A fluorescent probe (FS) based on a fluoride-specific desilylation reaction has been developed for a highly selective and sensitive detection of F⁻. In the presence of F⁻, the probe FS provided significant green fluorescence enhancement, while other anions produced only minor changes in fluorescence intensity. The probe FS has a limit of detection of 1.45 μM, which is reasonable for the detection of micromolar concentrations of F⁻ ions. The maximum fluorescence enhancement induced by F⁻ in the probe was observed over the pH range 7–10. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy imaging using mouse leukaemic monocyte macrophage showed that the probe FS could be an efficient fluorescent probe for F⁻ ions in living cells.