How to empty the Trash on a Mac safely
Click the Trash icon in the Dock, click Empty in the upper right corner of the window, then confirm with Empty Trash. Emptying is permanent, so look through first. Apple says files in the Trash do not free any space until you empty it, which is why a disk can stay full after you delete things.
Before you empty
- Open the Trash and sort by Size to see what is biggest.
- Check for anything you still need.
- To bring an item back, select it and choose File, then Put Back. You can also drag it out of the Trash.
A good habit: move things to the Trash, use the Mac for a day, then empty. It gives you a chance to notice something is missing.
Delete one item only
Control click the item and choose Delete Immediately. This skips the Trash, so the item cannot be put back.
If an item is locked
Select the item and choose File, then Get Info (or press Command and I). Deselect the Locked checkbox, then move the item to the Trash. Or, when you drag or delete a locked item, click Continue to confirm.
Empty it automatically
In Finder, choose Finder, then Preferences, and click Advanced. Select the option to remove items from the Trash after 30 days. That is the wording on the Apple page for macOS 12. On recent macOS the menu item is named Settings, so look for it there if you do not see Preferences. Items moved to the Trash from iCloud Drive are emptied after 30 days anyway, Apple says.
Why it does not seem to free space
The Storage screen can lag behind. After emptying, wait a minute and reopen General, then Storage in System Settings. See check disk space.
Be careful with what you move there
Never move system folders. For apps, see uninstall an app and leftover files. For a plan of what to remove, read find large files.
In the notch
NotchStar’s Disk tool sends everything it removes to the Trash, never straight to deletion, and the space it counts as recovered counts only after the move. You still empty the Trash yourself.
