In OS X Leopard, we can easily find running applications although their windows are closed. However, I don't see the same feature in Lion. For example, I close the window of Skype. The application is still running but hidden, which can not be seen on Mission Control. So the first step in hunting for hidden preferences is to dump the program’s text strings into a file. To do that, you need to find the actual program code. Open Terminal, and type cd.
Updates
- Added shortcut method available on macOS Sierra keyboard.
- Method of showing/hiding hidden files tested and working on macOS Sierra.
- Method of showing/hiding hidden files tested and working on Mac OS X El Capitan.
It seems like every day I search Google for the command to show hidden files on Mac OS X, not to mention Googling for the command to then hide those hidden files a few minutes later.
Today I decided to make a short and easy to remember alias to speed up the process. All I need do now is type
showFiles
and hideFiles
whenever I need to show/hide OS X's hidden files. Here's how you can do it too.The Quickest Way to Show/Hide Hidden Files
Since the release of macOS Sierra, when in Finder, it is now possible to use the shortcut:
Press once to show hidden files and again to hide them. If you're using a version earlier than macOS Sierra, see Show/Hide Hidden Files using Terminal Aliases to setup a toggle command via terminal.
Thanks to Guido Schlabitz for making me aware of this new shortcut.
Show/Hide Hidden Files the Long Way
The long way to show hidden Mac OS X files is as follows:
How To Find Hidden Apps Macos Safari
- Open Terminal found in Finder > Applications > Utilities
- In Terminal, paste the following:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
- Press return
- Hold the 'Option/alt' key, then right click on the Finder icon in the dock and click Relaunch.
This will show all hidden files. To hide them again, follow the same steps but replace the Terminal command with:
It's not the longest set of instructions or the biggest command to commit to memory but if you're doing this a lot, it's worth spending a few minutes now to save yourself a lot more time in the future.
Show/Hide Hidden Files using Terminal Aliases
A Terminal alias is a name or shortcut for one or multiple commands. Using an easy to remember alias, we can turn the above four step process into just one.
An alias can be made temporarily (just for the use of one terminal session) or permanently. As we want this to be a shortcut used now and in the future, let's make it permanent:
- Open Terminal found in Finder > Applications > Utilities
- In Terminal, paste the following:
sudo nano ~/.bash_profile
- Enter your Mac's administration password if required, then hit return
- At the bottom of the open .bash_profile file, paste the following:
alias showFiles='defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'
- Below that, paste the following:
alias hideFiles='defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'
- Press ctrl + O and hit return to save the file
- Press ctrl + X to exit the file and return to the command line
- In Terminal, paste the following:
source ~/.bash_profile
to refresh your profile and make the aliases available
Now when you want to show hidden files, all you need type in Terminal is
showFiles
, then hideFiles
when you want to hide them.If you want to modify the behaviour or alias names, let's take a closer look at the commands you just added:
alias
tells Terminal we're adding a new alias.showFiles
is the name of the alias. Change this to what you wish.We then give the alias two commands. The first being:
This is the command to show hidden files and is ended with a semi-colon
;
so we can then use the second command:This will relaunch the Finder (to replicate the step of holding the 'Option/alt' key then right clicking the Finder icon in the dock).
Conclusion
With the aliases set up, all you need do in the future is type
showFiles
and hideFiles
to show and hide Mac OS X's hidden files respectively.Aliases can be used to speed up your interaction with the Terminal. Set up an alias for navigating to your most used directories, to commit to a GitHub repo and so on.
Ian Lunn is a Front-end Developer with 12 years commercial experience, author of CSS3 Foundations, and graduate of Internet Technology. He creates successful websites that are fast, easy to use, and built with best practices.
How to find the Applications folder on a Mac? It is relatively straightforward.
Either to go the top-level Finder menu, then along to the Go dropdown.
Scroll down and click on Applications. This should open a folder containing the files and shortcuts of every app you’ve ever downloaded or own/use by default.
Other ways to access the folder include running a Spotlight or Siri search, or accessing it using any keyboard or mousepad shortcuts you've got in place.
Now, within this folder, you should be able to find every app you’ve ever downloaded. Only native macOS apps can’t be removed. But everything else is easy to delete. If your Mac isn’t performing as good as it once did, take the time to go through and drag into Trash anything that is taking up space you’d prefer to reassign to something else.
Find your Application folder via Launchpad
There are two kinds of Mac users: one kind prefer Finder, others trust in Launchpad. Launchpad is a classic Mac feature and is worth praise for its looks alone. You can find and delete your apps right from there.
Launchpad trick: Can you make your apps dance?
When you click on the Launchpad icon in the Dock you will see your apps and your widgets.
Hold the Command key and click on any app — the apps will start shaking
Click on the hovering [X] to delete any app you want
Hold the Command key and click on any app — the apps will start shaking
Click on the hovering [X] to delete any app you want
![How to find hidden apps macos high sierra How to find hidden apps macos high sierra](/uploads/1/3/4/0/134041643/306755285.png)
Mac Os Find Mac Address
How to find hidden Applications
As a matter of fact, some of your apps don't show up in either Finder or Launchpad. Such apps could be small supporting programs or intentionally stealth software. But as the saying goes, there's no lock without a key. There are tools to see your hidden apps and folder and some are even free to download, like CleanMyMac X by MacPaw.
This highly popular tool comes with a tool called 'Space Lens.' This is another way to find your Applications folder if you don't like browsing the Finder. With its help, you can visualize your entire storage and uncover all your files and folders.
This highly popular tool comes with a tool called 'Space Lens.' This is another way to find your Applications folder if you don't like browsing the Finder. With its help, you can visualize your entire storage and uncover all your files and folders.
- Download CleanMyMac X (get it for free here) and launch the app.
- Choose Space Lens.
- Click Run to build your storage map.
- Choose Applications folder.
Find Mac Os Version
Occasionally, a Mac user can lose or misplace a folder from where it was situated in the Finder sidebar - and some will also place this folder in the Dock. Here is how you can put the folder back where it belongs.
How to restore a missing Applications folder?
- Go to the Finder menu.
- Select Preferences.
- Choose the Sidebar tab within Preferences.
- Re-check the option to show Applications in the Finder Sidebar.
- Now it should show up again in the Finder Sidebar and Dock.
With access restored, it should be easier to manage the applications you need - and those you don't - in your Mac.
![Mac os must have apps Mac os must have apps](/uploads/1/3/4/0/134041643/507084198.png)
I hope you find this article useful. Thanks for reading!