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Answers · Finding files on a Mac

How do I search hidden files and system folders on a Mac?

Spotlight skips hidden files, Library folders and most system locations. In Finder you can show hidden files with ⌘ ⇧ . (period). Trawl searches the whole disk by name, including dotfiles like .zshrc and system folders, in under a second.

The built-in way (free)

  1. In Finder press ⌘ ⇧ . to show hidden files.
  2. In Terminal, find / -name "hosts" 2>/dev/null searches everything (slowly).

With Trawl

  1. Type the name, for example ".zshrc" or "hosts".
  2. System and app-internal results appear under the Sys key.

Questions

Why does Trawl need Full Disk Access?

macOS protects Mail, Messages, Safari data and some system folders. Full Disk Access lets Trawl see them. You can grant it in System Settings > Privacy & Security.

Describe it. Trawl finds it.

Files, photos, recordings, every browser and your clipboard, searched by meaning on your Mac. Your day, hour by hour. Nothing uploaded.

Download for Mac2 days free · macOS 26+ · Apple silicon

Related

Updated 2026-10-11.