Where is the Trash on a Mac [Beginner’s Guide]?

The "Trash" is the recycle bin that macOS provides. But where exactly is the Trash on a Mac?

Your Mac or computer gives you a chance to reconsider, as do many other technologies, including phones, browsers, and email. There is a brief window of time before the undo function expires and the file you deleted is gone for good.

One of those is the Trash on a Mac. But where exactly is it? And how do you find it? We'll explore some essential things about the location of Trash on a Mac and how to restore it in this article, so let's get started. By the way, feel free to share this tutorial to help more Mac users locate their Trash.

# What is the Trash Folder in macOS and Mac OS X? In macOS and Mac OS X operating systems, the Trash is a special folder that stores files and applications you've deleted. When you move a file to the Trash, it's not immediately and permanently removed from your computer; instead, it provides a temporary area where you can recover accidentally deleted items or completely erase them when you're ready. There are several ways to send files to the Trash: 1. Select the file in Finder and press `Command + Delete` on your keyboard. 2. Right-click the file and choose "Move to Trash." 3. Drag the file onto the Trash icon. To empty the Trash and delete all its contents, you can: 1. Click the Trash icon in the Dock, then select "Empty Trash." 2. Use the keyboard shortcut `Shift + Command + Delete`. Please note that once you empty the Trash, files are generally irrecoverable unless you use data recovery software. To prevent accidental loss of important files, it's recommended to back up your data regularly.

The Trash is one of the key features of MacOS, allowing you to delete files and put them in the Trash in case you want to restore them or completely get rid of them. The Trash on a Mac works pretty much as you'd expect.

It doesn't permanently delete files; it saves them for retrieval, recovery, or deletion. If you're looking for the Trash on a Mac, this is where you'll find it. It's the designated recycling bin for all macOS devices.

The main advantage of the Trash is that if you regret deleting something, you can restore it simply by using the Trash on your Mac. This is why it's crucial to locate the Trash on your Mac to recover or restore deleted files. By the way, if you can't find a file on your Mac or need to recover files after emptying the Trash on Mac, you can download a Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool to quickly retrieve deleted or lost files.

Where Is the Trash on a Mac? (Beginner's Guide)

If the macOS Trash introduction has piqued your interest in using it, you can access it in several ways. This portion will explore some viable methods that many users can employ to utilize the Trash on their Mac devices. So, let's delve into these methods.

Method 1: Open the Trash Using Terminal

If you're familiar with the “Terminal” on a Mac, then you have an idea of what it can do. It's very similar to the Command Prompt on Windows-based computers. The first thing you need to do is open the Terminal. You can use the Terminal to access your trash folder and recover deleted files from there using the Mac Terminal.

Once you have Terminal open on your Mac, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Terminal on your Mac.

Step 2: Type cd ~/.Trash in your terminal.

Step 3: Press the Enter key.

Step 4: Check your spam folder.

Keep in mind that this will only open the Trash on your Mac. To delete or restore files with Terminal, you'll need different commands.

Method 2: Find the Recycling Bin Using Search

Another approach you can use is to search for the Junk folder using the search function. This method is straightforward and involves minimal steps. To do this, simply follow these few easy steps:

Step 1: Press Command+Shift+G on your keyboard.

Step 2. The search field will open. Type Trash

Step 3: Click the button with the trash can icon.

Step 4: Open the Trash on your Mac and look through its contents.

It's a viable way to open macOS, and it's much easier than using the command line in Terminal. So use this method if you can.

How to Find and Empty the Trash on a Mac

If you accidentally deleted the Trash, or need to get it back quickly to restore a file, you can put it back on your desktop. Here's how to find and restore the Trash on your Mac:

Step 1: Open Terminal on your macOS.

Step 2: Type the command ln -s ~/.Trash ~/Desktop/Trash, and press Enter.

Step 3: You will then see the “Trash” on your Mac desktop, as shown in the image below:

You should see the "Trash" folder.

This will place the Trash on your Mac's Desktop, allowing you easy access to it.

How to Recover Files from the Trash on a Mac

If both of those options don't work for you, try something else. Remember, once files are removed from the Recycle Bin, they can be difficult to recover. But if they're still in there, you should be able to use one of the above methods.

If not, you may be able to recover some of your lost data using other methods.

Method 1: How to Recover Files and Folders from the Recycling Bin

Firstly, you can retrieve files from MacBook or any Mac device by going to the Trash folder. Here, you need to explore other options to restore the file to its original location or the place where you want it. How to do that? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin using one of the methods mentioned above.

Step 2: Right-click the file you want to restore.

Step 3: Find and click “Put Back.”

Click “Put Back”.

Step 4: The file will be sent back to its original location.

Step 5. If you want to restore more than one, select multiple files.

So, it's one of the better options to restore files to their original location. Keep in mind that files remain in the Trash for up to 30 days. So, if you deleted anything before that, you might not find them here.

However, you can set this preference to less than 30 days, but not more. So it's important to find the Trash option within the Finder preferences.

Method 2: Recover Files and Folders from Empty Recycle Bin Using Recovery Software

The last and probably the best way to recover files from Empty Trash or recover permanently deleted files on Mac is by using a recovery software. It is important to understand that once a file is removed from the Trash, it cannot be manually restored.

Thus, you need a professional and workable tool like Mac Data Recovery Wizard to help you. With this reliable tool, you can easily recover emptied trash on Mac Lion.

Why choose this tool? Because it offers many great features, such as file recovery in cases like:

• Recover files emptied from the Trash on a Mac.
• Restore accidentally deleted files.
• Retrieve files from lost partitions.
• Get back files lost due to system crashes.
• Recover formatted files or folders.
• Restore files from damaged hard drives or external hardware.
• Retrieve lost or deleted files from virus attacks.

Aside from these, it's also famed for its ability to help users recover files deleted beyond the 30-day limit of the macOS Trash. This is also one of the primary reasons you can use this tool to restore files lost on your Mac device due to deletion. The main options it caters to include:

• Video recovery.
• Photo recovery.
• Backup recovery, such as from iTunes.

We believe that Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can do the Mac Trash recovery and get back your deleted files and folders in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Select the drive to scan

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

Note: Before you proceed with data recovery, it is advisable to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your Mac 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.

Step 2: Choose the data/files you lost

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

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Data

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

Bottom line, the final conclusion

That's all you need to know about the Mac Trash location and how to recover files from it. You can try some important methods to put them on your desktop, such as the ones mentioned in this article. If you need to recover files not in the Trash, you can use a Mac data recovery tool to restore files that have been lost for a long time. It can also help you with recover unsaved Word document on Mac and make Mac USB recovery quick and easy.

"Where is the Trash on a Mac? Frequently Asked Questions"

If you have more questions, you can find answers here:

How do I find the Trash on a Mac?

In this article, we mentioned two main ways to find the Trash on your Mac. You can either use Spotlight or Terminal. So, go ahead and try which method suits you best!

In macOS Ventura, you can find the Trash next to the Finder icon in the Dock. To access it, click the Finder icon, then select "Trash" from the sidebar, or click the "Trash" icon directly on the Dock at the bottom of the screen.

If you have a Mac, you can find it in your toolbar, or use the search bar. If neither of these options work for you, try putting it on your desktop through the search bar or the terminal.

How to fix the missing Trash on Mac?

Use the terminal commands mentioned in this article to move the Trash folder to your desktop. Before you begin, make sure you're comfortable using the terminal.

Can files be recovered after emptying the recycle bin?

If the files are still there, yes, you can recover them. However, if you deleted the files more than 30 days ago, you'll need a tool like Data Recovery for Mac to get them back.

1. Select the disk location first. 2. Click on “Scan”. 3. Then, the Mac Data Recovery Wizard will scan the selected disk and list all the deleted data. 4. Choose the files you want and click on “Recover”.