMD + SHIFT + .` to show or hide hidden files directly in Finder.

With this new alias, all you need do now is type `showFiles` and `hideFiles` whenever you need to show or hide OS X's hidden files. No more searching Google for the command!

Thanks to Guido Schlabitz for making me aware of this new shortcut. Happy computing!

Show hidden files