How to open a .plist file (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Q: Why can't I open my .plist file?

Usually your computer lacks an app that understands Property List. Install one of the apps listed here, or convert the file to a more common format.

A .plist file is a Apple Property List. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads Property List yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.

Open a .plist file step by step

Confirm the file really is a .plist. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
On Windows, open it with plist Editor or text editor (XML form).
On Mac, use Xcode or plutil (command line).
On Linux, try Python (plistlib) or text editor (XML form).
Still stuck? Convert the .plist to xml, which opens more widely.

Best apps to open .plist files

Windows

plist Editor
text editor (XML form)

macOS

Xcode
plutil (command line)
text editor

Linux

Python (plistlib)
text editor (XML form)

Before you open it: Safe. A property list is configuration data. It stores settings, not executable code.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I open my .plist file?

Almost always because no installed app understands Property List. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.

How do I open a .plist file?

An XML plist opens in any text editor. For a binary plist, use Xcode, run plutil -convert xml1 file.plist on a Mac, or read it in Python with plistlib.

What is a binary plist?

A compact binary form of a property list that starts with the bytes bplist00. It is smaller and faster than XML but not human-readable until converted.