How to Empty Trash on Mac: 9 Best Ways

Written by

Ojash

Reviewed by

Hashir Ibrahim

Last updated: August 6, 2024

Expert verified

I’ve been using a Mac for years, and one of the first things I learned was the importance of regularly emptying the Trash to keep my system running smoothly. Over time, I’ve found a few reliable ways to empty trash on Mac quickly and efficiently. Let me walk you through what’s worked best for me, so you can easily manage your storage and keep your Mac in top shape.

9 Best Ways to Empty Trash on Mac

Here is the detailed step-by-step guide for nine different methods to empty trash on Mac:

1. Delete Selected Files From the Bin

Using Bin to empty the trash on your Mac is a straightforward and reliable method. To help you through the process of emptying the trash via Bin, here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Click the Bin icon in the Dock to open it.

2. Select all the items you want to delete from the Trash. You can do this by holding down the Command ⌘ key on your keyboard, clicking on each item, or selecting them all with a click-and-drag motion.

3. Right-click the selected files and select Delete Immediately.

4. You’ll get a prompt confirming if you want to delete the selected files. Click Delete and it will remove the selected files from your Mac.

2. Delete the Entire Bin

If you want to delete all files in the Bin in one go, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Bin from the Dock.

2. When you open the Bin, you’ll see a small Empty button in the top-right corner. Click it.

3. Click Empty Bin on the prompt and it will delete everything from your Trash.

3. Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Mac keyboard shortcuts are a great way to do different things while saving time. You can also use a Mac keyboard shortcut to empty trash. Here are the steps:

1. Select the items you want to delete from your trash.

2. Press Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Delete on your keyboard.

3. A pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to delete the items in your trash. Click Empty Bin.

4. Using MacKeeper

MacKeeper is a comprehensive utility software that can optimize your Mac’s performance, including emptying the Trash. Here are the steps to empty Trash on Mac Using MacKeeper:

1. Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
2. Launch the app and open Safe Cleanup from MacKeeper’s Cleaning section.

3. Click Start Scan.

4. Select the files you want to remove or click Check All. Here, make sure you select the Trash option.

5. Click Clean Junk Files.

6. This will remove the selected junk files from your Mac, including the Trash items. You can click Rescan to repeat the process.

5. Using Terminal

The Terminal is a powerful tool that you can use to empty Trash on Mac. Here are the steps to empty the Trash on your Mac using Terminal:

1. Open the Terminal app via Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

2. Type the following command and  press Enter:

sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

3. Type your password when prompted and press Enter.
4. It will delete all items from your Bin.

6. Force Empty Trash

If you’re unable to empty the trash on your Mac using the regular method, you can force empty the trash using the following steps:

1. Right-click the Bin icon in the Dock.

2. Hold down the Option ⌥ key on your keyboard.

3. While holding the Option ⌥ key, click Empty Bin in the context menu and it will empty the Bin instantly.

7. Secure Empty Trash

Secure Empty Trash is a feature that overwrites the deleted files with random data multiple times before permanently removing them from your hard drive. This process ensures that the deleted files cannot be recovered.

Here’s how to use Secure Empty Trash: 

1. Right-click the Bin icon in the Dock.

2. Hold down the Command ⌘ key on your keyboard.

3. While holding the Command ⌘ key, click Empty Bin in the context menu.

4. A pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to delete the items in your trash permanently. Click Empty Bin.

5. This method will overwrite the deleted files with random data, making them harder to recover.

8. Using Disk Utility

Disk Utility can help empty Trash on Mac by allowing you to erase the free space on your hard drive. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Disk Utility on your Mac via Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

2. Select your startup disk from the list on the left-hand side.

3. Click the First Aid button in the toolbar.

4. Click Run to start the verification process.

5. Once the process is complete, click Verify Disk Permissions.
6. Click Repair Disk Permissions to fix any issues.
7. Try emptying the Bin again.

9. Using Time Machine

Always be careful when deleting files/folders from Time Machine backups, as this action is permanent and cannot be undone. Ensure you have a backup of the files/folders you want to keep before proceeding.

To empty the Trash on a Mac using Time Machine, follow these steps:

1. Connect your external hard drive with Time Machine backups to your Mac.
2. Open the Time Machine app on your Mac.

3. Navigate to the date and time you want to delete the Trash files permanently.
4. Select the files or folders you want to delete from the Trash and select them.
5. Click the gear icon in the Time Machine window and select Delete All Backups of [file/folder name]. It permanently deletes selected files/folders from all Time Machine backups.
6. Confirm that you want to delete the files/folders by clicking Delete.
7. Wait for the deletion process to complete, which may take some time, depending on the amount of data being deleted.
8. Once the process is complete, you can safely empty the Trash on your Mac without worrying about those files/folders reappearing in future Time Machine backups.

Solving Common Issues When Emptying the Trash on Mac

When trying to empty the Trash on your Mac, you might run into some common problems. These issues can prevent files from being deleted, leaving you frustrated. Here are five straightforward troubleshooting tips to help you resolve these problems and successfully empty your Trash.

• 💾 External Drive Files: If the files in the Trash are from an external drive, and that drive is disconnected, the Trash won’t empty. Reconnect the external drive and try emptying the Trash again, ensuring the files are fully removed.
• 🔒 Files in Use: If a file is currently open or in use by an application, your Mac won’t let you delete it. Close the application using the file or restart your computer, then try emptying the Trash again.
• 🔐 Locked Files: Sometimes, files get locked, preventing deletion. To unlock a file, right-click it, choose Get Info, and uncheck the Locked box. Once unlocked, the file should be deleted normally when you empty the Trash.
• 📂 Insufficient Permissions: If you don’t have the necessary permissions to delete a file, it won’t move out of the Trash. Adjust the file’s permissions by right-clicking, selecting Get Info, and modifying the permissions settings under the Sharing & Permissions section.
• ⚠️ Corrupted Files: Corrupted files can get stuck in the Trash and refuse to delete. To handle this, you may need to use Terminal commands or third-party software to force delete the corrupted file from your system.

Get Rid of Trash on Your Mac

Emptying the Trash on your Mac is an essential step in maintaining your system’s performance and storage capacity. Here are some more tips for the future:

• Get into the habit of regularly clearing the cache on your Mac to ensure unnecessary files and folders do not take up valuable disk space.
• Regularly clear temp files on your Mac to prevent them from accumulating and slowing down your system.
• Uninstall unnecessary apps on your Mac to free up valuable disk space.

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