Most files on your Mac have a file extension at the end of their name that helps people and applications know what type of file it is. By default, macOS hides these extensions, but you can show or hide them file by file. That's how.
First: meet the master switch
Before trying to show or hide individual file extensions, you should know if Finder is set to show or hide all file extensions on your Mac.
To check, focus on Finder and select “Finder”> “preferences” in the menu bar. Click on “Advanced”, then see if “Show all file extensions” is checked or unchecked.
- If it is marked “Show all filename extensions”, you will see all filename extensions by default. There is no way to override this setting in individual files.
- If the option “Show all filename extensions” is not marked, you can override this preference and view the extensions individually, file by file, that we will discuss in the next section.
Regardless of configuration “Show all filename extensions”, it seems that the files saved in the folder “downloads” will always have their extension displayed. It is feasible to hide these extensions individually using the following method if “Show all filename extensions” is disabled. This is likely an Apple conscious security feature.
How to hide or show extensions in specific files
Next, explains how to show or hide an individual file extension if “Show all filename extensions” is disabled in Finder. First, locate the file whose extension you would like to show or hide in a Finder window. Select file, then choose “File”> ”Get information” in the menu bar. (Or you can press Command + i on your keyboard).
When the window appears “Get information”, scroll down until you see section “name and extension”. (Click on the carat next to the header to expand it if necessary). Subsequently, check the uncheck “hide extension”. If you uncheck it, the extension will be visible. If it's checked, the extension will be hidden.
If check or uncheck “hide extension” has no effect, then it is likely that “Show all filename extensions” is enabled in Finder. To see that option, see previous section. When it's over, close the file information window. Repeat as needed for any files whose extension you would like to see.
RELATED: What is a file extension?
