How do I choose my SSH key file when the .ssh folder is hidden?

Q: How do I choose my SSH key file when the .ssh folder is hidden?

Click Browse… next to Private key file in the SFTP form. The picker opens at your SSH keys folder with hidden files already visible, so you can choose files such as id_ed25519 directly. If you keep keys elsewhere, navigate there as usual; in any macOS file picker, pressing Shift-Command-Period shows or hides hidden files. Choose the private key — the file without .pub at the end. You can also type the path into the field.

Short answer: Click Browse… next to Private key file — the picker opens at your SSH keys folder with hidden files visible. Choose the private key (not the .pub file). In any Mac file picker, Shift-Command-Period toggles hidden files.

Click Browse… next to Private key file in the SFTP form. The picker opens at your SSH keys folder with hidden files already visible, so you can choose files such as id_ed25519 directly.

If you keep keys elsewhere, navigate there as usual; in any macOS file picker, pressing Shift-Command-Period shows or hides hidden files. Choose the private key — the file without .pub at the end. You can also type the path into the field.

Last reviewed October 1, 2026

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How do I choose my SSH key file when the .ssh folder is hidden?

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