How To Search Files On Mac For Certain Text

Active7 years, 8 months ago

Hit the search option from the Start menu, toggle the Advanced Search option from the right-hand corner, and use the drop-down fields to narrow your search: Advertisement On a Mac, Spotlight has. Enter word, phone number, contact name on the search bar to search text messages/iMessages. You can also click Restore to PC to view the messages on PC or Restore to Device to share the messages to other iPhone. To search a specific text, you can input the texter's name, phone number or email partially in the search box at the right corner of the interface. Save iPhone Text Messages on Computer. Users are free to choose which messages or files to recover.

I want to find some text inside binary files. Is it possible to do in Finder (it skips binary even if I set up 'All kinds' of file types)? Otherwise I would be thankful for utility that can do it.

PS: I need to search among many files in directory.

brigadirbrigadir

3 Answers

You should use the strings application in the Terminal.

From Wikipedia:

How To Search Files On Computer

In computer software, strings is a program in Unix-like operating systems that finds and prints text strings embedded in binary files such as executables.

I'm not aware of any way to use Finder to search for text in binary files.

michaelmichaelmichaelmichael
2,9631 gold badge19 silver badges24 bronze badges

After some digging on Google I found EasyFind.app. This app can search in selected or all file types.

brigadirbrigadir

How To Search Files On Mediafire

How To Search Files On Mac For Certain Text
garygary

We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a one-line answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed.

How To Search Files On Mac For Certain Text To Speech

You must log in to answer this question.

How To Search Files On Windows 10

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged macsearch .