System file
What is a .mat file?
A .mat file is a MATLAB Mat File (version Level 5). This is a system or support file. Your computer uses it in the background — it isn't a document. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 4 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
4 different formats have claimed .mat over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .mat file
- Usually nothing. These files are read by the operating system or an application, not by you.
- If it's plain text (settings, logs), a text editor will show its contents safely.
The registry records this extension against MATLAB Mat File, MATLAB Mat File, MicroStation Material Library and others, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .mat file
- System files shouldn't be converted. If a program is complaining about one, reinstalling that program is the usual fix.
The technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .mat.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATLAB Mat File | Level 5 | — | fmt/806 |
| MATLAB Mat File | Level 7.3 | — | fmt/828 |
| MicroStation Material Library | — | — | fmt/1177 |
| MATLAB Mat File | Level 4 | — | fmt/1550 |