How to hide files and folders on macOS

When you group up a caller Mac, you’re instructed to support it locked down pinch a password, a Touch ID, and / aliases an Apple Watch authorization. But you can’t guarantee that your macOS strategy will only beryllium seen by you and you alone. Maybe your kids want to get your MacBook to play a crippled aliases you want to show a friend the photos and videos of your latest trip. How do you forestall them from accidentally opening folders aliases files that you want to support private?

These scenarios are wherever hidden files and folders travel into play. They won’t show up successful Finder during regular strategy browsing — and pinch the thief of a third-party program, you tin fastener them distant down a password, too.

There are a fewer ways to hide files and folders utilizing devices that travel pinch macOS. But earlier you do immoderate of these, you want to beryllium capable to spot immoderate presently hidden files. Press Shift+Cmd+. (period) successful Finder. Any hidden files and record names will show up arsenic faded but visible.

Then, to hide immoderate different files aliases file, you tin simply adhd a play to the commencement of its name:

Like different hidden files, the renamed record aliases files will look faded but still beryllium visible. To hide them all, property Shift+Cmd+. connected the keyboard again.

To unhide them, you conscionable request to rename the files and folders again without the period, though you will request to restart Finder to spot the difference. Open up the Terminal utility, participate “killall Finder,” and past deed Enter.

You tin besides hide and unhide files and folders done the Terminal interface if you don’t want to rename them pinch periods. You tin motorboat Terminal by searching for it successful Spotlight (Cmd+Space) aliases done the Utilities files successful Applications successful Finder.

To unhide a file, repetition the steps pinch the chflags nohidden command. You whitethorn request the Shift+Cmd+. shortcut to make the record aliases files visible truthful you tin resistance it across.

This is comparatively speedy and easy, but not each that unafraid — anyone who knows the Shift+Cmd+. shortcut tin spot your hidden files. If you request a much broad file-hiding option, you’ll request to move to a third-party tool.

Funter is free and really well-designed, but it fundamentally conscionable does the aforesaid occupation arsenic the Terminal and Finder keyboard shortcuts, albeit successful a nicer interface that’s conveniently adjacent to hand. It lives up successful the paper barroom astatine the apical of the macOS interface, and you tin usage it to show aliases conceal hidden files via a elemental toggle switch. You tin besides hunt for hidden files, which tin travel successful useful if you’ve hidden files distant and forgotten wherever connected your strategy you’ve put them.

If you want to fastener definite files and folders distant connected macOS, truthful they can’t beryllium seen without a password, past Encrypto is the champion action I’ve travel across. It’s free to instal and use, and it couldn’t beryllium overmuch much straightforward:

You’ll past get a 2nd encrypted record — pinch the files aliases files locked distant wrong it — which you tin prevention anyplace you for illustration connected your system. Encrypto besides includes easy sharing options if you request to nonstop these files aliases folders to personification else.

To bring backmost the information you’ve locked away, double-click the encrypted record you’ve created. You’ll beryllium prompted for the password, which past decrypts the hidden files, and lets you prevention them wherever you want again.

For other privacy, you could create an encrypted locker of files pinch Encrypto, past hide it utilizing the options built into Finder aliases Terminal. Even if personification should travel crossed the hidden package, they won’t beryllium capable to get into it without the password.