If you want hidden files to stay visible even after restarting your computer, use the Terminal application : Open (found in /Applications/Utilities/ ).
Some macOS versions mark symlinks with a special attribute that hides them from the GUI. show hidden finder link
You can also create a symbolic link (symlink) or an alias to a hidden folder and place it in your Finder sidebar. If you want hidden files to stay visible
In this article, we will stop asking "What is the Finder?" and start asking We will walk you through multiple methods to reveal these links, from the simple toggle switch to advanced Terminal commands that reveal even more hidden paths Apple doesn't want you to see. In this article, we will stop asking "What is the Finder
to make this change permanent, or are you looking for a review of a specific third-party app that adds a button for this?
In the macOS ecosystem, “hidden” doesn’t just mean files starting with a dot ( . ). It also refers to symlinks (symbolic links), aliases, and even network drive shortcuts that macOS sometimes treats as invisible due to permission flags or system attributes.
Understanding when you might need to access hidden files helps contextualize these methods: