Apple Property List (plist) Format Guide
Reference for Apple property list format in XML and binary forms for macOS/iOS configuration.
Supported Types
Property lists support a limited set of types: strings, numbers, booleans, dates, data (base64), arrays, and dictionaries. The XML plist format uses specific tags for each type. The binary plist format is more compact and faster to parse. ASCII plist is a legacy format still occasionally seen. Plists are used for macOS app bundles, iOS settings, and system configuration.
- types
- String, number, bool, date, data
- XML plist
- Human-readable
- binary plist
- Compact and fast
array, dict<plist version="1.0">bplist00 headerTools and Usage
The plutil command-line tool converts between plist formats and validates structure. Xcode provides a visual plist editor. Plists store Info.plist metadata for apps, preferences, and system configuration. The format is specific to Apple platforms but parsers exist for other languages. JSON plists are supported in modern macOS as an alternative format.
- plutil
- CLI conversion/validation
- Info.plist
- App metadata
- preferences
- User settings
plutil -convert jsonbundle configuration~/Library/Preferences