Sunday, November 3, 2024
Archived Post

How to hide (and ‘unhide’) folders in macOS Sierra

Have some private files that you don’t want to risk anyone else seeing? You canhide ‘em with macOS Sierra, though you’ll have to use Terminal. The tool provides text-based access to the operating system, in contrast to the mostly graphical nature of the user experience of macOS, so not everyone wants to tamper with it.

However, if you’re willing to use Terminal, here’s how you hide your files:

Press the Command and Space keys simultaneously. Type the word “Terminal” and press Enter. A terminal window will open.

In the window, type in this command: chflags hidden

Press the space key.

Drag the file or folder you want to hide from the Finder and drop it/them into the terminal window. (The Finder is the home base for your Mac. You use it to organize and access almost everything on your Mac, including documents, images, movies, and any other files you have.)

When you want the hidden files to reappear, you’ll have to use Terminal once more. Open the app and in the open window:

Type in the following command

chflags nohidden

Press the space key.

Drag the file or folder you would like to unhide from the Finder and drop into the terminal window then press Enter.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.