PLIST file format: what it is and how to use it

Property lists are Apple's configuration format: XML or binary trees of settings, metadata and structured data everywhere in macOS and iOS. Learn when to use it and what to choose instead.

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What is a PLIST file?

A .plist file is a property list, Apple's serialization format for structured data: dictionaries, arrays, strings, numbers, dates, data blobs and booleans stored either as readable XML or compact binary. Every Info.plist in an app bundle, every preference macOS stores, the whole configuration nervous system of Apple's OSes runs on plists.

When should you use PLIST?

  • macOS/iOS development: Info.plist, entitlements, preferences, required, not optional.
  • Apple-system configuration: launchd jobs, profiles, app settings.
  • Reading device metadata: backups, provisioning and app internals expose it.

When is another format a better fit?

Outside Apple's world, JSON or YAML is the universal answer, and plist buys you nothing there. Inside it, plist is unavoidable. plutil converts between its XML and binary forms; the binary variant is what most system files actually contain.

The short version: PLIST is Apple's settings DNA. Edit it inside the ecosystem, and convert to JSON to read it like everyone else.

How to open a PLIST file

On Windows

Double-click the file, or open it with Any text editor.

On macOS

Xcode opens PLIST files on macOS.

In your browser

Open PLIST files right in a browser tab or with the dexrr viewer. No install, no upload.

Also opens in

  • Xcode
  • Any text editor
  • plutil

View or convert PLIST files

A quick preview or a new format. No install, no upload.

View PLIST files Preview and inspect PLIST files Convert to PLIST Turn files into PLIST PLIST to XML eXtensible Markup Language PLIST to JSON JavaScript Object Notation PLIST to YAML YAML

PLIST technical details

Full name
Property List
Extensions
.plist
MIME type
application/x-plist, application/xml
Magic bytes
3C 3F 78 6D 6C (XML) / binary bplist00
Compression
None (uncompressed)
Developer
Apple / NeXT
Specification
developer.apple.com

PLIST questions, answered

How do I open a .plist file?

Xcode and any editor read XML plists; plutil -p decodes binary ones. dexrr displays and converts plist files directly in your browser.

Can I convert PLIST files online?

Yes, dexrr converts plist locally in your browser: PLIST to JSON for inspection or between its XML and binary forms.

Is PLIST better than JSON?

Inside Apple's ecosystem it is required; outside it, JSON is simpler and universal. plist is a platform format, not a general choice.

Why can't I read my .plist in a text editor?

It is probably the binary variant. Convert it to XML with plutil -convert xml1 first, then it is readable.

Is the PLIST format outdated?

No, it remains the core configuration format of macOS and iOS, in both its XML and binary forms.