Three keyboard shortcuts to move files to the Trash on a Mac

Why Bother Moving Files to the Trash with a Shortcut?

As a Mac user, you might be wondering how to get rid of unwanted files and folders to keep your desktop looking neat. There's one place where you can store these unwanted files and folders – the Mac Trash.

You can move a file to the Trash either through the menu or with a keyboard shortcut. Moving a file to the Trash on a Mac is very quick with a keyboard shortcut – it only takes a second to send any selected items to the Trash. If you have a lot of unwanted files cluttering up your desktop, read on to find out how to get rid of them and how to empty the Trash on your Mac. If you want to read this article again later, share it to Facebook, Twitter, or another social media platform you use often.

We'll show you how to use the Move to Trash shortcut on a Mac, and here's a video about moving to the Trash on a Mac that you can check out for some key moments:

• 00:10 How to delete a file on a Mac
• 01:02 How to put a file back on a Mac
• 01:53 Removing items from the Trash
• 02:01 Warning before emptying the Trash

How to Recover a Deleted File from the Mac Trash (2 Methods)

Before emptying the Trash on a Mac, you can recover files and folders directly from it. If you've already emptied the Trash, you can still use recovery software to get your files back.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from the Trash on a Mac

As we've mentioned, you can always change your mind and move unwanted files and folders to the Trash, from where they can be restored with a click.

Step 1: Find the file or folder you want to restore in the Trash.

Step 2. Control-click the file and choose Put Back.

Step 3: You can then find the file in its original location.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Trash on Mac

After emptying the Trash, you might want to recover some deleted files. You can use a magical recovery tool to restore deleted files from an emptied Trash on your Mac. The Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is a utility specifically designed for Mac data recovery.

With this reliable tool, you don't need to worry about how to recover trash on Mac or how to recover SD card on Mac. The Mac Data Recovery Wizard helps you restore files deleted by accident, permanently recover deleted files from trash, recover unsaved Word document on Mac, as well as retrieve deleted videos or photos.

You can recover deleted files and folders from the Trash on your Mac in just three steps.

Step 1. Select the drive to scan

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

Note: Before data recovery, it's better to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup for your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can then write new data.

Select the location and scan for lost Mac data

Step 2: Select the lost data/files you want to recover

The Data Recovery Wizard immediately scans the disk volume you selected, and displays the results in the left pane. If you're looking for a specific file, you can sort the results to locate it.

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Data

Once the scan is complete, preview the files and click “Recover” to start restoring your deleted or lost Mac files.

"Move to Trash" keyboard shortcut (3 ways)

Do you know where is Trash on Mac? Among so many icons on the Mac desktop, you can find the Trash icon right there.

Moving files and folders to the Trash is straightforward, and you can do it with any of three keyboard shortcuts.

The keyboard shortcut to move a file to the trash is Command + Delete.

This is probably the easiest way to send a file to the Trash. You can do this by pressing on your keyboard.

Step 1: Select all the files and folders you don't need.

Step 2: Press Command+Delete.

Step 3 . If the file is password protected, click Continue to confirm.

All the files you delete will go into the Trash.

Empty Mac Trash Quickly - Command + Shift + Delete

It's not a good idea to keep deleted files and folders in the Trash for too long. They take up space on your Mac, and over time, your Mac device might slow down. The Trash on a Mac empties automatically after 30 days. If you want to prevent the Trash from deleting files immediately on your Mac, you can stop the Trash from emptying immediately on your Mac. You don't have to open the Trash and click Empty; instead, you can quickly empty the Trash on your Mac using keyboard shortcuts.

Step 1: You don't even need to select any files; just press Command + Shift + Delete.

Step 2: You may need to confirm when using this method.

Step 3: Click "Empty Recycle Bin" to delete all the files permanently.

The keyboard shortcut to directly empty the Trash on a Mac without confirmation is: Command + Shift + Delete.

If you don't want to be prompted when emptying the Trash on your Mac, hold down four keys: Command + Shift + Option + Delete. This will immediately empty the Trash without any confirmation.

Be careful with this method, as pressing all four keys will permanently delete the files and folders in your Trash.

Note: If you can't empty the Trash on your Mac, don't panic. Click the link for help.

Common ways to move something to the Trash on a Mac

Now that you've learned how to move a file to the Trash using a keyboard shortcut, you might be interested in other common ways to do this. We'll teach you two more popular methods for moving files to the Trash.

Method 1: Send the File to the Recycle Bin by Right-Clicking

We'll go over the most common ways to delete files and folders on a Mac. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on the item you want to remove, and it will become blue.

Step 2: You'll see the project's activity list. Choose Move to Trash.

It will be moved immediately to the Trash, where you can review or restore it.

Method 2: Move the File to the Recycle Bin by Dragging It

You've learned the most common ways to move files to the Trash on a Mac. Now, we'll teach you a quick way.

Step 1: Choose the files and folders you want to get rid of.

Step 2: Drag them to the Trash on your Mac.

Step 3: You would then find these deleted files and folders in the Trash.

Additional Tip: How to Fix the "Move to Trash" Shortcut Not Working on a Mac

If you're trying to move a file to the Recycle Bin but can't seem to do so via the shortcut, try these solutions:

Tip 1: Check your System Preferences to make sure that “Command” is enabled and mapped to the Cmd key.

TIP: Check for custom shortcuts in the Keyboard Shortcuts panel.

Here's a third: in the Finder, right-click a file and see what keyboard shortcut is associated with Move to Trash.

Conclusions

With this comprehensive guide, you should now know how to move items to Trash on Mac using keyboard shortcuts. You can press Command + Delete to send a file to Trash, and Command + Shift + Delete or Command + Shift + Option + Delete to empty the Trash on your Mac. If you ever need to recover data, don't forget to download the Mac Data Recovery Wizard. Whatever you need to recover, the Mac Data Recovery Wizard will be a huge help.

Here are some common questions and answers about the "Move to Trash" shortcut on a Mac: 1. **Q: How do I use the "Move to Trash" shortcut on a Mac?** **A:** You can use the `Command + Delete` (⌘+Delete) shortcut to move files or items to the Trash. 2. **Q: What happens when I press the "Delete" key?** **A:** On a Mac, pressing the "Delete" key typically deletes the character before the cursor, unlike Windows where it directly sends files to the Trash. To send a file to the Trash, use the `Command + Delete` combination. 3. **Q: Can I customize the "Move to Trash" shortcut?** **A:** Yes, you can customize shortcuts through System Preferences. Go to "System Preferences" > "Keyboard" > "Shortcuts" > "App Shortcuts," then click "+" to add a new shortcut and assign the "Move to Trash" command to a specific app. 4. **Q: Can I recover deleted files from the Trash?** **A:** Yes, as long as the files are still in the Trash, you can restore them at any time. Simply open the Trash, find the file you want to recover, right-click it, and choose "Put Back" or drag it back to its original location. 5. **Q: How do I empty the Trash?** **A:** You can select the Trash icon and then press `Shift + Command + Delete` (⇧⌘Delete) to empty its contents, or right-click the Trash and choose "Empty Trash." 6. **Q: Can I recover files after emptying the Trash?** **A:** Once the Trash is emptied, files are usually not recoverable through standard means. However, data recovery software might be able to help in certain situations. To prevent data loss, it's recommended to regularly back up important files.

Do you have any other questions? You might find the answers here:

How do I move multiple items to the Trash on a Mac?

You can open the folder that contains the files you want to select, hold down Command, click each file with your mouse, and drag them all to the Trash.

What is the keyboard shortcut to delete a file on a Mac?

On a Mac, the "Command" and "Delete" keys function as the delete key. You can press "Command" and "Delete" simultaneously to send unwanted files or folders to the Trash. To empty the Trash, try using "Command + Shift + Delete" or "Command + Shift + Option + Delete."

How do I find the Trash on a Mac?

The Trash is usually on the Mac desktop. You can also find the Trash on your Mac using Terminal or the search function.

How to delete a file on Mac without the Delete button?

You can use keyboard shortcuts to delete files. Pressing Command + Delete sends a file to the Trash, while Command + Shift + Delete and Command + Shift + Option + Delete help you empty your Mac's Trash.