Where the Trash folder lives and how to open it
The Trash on a Mac is a folder that holds files you have deleted but not permanently removed. It sits in the Dock — the row of icons at the bottom of your screen — and looks like a small garbage can. Click it once to open the Trash window and see what is inside.
If you do not see the Trash icon in your Dock, you can add it. Open Finder (the blue and white face icon in your Dock), click the Finder menu at the top left, select Preferences, click the Dock tab, and check the box next to "Trash". The Trash icon will appear at the far right of your Dock.
You can also reach the Trash through Finder itself. Open Finder, look at the sidebar on the left, and scroll down until you see "Trash". Click it to open the Trash folder in the same way as clicking the Dock icon.
Key Takeaways
- The Trash icon sits in your Dock at the bottom of the screen and shows a small garbage can that fills up as you delete files.
- Files stay in the Trash until you empty it, so you can recover deleted files by dragging them back to where they belong.
- Emptying the Trash permanently removes files from your Mac, so check what is inside before you do.
- A full Trash folder takes up storage space on your Mac, so emptying it regularly frees up room for new files.
What you see when you open the Trash
When you click the Trash icon, a window opens showing every file and folder you have deleted since the last time you emptied the Trash. The window works like any other Finder window — you can sort by name, date deleted, or file size by clicking the column headers at the top.
Each file shows the date it was deleted, which helps you find something you removed recently. If you deleted a file weeks ago and the Trash has filled up since then, you may not see it anymore — older files stay in the Trash until you empty it, but if your Mac runs low on storage, macOS may automatically delete the oldest items to make room.
The Trash window also shows how much storage space the deleted files are taking up. Look at the bottom of the window to see the total size. This matters because files in the Trash still count against your available storage until you empty the Trash completely.
How to recover a file from the Trash
If you find a file in the Trash that you need back, you can restore it. Click the file once to select it, then drag it to the folder where you want it to go. You can drag it to a folder in the sidebar, to your Desktop, or to any open Finder window.
Alternatively, right-click the file and select "Put Back" from the menu that appears. This returns the file to the folder it came from before you deleted it. If that original folder no longer exists, the file goes to your Desktop instead.
You can select multiple files at once by holding down the Command key and clicking each one, then drag them all back together. This is faster than restoring files one at a time.
How to permanently delete files by emptying the Trash
Once you are sure you do not need the files in the Trash, you can empty it to permanently remove them from your Mac. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select "Empty Trash" from the menu. A dialog box will ask you to confirm — click "Empty Trash" again to proceed.
You can also empty the Trash from inside the Trash window itself. Open the Trash, then click the "Empty" button in the top right corner of the window. Again, you will see a confirmation dialog.
Once you empty the Trash, the files are gone for good. They do not go to another folder or a backup — they are removed from your Mac entirely. For this reason, take a moment to look through the Trash window before you empty it, especially if you deleted something important by accident.
Why your Trash might be full and what to do about it
If you have not emptied the Trash in a long time, it can hold a large amount of data. This takes up storage space on your Mac, which can slow down your computer if your drive is nearly full. Emptying the Trash regularly — once a week or once a month, depending on how much you delete — keeps your Mac running smoothly.
You can also set your Mac to empty the Trash automatically. Open System Settings (the gear icon in the Dock or in Applications), click General in the sidebar, scroll down to find "Trash", and check the box next to "Empty Trash automatically". You can choose how often this happens — every day, every week, or every month. Your Mac will then empty the Trash on that schedule without you having to do it manually.
If you want to see how much space the Trash is using before you empty it, open the Trash window and look at the bottom. The size shown there is storage you can free up by emptying the Trash.
How to find a specific deleted file in the Trash
If the Trash window is full and you are looking for one particular file, use the search box at the top right of the Trash window. Type the name of the file or part of its name, and the Trash will filter to show only matching files.
You can also sort the Trash by clicking the column headers. Click "Date Modified" to see the most recently deleted files at the top, which is useful if you remember roughly when you deleted something. Click "Name" to sort alphabetically, or "Size" to see the largest files first.
If you remember what folder the file came from, look at the "Original Location" column in the Trash window. This shows where each file lived before you deleted it, which can help you identify the right file if several have similar names.
What happens if you delete something from the Trash itself
If you select a file in the Trash window and press the Delete key, or right-click and select "Delete when ready", that file is permanently removed without going through the normal Trash process. This is a shortcut to permanent deletion, and there is no way to undo it.
Most of the time you will not need to do this — straightforward emptying the Trash when you are ready is the normal way to delete files permanently. But if you want to permanently remove a file without waiting to empty the entire Trash, this option exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a file after I empty the Trash?
Once you empty the Trash, the files are permanently deleted from your Mac and cannot be recovered through normal means. If you deleted something important, you may be able to recover it using third-party data recovery software, but this is not may provide and can be expensive. Always check the Trash before emptying it.
Does the Trash take up storage space on my Mac?
Yes. Files in the Trash still count against your available storage until you empty the Trash completely. If your Mac is running low on space, emptying the Trash can free up several gigabytes. You can see how much space the Trash is using by opening it and looking at the bottom of the window.
Why does my Trash icon look full even though I just deleted one file?
The Trash icon in the Dock shows a visual representation of how full the Trash folder is, but it does not always update when ready. The icon may show as full because you have deleted large files or many files over time. Open the Trash window to see what is actually inside.
What if I accidentally emptied the Trash?
Once the Trash is emptied, the files are gone from your Mac. If you have a Time Machine backup set up, you may be able to restore the file from a previous backup. Open System Settings, click General, then Time Machine, and look for the file in your backup history.
Can I set the Trash to empty automatically?
Yes. Open System Settings, click General, scroll to Trash, and check "Empty Trash automatically". You can choose whether to empty it daily, weekly, or monthly. Your Mac will then handle it without you having to remember.