How to Empty Trash on Mac

Table of Contents

1. What is Mac Trash?
2. Checking the Size of Your Trash Folder
3. Manually Emptying Trash on Mac
4. Automatically Empty Trash on Mac
5. Deleting Individual Items from Trash
6. Restoring Items from Trash

   

   Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

   
   
   
   

What is Mac Trash?

The Trash folder on your Mac acts as a temporary storage for files, folders, and applications that you no longer need. It's crucial to learn how to empty Trash on your Mac to free up storage space and maintain optimal performance. We'll cover various methods to manage your Mac Trash folder effectively.

Checking the Size of Your Trash Folder

It's essential to monitor the Trash folder's size to ensure that it doesn't consume unnecessary storage space on your Mac. Follow these simple steps to check the size of your Trash folder:

1. Click the Trash icon located in the Dock.
   
   
   
2. Press Command + A to select all items in the folder, or go to Edit > Select All from the menu bar.
   
   
   
3. If you don't see the preview on the right side, go to View > Show Preview in the menu bar. The preview will display the total number of items and their size.
   
   
   

Manually Emptying Trash on Mac

To empty the Trash folder manually, follow these steps:

1. Click the Trash icon in your Dock.
2. At the top-right of the folder, click the Empty button.
   
   
   
3. A confirmation message will appear. Click Empty Trash to proceed with the deletion.
   
   
   
4. Alternatively, right-click an item in the folder and select Empty Trash. You can also go to Finder in the menu bar and choose Empty Trash.

To empty Trash without the confirmation message, use the keyboard shortcut Option + Shift + Command + Delete.

Automatically Empty Trash on Mac

If you want your Trash folder to be emptied automatically every 30 days, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that Finder is active on your Mac. Then, go to Finder > Preferences in the menu bar.
2. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
3. Check the box for "Remove items from the Trash after 30 days."

You'll also find an option to enable or disable the warning before emptying the Trash above this setting.

Deleting Individual Items from Trash

If you don't want to empty the entire Trash folder, you can delete specific items instead. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click the Trash icon in your Dock.
2. Right-click the item you want to remove and choose Delete Immediately.
3. Confirm this action in the pop-up box by clicking Delete.

The selected item will be permanently removed from your Mac, just as if you emptied the entire Trash folder.

Restoring Items from Trash

You can recover items from the Trash folder if you decide you still need them. Follow these steps to restore an item:

1. Click the Trash icon in your Dock.
2. Right-click the item you want to recover and choose Put Back.
   
   
   Alternatively, select the item and go to File > Put Back from the menu bar.
3. The item will be returned to its original location, such as its original folder or your desktop.

Learning how to manage your Mac's Trash folder effectively is essential for maintaining optimal performance and freeing up storage space. By following the steps provided in this comprehensive guide, you can quickly and easily empty Trash on your Mac, delete individual items, restore items, and troubleshoot common issues.