PLIST viewer
View an XML property list (.plist) as JSON. Binary plist (bplist00) is not supported. It needs a separate binary-format parser this tool does not implement. Runs on your device.
Runs on your device. The file is never uploaded.
PLIST viewer prints an XML property list as JSON, turning each dict into an object and true, false, string, integer and real into their JSON counterparts. A date or data element is kept under a __date or __data key, unparsed. A file starting with the bplist magic is refused, so convert it with plutil -convert xml1 first.
Questions
What does this show me?
The contents of an XML property list as JSON, pretty-printed with 2 spaces. Dictionaries become JSON objects, arrays become arrays, string, integer, real, true and false become their JSON equivalents. There are no options; drop the file and read the result.
Why does it refuse my .plist file?
Most likely because it is a binary plist. Files starting with the bplist magic are refused up front with a message saying only XML plists are supported and suggesting you re-export with plutil -convert xml1 first. Many macOS preference files are binary by default, so this is the common case.
What happens to date and data values?
They are kept, but wrapped so you can see what they were. A date element becomes an object with a __date key holding the text exactly as it appeared, and a data element becomes an object with a __data key holding its base64 text. Neither is parsed or decoded further.
Is this a real XML parser?
No, and that is deliberate. It is a small walker that understands only the plist tag set: dict, array, string, integer, real, true, false, date, data and key. Any other element stops it with "unsupported plist element" and the tag name. A file with no <plist> root is refused too.
Can it edit or write a plist?
No. It reads and displays only; there is no write mode and no editing on the page. To change a value, edit the XML yourself and validate it afterwards, or use plutil on macOS, which can also convert between the XML and binary forms. This tool never modifies the file you dropped.
Is my preferences file uploaded?
No. It is read and parsed in a Web Worker in this tab. That is worth knowing because plists often hold account names, file paths, device identifiers and sometimes tokens, and none of it goes anywhere. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is logged, and the page works with the network off.