In the
macOS
macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
operating system, .DS_Store is a file that stores custom attributes of its containing
folder, such as folder view options,
icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
positions, and other visual information. The name is an abbreviation of ''Desktop Services Store'',
reflecting its purpose. It is created and maintained by the
Finder application in every folder, and has functions similar to the file
desktop.ini in
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
. Starting with a period character, it is
hidden in Finder and many Unix utilities. Its internal structure is