How to Permanently Delete Files on Mac [4 Tested Methods]

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Typically, when you delete files on a Mac, you move them to the Mac Trash, which doesn't completely remove your files. The deleted files still remain on your Mac, occupying precious storage space. **How to permanently delete files on a Mac?** Here are tested methods and user experiences:

	Considering it's the most common way to permanently delete files, regular users will have a hard time recovering files erased after emptying the Trash without professional data recovery software.
	You can permanently remove some private or unnecessary files with quick shortcuts. However, you might accidentally delete important files, and it's difficult to recover files deleted by shortcuts.
	You don't even need to find and click on a file multiple times to permanently delete it with Terminal commands. However, this method is not suitable for beginners, and using Terminal commands requires caution.
	Erasing from Disk Utility is not meant for permanently deleting individual files but for erasing volumes on MacBook Pro/Air. Thus, if you need to delete specific files/folders, it's recommended to use one of the first three methods.

Suppose you want to sell your MacBook Pro or Air; before selling your device, you should consider how to permanently delete files from Mac to protect your private information. **How to permanently delete files from Mac?** This article will introduce effective ways to permanently delete files from your Mac.

#1: Empty the Trash to Permanently Delete Files on MacBook Air

For Mac users, the simplest and quickest way to get rid of a file is to move it to the Trash. However, the files are not permanently deleted until you empty the Trash.

So, when you want to permanently delete the files, you can empty the Trash so that no one could recover emptied Trash on Mac again.

Here's a video that explains how to permanently delete files by emptying the Recycle Bin:

00:17 - Move the file to the Trash
00:41 - Choose the option to "Empty Trash"

The "Trash" feature allows you to recover files that were accidentally deleted, but if you have time limit settings enabled, items in the Trash will be automatically deleted after 30 days. Here's a guide on how to check your "Trash" time limit settings:

Step 1. Go to “Finder” > “Preferences,” and then click “Advanced.”

Step 2: Clear the Remove items from the Recycle Bin after 30 days check box.

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Suppose you accidentally deleted some crucial data after emptying the trash and wish to recover permanently deleted Mac files; your only option is to employ a data recovery software to assist in retrieving them. The Mac Data Recovery Wizard is a trustworthy and powerful tool that supports various file types on most devices.

With a reliable tool, you can restore an emptied Mac Trash with just a few clicks. Follow these quick steps to retrieve your deleted files:

Step 1: Select the disk to scan

In the main Data Recovery Wizard utility window, all drives connected to your Mac will be listed. Select the drive from which you want to recover lost/deleted files and click on the “Search for Lost Files” button.

Note: Before data recovery, it's recommended that you create a backup of your Mac by clicking “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Select the location to scan for lost Mac data

Step 2: Select the data/files you have lost

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the disk volume you selected immediately and display the scan results in the left pane. If you are looking for specific files, you can sort the results to locate the file you need.

Select the lost data/files you wish to recover.

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Data

Once the scan is finished, preview the files found and then click “Recover” to start retrieving your deleted or lost Mac files.

How to Permanently Delete a File on a Mac

Using keyboard shortcuts on a Mac can streamline your workflow and boost productivity by saving time. Here are some key combinations for deleting content on a Mac: 1. **Delete Single Character:** The `Delete` key (forward delete) removes the character in front of the cursor. 2. **Delete Whole Word:** Press `Option` + `Delete` to delete the word in front of the cursor. 3. **Backward Delete:** If your keyboard has a `Backspace` key, it will delete the character behind the cursor. 4. **Clear Content:** In text input fields, press `Command` + `Delete` to remove selected content or the line where the cursor is. 5. **Empty Trash:** Press `Command` + `Shift` + `Delete` to instantly empty the Trash without opening the Trash app. Practicing and getting accustomed to these shortcuts will enhance your efficiency when performing file and text deletion tasks on your Mac. You'll find that your workflow becomes smoother and more streamlined.

Press "Command + Delete": Move the selected items to the Trash.
Press "Shift + Command + Delete": Empty the Trash.
Press "Option + Shift + Command + Delete": Empty the Trash without asking for confirmation.

If Command-Delete doesn't work, there are three things to check.

The file is not currently in use.
The file is not locked and is readable and writable.
You have permission to modify the file.

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Permanently Delete a Folder on Mac Using Terminal

You can use the `rm` or `rm -R` command in the Mac Terminal to permanently delete files. This can be very dangerous:

Run the command rm filename to permanently delete a file named "filename."
Run the command rm -R archives to permanently delete an archive directory, including its subdirectories and files.

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You can also use the Secure Erase command in Terminal to permanently remove files from your Mac.

Note: The secure-erase command erases the entire disk securely; it cannot be used to delete specific files/folders or to erase just a hard drive partition.

Permanently delete files on Mac with the secure-erase command

You can use the secure-erase command in Terminal to securely erase free space on a Mac hard disk volume; for more information, see:

Step 1: Open “Applications” > “Utilities” > “Terminal,” and then type diskutil list.

Step 2. Type diskutil secureErase 2 disk#. Replace # with your disk number.

How to Permanently Delete Files on a Mac with Disk Utility

Permanently delete files from Disk Utility

Note: This method erases the entire Mac hard drive volume, not individual files or folders from the Mac hard drive.

Follow these steps to erase your Mac's hard drive volume:

Step 1: Open the Disk Utility app on your MacBook Air.

Step 2: Select the hard disk volume that contains the files you want to permanently delete.

Step 3: Click on “Erase” from the top menu, and a confirmation window will pop up.

Step 4. Enter a label for the volume, choose a file system format such as HFS+ (Mac OS Extended), and then click on "Security Options."

Step 5: Select “Most secure” and click “OK” to begin.

Conclusions

How do you permanently delete files on a Mac? You can empty the Trash, use a Mac keyboard shortcut, a Terminal command, or Disk Utility to permanently delete files on your Mac. However, methods 3 and 4 aren't suitable for deleting individual files/folders.

It's been suggested that using Mac shortcuts or permanently emptying the Trash on a MacBook Pro/Air can remove files/folders, with users unable to recover these permanently deleted items unless they use professional data recovery software, such as tools like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions on Permanently Deleting Files on a Mac:

Below are some additional questions people ask when searching how to permanently delete files on a Mac. Browse through them to learn more about deleting files on a Mac.

**1. How do I disable the "Delete Immediately" feature on a Mac?** On a Mac, you cannot directly disable the "Delete Immediately" option, but you can change the default behavior for file deletion so that it goes to the Trash. Here's how: 1. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Preferences." 2. In the System Preferences window, click on "Finder." 3. In the Finder preferences, locate and check the box next to "Move files to the Trash when deleting." 4. With this enabled, files will be moved to the Trash instead of being deleted immediately when you choose to delete them. If you want to bypass the Trash and delete files directly using Command + Delete, you can hold down the Control key while pressing the shortcut. However, please note that immediately deleted files cannot be recovered.

To uncheck Remove Immediately:

Step 1: Open “Applications,” then “Utilities,” and then “Terminal.”

At the terminal, type: sudo rm -ri ~/.Trash and press Enter.

Step Three Once you've done that, log out of your macOS or Mac OS X account, and then log back in.

**How Can You Permanently Delete Data from a Mac So It Can't Be Recovered?**

You can permanently delete data using one of the following four methods:

Empty the Trash to permanently delete files from your Mac.
Press "Option + Shift + Command + Delete" to instantly empty the Trash without a confirmation dialog.
Use the "rm" or "secure-erase" command in Terminal to permanently delete files on your Mac.
Wipe data using Disk Utility to make it unrecoverable from your Mac.

**3. What is the keyboard shortcut to permanently delete a file on a Mac?** On a Mac, you can permanently delete a file using `Command + Backspace` or by `Control + Clicking` the file and selecting "Move to Trash." Note that `Command + Delete` only sends the file to the Trash, not immediately deleting it permanently. To truly permanently delete files from the Trash, you need to empty the Trash (either by right-clicking the Trash icon and choosing "Empty Trash" or by pressing `Shift + Command + Delete`).

To permanently delete a file on a Mac, press “Shift + Command + Delete” to empty the Trash, or use “Option + Shift + Command + Delete” to empty the Trash without the confirmation dialog.

How do I delete a file that won't delete on my Mac?

If a project is locked, you must confirm that you want to move it to the Trash or unlock it before you can do so. To unlock the project:

Step 1: Choose your project, then choose File > Get Info.

Step 2: Deselect the “Locked” checkbox.