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Where Is the Trash Folder on Mac

If you’re a new MacBook device owner, you’ll notice that nearly everything looks and works differently than Windows laptops—including the Trash folder. Not only does it have a different name, but it’s also located somewhere completely different. Knowing where to find the Trash folder on a Mac forms part of a helpful MacBook user guide for beginners.

Before we start:

 

Deleting unnecessary files is an essential part of managing your MacBook. But even the most intentional Mac owners can overlook files that can be easily missed and that crowd their computers.

 

With MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool, you can rest assured that all pesky files—including deleted items, junk files, and annoying mail attachments—are not left behind when you clear your device of clutter. Additionally, the software ensures that your important documents don’t end up in the Trash folder, as it only deletes junk files.

 

Follow these steps to clear your MacBook of junk files using MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tools:

  1. Download MacKeeper and select Safe Cleanup from the features on the left side of the window.
  2. Hit the Start Scan button and give MacKeeper a chance to scan your system.
  3. Finally, click Clean Junk Files.

What is the Trash folder on a Mac?

The Trash folder is where your Mac temporarily stores all the files, apps, downloads, and more after you delete them. Think of it as a virtual trash can where you essentially discard unwanted items.

 

However, for your convenience (and similar to real life), your virtual waste collector doesn’t collect your trash immediately. Mac computers don’t permanently remove your files unless you specifically choose the option to delete them immediately or clear the Trash for good.

 

For instance, when you delete temp files on Mac by dragging them from their current location in Finder or your desktop to the Trash can in the Dock, this only moves them to a different location—the Trash folder. Mac stores deleted files there, where you can permanently and manually remove them at a later stage. Failing that, your Mac will automatically delete the files stored in the Trash folder after 30 days, giving you ample time to restore missing documents you may have dumped in the Trash by mistake.

Is It “Recycle Bin,” "Trash," or "Bin" on a Mac?

The terms “Recycle Bin” and “Trash” are sometimes used interchangeably. However, what most users may know as the Recycle Bin on the Windows operating system is known as the Trash folder on macOS devices. This is simply a difference in names, as they have the same functionality. Both Windows’ Recycle Bin and Mac’s Trash folder are where your laptop temporarily stores deleted files until they’re cleared forever.

A note from the MacKeeper team: On a MacBook device, deleted files are cleared when you manually empty the Trash folder or when your Mac automatically clears it a month later. This allows you to get back any files you may have deleted by accident or review all items you’ve recently removed to ensure you didn’t make any mistakes. However, using data recovery software, you can recover permanently deleted files that haven’t been overwritten.

How to find the Trash folder on MacBook

There are four ways to locate the Trash folder on your MacBook computer:

  1. Use your keyboard
  2. With search function
  3. Using the Dock icon search
  4. Via Terminal to open the Trash folder

It might take you a while to figure out where to find the Trash folder if you’re new to macOS. For your convenience, choose the relevant guide below and follow it carefully to locate the Trash bin on your Mac.

1. Using your keyboard

One of the quickest ways to open the Trash folder is with keyboard shortcuts. As with other Mac keyboard shortcuts, the shortcut for finding the Trash folder requires less effort than taking the Finder route (discussed in the next section).

 

Follow these steps to open the macOS Trash bin using a keyboard shortcut:

  1. Press the Command + Shift + G keys on your keyboard. This will open the Go to Folder dialogue box.
  2. Type ~/Trash in the search bar and press Go to open the Trash folder.
See the shortcut illustrating how to open Trash on a Mac. Namely. using your keyboard is one of the options to open the Trash folder on your MacBook.
Steps 1-2. Press the Command + Shift + G keys, then type ~/Trash > Go

2. With search function

If you’re not a fan of keyboard shortcuts, you can manually find the Trash folder in Finder instead. Finder contains all the files, apps, and folders you’re looking for on your MacBook—including the Trash folder. However, locating it in Finder may not be as straightforward as it sounds for novices or first-time macOS users.

 

Here’s how to locate the Trash folder in Finder on your Mac:

  1. Open Finder from the Dock.
  2. Navigate to the menu bar and click on the Go tab, followed by the Go to Folder option.
  3. The Go to Folder dialogue box should appear—type ~/Trash in the search bar and press Go. This action will take you to the Trash folder.
Mac’s Finder option in the Dock contains the search function to find the Trash folder on a MacBook device.
Step 1. Click on Finder in the Dock
Finder’s menu bar options on a Mac. Selecting the Go tab will take you to the search function to locate the Trash folder on Mac.
Step 2. Select Go > Go to Folder
See the process of locating the Trash folder on a Mac device. Enter a file path to use the search function to find the Trash folder.
Step 3. Type ~/Trash in the search bar

3. Using the Dock icon search

Another straightforward method to access your Trash folder is locating it in the Dock (the area containing app icons or shortcuts at the bottom of your Mac’s screen). If navigating Mac’s layout makes you nervous, this might be the most suitable option until you figure things out with time. You can access the Trash folder via the Dock from anywhere on your Mac.

 

Follow this approach to open the Trash folder from your Mac’s Dock:

  1. Navigate to the lower-right corner of the Dock.
  2. Right-click on the Trash icon and choose Open to open the folder.
Look at the contents of the Dock on a MacBook device. Use the Dock icon search to find and open your Mac’s Trash folder.

4. Via Terminal to open the Trash folder

An additional method for opening the Trash folder on macOS is Mac’s Terminal. Tech buffs and users familiar with command lines may be comfortable using Mac’s Terminal window, commonly used to fix more complicated problems on macOS.

A word of caution from us: Unlike the other methods we’ve mentioned up until now, the Terminal app is a complex utility. Use it only when the Trash folder won’t open after exhausting your options and only if you’re confident navigating it to avoid making mistakes that can lead to data loss.

Follow these steps carefully to open your Mac’s Trash folder via the Terminal app:

  1. Bring up Mac’s Terminal window using Spotlight search: Press the Command + Space bar keys, type Terminal in the search bar, and select it from the list of results.
  2. Type the command open ~/.Trash on a new line and press Enter.
Spotlight search on a MacBook device. Mac owners can use Spotlight search to open the Trash folder via Terminal.
Step 1. Press the Command + Space bar keys, type Terminal, and select it
Mac’s Terminal command utility. You must enter the Terminal command open ~/.Trash to open the Trash via this method.
Step 2. Enter the Terminal command open ~/.Trash

Actions you can do with Trash on Mac

As a new Mac owner familiarizing yourself with the Trash folder, you may wonder what actions you can perform on a MacBook device. Now that you’ve figured out how to find the Trash folder on your Mac, let’s learn what you can do with it.

 

Here’s what you can do with the Trash folder on your Mac computer:

  1. Clean Trash
  2. Recover files from Trash
  3. Safely delete files from Trash

Follow the in-depth guide below to learn how to perform popular actions with Mac’s Trash folder.

1. Сlean Trash

Some laptop owners often neglect clearing out their Trash folders. However, this is an essential step that frees up much-needed space to reduce clutter and keep your Mac working optimally and speedily. Additionally, it helps you locate files more easily, as they don’t get lost in a sea of unused documents.

 

Clear your Mac’s Trash items like this:

  1. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select the Empty Trash option.
  2. Confirm the action by clicking Empty Trash in the new window.
The Mac Dock against a desktop. Cleaning the Trash entails selecting the Trash folder in the Dock and emptying it from there.
Step 1. Right-click on the Trash icon and select Empty Trash
See where the Trash folder on Mac is and the process of emptying Mac’s Trash folder. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select the Empty Trash option. Confirm the action by clicking Empty Trash in the new window.
Step 2. Confirm the action by clicking Empty Trash

An extra tip from our experts: 

 

If you’re keen to learn more about how to empty trash on Mac, here’s one more method you can try: clearing the Trash folder with MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool. This is a safe, trusted utility that automates clearing your Mac’s system of junk files—such as trash, caches, logs, mail attachments, and language files—leaving you with a clean, optimized device.

Follow the steps below to clear your Mac computer of trash and other unwanted items:

  1. Open MacKeeper on your Apple device.
  2. Select Safe Cleanup from the left sidebar and hit the Start Scan button. MacKeeper will start scanning your Mac.
  3. Wait for the scan to finish and select Clean Junk Files at the bottom of the screen.
MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup utility on a MacBook. MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup is another method of cleaning the trash.
Step 1. MacKeeper > Select Safe Cleanup > Start Scan
MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup utility on a Mac laptop. Using Safe Cleanup can help you clean the Trash on your MacBook.
Step 2. Click on Clean Junk Files

2. Recover files from Trash

We’ve all been there—thinking we’ve made a huge mistake after unintentionally deleting important files. This typically happens when deleting files in bulk to save time and free up disk space. Fortunately, recovering emptied trash on Mac is possible. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, you can rest assured knowing you can recover your files.

 

Follow the simple steps below to get your lost files back from the Mac bin location:

  1. Open the Trash folder.
  2. Right-click on the item you want to recover and select the Put Back option to return the file to its original location.
Find out how a user’s file can be recovered from the Trash. You can recover files from the Trash if you haven’t permanently deleted them.

3. Safely delete files from the Recycle Bin

We previously mentioned that your MacBook permanently deletes the files you’ve sent to the Trash folder after 30 days. However, you don’t have to wait the full 30 days. If you’re comfortable parting ways with a file you’ve deleted, you can permanently erase it from your Mac yourself before the 30-day window lapses.

 

Here’s how to do it:

  1. In the Trash folder, select the item you want to permanently delete.
  2. Choose the Delete Immediately option.
See where the trash folder on Mac is and how to recover items from the Trash folder. Select the item you want to permanently delete, right-click, and choose the Delete Immediately option.

Conclusion

Use the tips in our guide to locate Mac’s Trash folder. Find the Trash folder using your keyboard, Mac’s search function in Finder, the Dock icon, and the Terminal app.

 

If you’re looking to permanently delete old, sensitive files, there’s a better solution for that: MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool. Use it to automate permanently removing files containing private information to ensure they don’t end up in the wrong hands, clear space for other items, and improve your Mac’s performance.

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