Opening a PLIST File

The PLIST file type is primarily associated with Xcode.

PLIST	File extension: PLIST
	File type:	property list

What is a PLIST file?

PLIST files mostly belong to Xcode by Apple. PLIST is the file extension used by a macOS Property List file. It is used by the macOS operating system to store properties and configuration settings for application programs or components of macOS. PLIST files are found in both XML and binary formats. PLIST files in the XML format can be opened and edited using a text editor, but binary PLIST files require specific utilities to view and edit their contents. The Property List Editor included with Apple's Developer Tools package can edit binary PLIST files. The plutil command-line tool allows checking the syntax of PLIST files and converting them between the XML and binary formats. plutil -convert xml1 file.plist converts a PLIST file from binary to XML, and plutil -convert binary1 file.plist converts it from XML to binary. A common file name for PLIST files is Info.PLIST. The file Info.PLIST is located in the root directory of a macOS application bundle.

How to open a PLIST file

You need a suitable software like Xcode to open a PLIST file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your PLIST file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a PLIST file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online PLIST File Viewer

Choose your .plist file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to extract texts from PLIST files or capture a screenshot to PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...

You can extract texts from PLIST file or capture a preview screenshot using our online PLIST file viewer:

To do so, click the "Choose your .plist file to view" button above.
After your file is opened in browser,
click "Save as..." in the menu.
Then choose the file format (e.g. JPG, PDF, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
Your file will be converted and downloaded.

Programs that open and convert PLIST files:

Xcode by Apple
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. PLIST files are often referred to as Xcode settings because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
918KISS (property list) by 918KissMalaysia
918Kiss, formerly known as SCR888, is one of the popular online gambling platforms developed by 918KissMalaysia and mostly used in countries of Southeast Asia - Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This online gambling platform offers various types of games, like - slot games, card games, and arcade games. The PLIST file is a property list file that contains properties and configuration settings for the iOS version. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: Review, Guide, Tips and Tricks
Battle for the Galaxy (property list) by AMT Games
Battle for the Galaxy is a free-to-play massive multiplayer online strategy game developed by AMT Games as a mixture of base building, resource management, and strategic combat. Players must build and expand their bases and military force powerful enough to fight enemies, loot resources, and earn medals in this real-time sci-fi game. The PLIST file is a property list file that comes with the iOS version of this game. It contains properties and configuration settings. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: General Tips, Game Info, Battle for the Galaxy Gameplay Walkthrough Video
BetterTouchTool (property list) by folivora.AI
BetterTouchTool is a free application developed by folivora.AI and designed for customizing various input devices on Mac computers. This application configures many gestures for Magic Mouse, Macbook Trackpad, Magic Trackpad, regular mouse, keyboard, and Touch Bar. The PLIST file is a property list file that contains properties and configuration settings. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: Documentation, Community, Blog
iOS Hacktivation Toolkit (property list) by Khevinski
iOS Hacktivation Toolkit is a iOS activation lock bypass free software written by developer Khevinsky and designed to run on Linux. Hacktivation is the process of bypassing the standard Apple activation process, which is needed when the user does not have an eligible SIM card available. The PLIST file is a property list file that contains properties and configuration settings. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: Hacktivation Wiki, Forum Discussion, Community
OmniGraffle (property list) by The Omni Group
OmniGraffle is a comprehensive, professional diagramming, drawing, and digital illustration software developed by The Omni Group for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. It is a visual communication software designed to present complicated ideas in a precise way. OmniGraffle provides several tools for creating professional vector graphics and wireframes to explore ideas accurately. The PLIST file is a property list file that contains properties and configuration settings for this software. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: OmniGraffle on Wikipedia, Forum Thread, Guide
Safari (property list) by Apple
Safari is a free internet browser developed by Apple and designed to run specifically on Apple devices. It is primarily based on the WebKit engine and is considered the world's fastest internet browser. Safari is well known for its robust customization options, good privacy protection, and longest battery life. The PLIST file is a property list file that contains properties and configuration settings. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: User Guide, Safari on Wikipedia, History.plist Wiki
SnapChat (property list) by Snap
Snapchat is an instant multimedia messaging application and service developed by Snap for sharing photos, videos, text, and drawings using mobile phones. Any picture, video, or message sent by Snapchat is available to the receiver for a short time before it becomes inaccessible. The PLIST file is a property list file that contains properties and configuration settings for the iOS version. It also contains all user message data. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: SnapChat PLIST File, Understanding Apple’s Binary Property List Format, Snapchat on Wikipedia

PLIST file format details:

The file format, which is the arrangement and type of data in a file, determines which program can open the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. If the file extension or signature does not match the file format, errors will occur when opening or editing the file. Knowledge is power - this also applies when dealing with unknown or faulty files. Below you will find our evaluation of the PLIST files:

PLIST is a very common file type and covers different formats for different programs. However, the following two file formats are common:

45% of all PLIST files belong to Apple Property List. The files are using the common file format plist. A property list file is a structured text file that contains user's settings or macOS apps configuration. They consist of illegible, cryptic characters. PLIST files can be up to 73 MB in size, but are often around 100 bytes - 45 KB. It is a modern file type. Several words can almost always be found in the files, e.g. bplist00. The file name Info.plist is typical for these files. These files are attributed to apple, group, manifest, properties, facebook, backup, status and cache.
30% of all PLIST files are XML Property List files, which are using the popular XML file format. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a simple text-based format for representing structured information: documents, webpages, data, configuration, books, transactions, invoices, and much more. XML defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. These files are plain text, which means they can be viewed with any text editor such as Windows Editor, Nano for Linux, and TextEdit for macOS. The files are on average 1 KB in size and range from 260 bytes to 27 KB. The keywords <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>, <plist version="1.0">, <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> and <dict> are typical for these files. Examples of file names are Info.plist or BuildVersionHistory.plist. Files like these are sometimes connected to config, history, build, adjustment, volume and messages.

All other PLIST files (25%) have different formats, the following 21 formats can be found: JFIF, PNG, MP4, XML, JSON, Mac2OSX, GZIP, SQL, HTML, Filter, resource, bgplist and momv. The category is extension, google, configuration, tunes, cloud or mobile. Drag & drop your file here to see the file format and a preview of your PLIST file!

Technical Data for PLIST File Extension

File classification:

Settings

Related files:

iwa, db, sqlite, dylib, documentidentifier, nib, pkginfo, sqlitedb, mdbackup, zip, json, webarchive, ipcc, txt, xml, webhistory, mapsdata, csb, ipa, callplanlist, cp

Mime type:

application/x-plist, text/xml

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: FrontPage.list
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~3\Office10\FRONTPG.EXE

ProgramID: FrontPage.list
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~4\Office10\FRONTPG.EXE

a plist property list is a special file format by Apple and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with PLIST files

Associate the PLIST file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open property lists. Because only the current version supports the latest PLIST file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the Apple manufacturer website after an available Xcode update.
To make sure that your PLIST file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .PLIST file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.