Binary property list file signature
Magic number at the start of the file · bplist00
A binary Apple property list starts with the ASCII magic bplist00. Property lists in the XML form instead begin with the <?xml declaration.
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 62 70 6C 69 73 74 30 30 (the text bplist00), it is a Binary property list file.
Formats that use the 62 70 6C 69 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.plist
- hexdump -C -n 16 example.plist
- file example.plist
Windows (PowerShell)
- Format-Hex -Path example.plist -Count 16
Python
- open("example.plist","rb").read(8).hex()
In your browser
- Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Binary property list file signature?
Binary property list files start with the hex bytes 62 70 6C 69 73 74 30 30 (bplist00 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.plist on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.plist -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.
Can a file fake the Binary property list signature?
Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine Binary property list file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really Binary property list, whatever its name says.