As a Mac user, we all know that files sent to Trash are not deleted unless you hit the Empty Trash (or Empty Bin) button. But what happens if you have deleted your files from the trash bin, only to find that you need them back later on?
Well, the truth is: it is still possible to recover files deleted after emptying Trash or Bin on your Mac, and there are a few solutions out there.
That’s what you are going to learn in this article. Let’s get into it.
Contents
Where is Trash Bin on Mac?
Like Recycle Bin for Windows PCs, Mac computers use Trash (now Bin)to recycle items you delete.
In case you are new to the macOS world, the Trash or Bin app can be found at the right-hand end of the Dock (similar to the Windows taskbar, which is located at the bottom of the display, of course, Dock can be moved to the side). Click on the Trash icon and you’ll be able to see the contents in it.
How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac?
macOS allows you to directly drag and drop a file or an app to the Trash or Bin (unless those items are read-only), or you can do so by right-clicking and selecting “Move to Trash” (or “Move to Bin”) from the menu.
To restore those files, you simply go to the Trash or Bin. Select them and right-click Put Back to bring them to their original location.
What Happens to the Deleted Files after Emptying Mac Trash (Bin)?
If you have recently emptied the trash bin on your Mac, you might be thinking that these files are gone forever. That actually isn’t the case as the location in which this file data was stored on your computer’s system is simply removed from its accessible location.
The file itself is not completely removed initially and that is why it is even possible to recover files after they have been deleted from the trash.
If your Mac is equipped with a traditional spinning hard drive (HDD), when you delete files from Trash, empty Trash, or use other means to erase the files — what happens is that the space your trashed file used to occupy is now released and available to be written over.
Information such as the real data, file size, location, etc. associated with your files remains 100% intact, provided that there are no new writing activities.
However, the space marked as free can be re-used by any new data you generate on the hard drive if the file system tells that the old space needs to be reused.
That means if you continue using your Mac or save additional files (especially large ones) to the same hard drive, it’s possible that your old files can be overwritten and thus become unrecoverable.
However, it often takes quite some time for that to happen, considering modern hard drives usually have a large volume.
How to Recover Deleted Files after Emptying Trash Bin on Mac
There are a few different methods to get the job done, follow the steps or instructions below.
Method 1: Use the Terminal app
The Terminal on your Mac is like a command center that you can access to directly instruct your computer to perform a variety of tasks. If you are familiar with coding or computers on more than a basic level, you are probably familiar with the terminal on a Mac.
It’s not always possible to recover files using this method but it’s a good place to start. To use the Terminal to recover deleted files emptied from the trash, follow these steps:
- Open the Finder on your Mac
- Click on Applications
- Click on Utilities
- Click on Terminal
- The Terminal window will now open and you can type in commands. Type mv the name of deleted file../
- Hit the return key
- Type Quit
- Go back to the Finder
- Type in the name of the deleted file in the search bar and it should appear
- Click on the recovered file and be sure to save it
Method 2: Check Your External Devices
Another way you can recover deleted files emptied from the trash is by looking through hidden folders created when you use an external device.
If you use an external hard drive or SD card to back up any of your files, this is another option. If you don’t use any of these devices, you won’t be able to use this method.
When you use an external device, your Mac computer will automatically create hidden folders. You can sometimes locate your deleted file in a . Trashes folder and not in the actual trash bin on the computer itself.
To locate these files and then recover them you will gain access to the terminal.
- Open the Finder app on your Mac
- Click on Applications
- Click on Utilities
- Click on Terminal
- The Terminal window will now open and you can type in commands. Type defaults write com.app.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE hit the return key and then type killall Finder
- This will show you all of the hidden files and you can locate your deleted file within the .Trashes folder
Method 3: Recover from Time Machine Backups
If you back up your Mac on a regular basis, chances are you could get those files back from your latest Time Machine backup provided that the deletion happened after the backup.
This Apple support article has a step-by-step tutorial. If you prefer watching video tutorials, here’s one from Apple:
Method 4: Try Mac Data Recovery Software
If you have tried all the solutions above and have not been able to recover the missing files, recovery software may be your only real option.
It’s also a good choice if you feel like you are not that computer savvy and what a step-by-step method to locate and recover your files instead of using the Terminal as listed above.
There are many different data recovery software available on the market and they all offer similar capabilities, you can read our detailed roundup review of the best options for more information.
Why SSDs Matter?
Now that all new Mac machines are loaded with flash storage (SSD), does it make a difference? The answer is: yes.
Because the way an SSD (solid-state drive) manages files is different from that of a spinning HDD. As we said, the data contained in the trashed files won’t be occupied immediately unless it has to. But SSDs always shift files around in a random manner, so to speak.
If you delete a file on your Mac with an SSD inside, the file will be immediately moved off to another random location, which at some point newly generated files can overwrite it very soon.
As a result, it’s safe to conclude that once you remove a file out of an SSD, the chance of recovering the file is slim if not impossible — unless you have backups.
To know if your Mac has an HDD or SSD, click on the Apple logo, then About This Mac > System Report > Hardware > Storage to find it out.
Final Thoughts
Mac users will be familiar with the drag and drop into the trash bin features that make it so easy to clean up and remove files. There are also key commands that will send a file of your choosing to the trash bin in a flash.
Once these files are sent to the trash, they are stored in this place until the trash bin is emptied. You might have a pretty full trash bin or you might be used to emptying it on a regular basis.
Losing important files is never ideal. If you placed a file in the trash bin on your Mac and deleted it, you probably thought it was gone forever. Luckily, by following the tips and methods above, you stand a chance at recovering those files.
It’s good to remember that there is no guarantee that your lost files can be recovered but the only way to find out for sure is by using the tips suggested here.
Have you ever been able to recover a deleted file emptied from your trash bin? How did you do it? Let us know in the comments below.
