MATLAB MAT-file file signature
Magic number at the start of the file · MATLAB 5.0
A version 5 MATLAB .mat file opens with the ASCII text header MATLAB 5.0 MAT-file. Newer version 7.3 MAT files are HDF5 and carry the HDF5 signature instead.
What this magic number means
A magic number is a short, fixed run of bytes at a known position that tells a program what a file really is, no matter what the filename says. If a file starts with the bytes 4D 41 54 4C 41 42 20 35 2E 30 (the text MATLAB 5.0), it is a MATLAB MAT-file file.
Formats that use the 4D 41 54 4C signature
These file types in our database carry this signature:
How to check a file's signature
You can read the first bytes of any file yourself. The magic bytes are shown in hex, the same way this page lists them.
Linux & macOS
- xxd -l 16 example.mat
- hexdump -C -n 16 example.mat
- file example.mat
Windows (PowerShell)
- Format-Hex -Path example.mat -Count 16
Python
- open("example.mat","rb").read(10).hex()
In your browser
- Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MATLAB MAT-file file signature?
MATLAB MAT-file files start with the hex bytes 4D 41 54 4C 41 42 20 35 2E 30 (MATLAB 5.0 in ASCII). This magic number identifies the format regardless of the file's name or extension.
How do I check a file's magic number?
Open the file in a hex editor, or run a command such as xxd -l 16 example.mat on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.mat -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.
Can a file fake the MATLAB MAT-file signature?
Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine MATLAB MAT-file file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really MATLAB MAT-file, whatever its name says.