How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac After Emptied Trash Bin – [Easy Guide]

Chandra Shekar

The macOS is designed to bear a minimum risk of data loss, even in the worst-case scenario. Simply deleting a file on Mac will remove it from its location and send it to Trash. The deleted files stay in Trash for 30 days or until you empty the Trash manually. However, it’s a different story altogether if you remove the files from the Trash bin as well. The recovery of deleted files on macOS gets a bit complex, but it’s not impossible.

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Recover deleted files from an emptied Trash

Recovery of deleted files on macOS is quite simple if the files are still in the Trash. You can recover the files from Trash by opening the Trash folder, right-clicking the files, and selecting Put Back. However, recovering deleted files on macOS after emptying Trash requires some specialized methods. Although the files are logically deleted, they are physically present on the hard drive. The space where such deleted files are stored is marked empty to be overwritten by new data. Until such time, the deleted files from emptied Trash can be recovered using any of the methods discussed below.

Caution: If you have lost files on Mac, you should stop using the system at once and avoid saving or creating any new data until your data is recovered. Using the system post-data loss might result in overwriting of data and permanent data loss.

Method 1: Recover data using a secure recovery software

This is the easiest and most foolproof method of recovering deleted data on Mac. You can use a secure and trusted data recovery for Mac and effortlessly get back the lost data. We will provide you with the data recovery steps for one of the well-recognized and globally-trusted software, Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac. It’s a DIY tool with a precise data recovery algorithm and guaranteed recovery of any lost data. The software is trusted by organizations and professionals worldwide due to its effectiveness, accompanied by simple UI. Here is how to recover your deleted files on macOS after emptying Trash.

Note: In case you want to try free data recovery software for Mac, Stellar gives you an option too i.e. Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Mac. It allows you to recover deleted data or files up to 1GB completely free.

Step 1: Launch Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac and select the type of files you want to recover in the Select What to Recover window. Click Next.

Note: If you’re unsure about the data you want to recover, select the Recover Everything option.

Step 2: Choose the location from where you want to recover data from the options in the Select Location window and click Scan.

Note: To conduct a comprehensive and thorough scan of the selected drive, turn on the Deep Scan toggle at the bottom-right.

Step 3: Once the scanning is complete, click on the files in the scanned list to Preview your recoverable files.

Step 4: If you are satisfied with the scan results, select the files, and click Recover.

Step 5: You will be prompted to choose a destination to save the recovered data. Select a destination and click Save in the dialog box.

All the selected data will be recovered in its original format and quality and saved at the chosen destination.

Method 2: Recover deleted files on macOS using Time Machine

Every informed Mac user should use the Time Machine feature to ensure data safety against potential data loss situations. If you have put effort into creating backup your data using Time Machine, it’s time to reap the benefits. You can use your Time Machine backup to recover deleted files on macOS. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Connect your Time Machine backup drive to Mac and click the Time Machine (clock) icon in the Dock. Alternatively, you can search for Time Machine in the System Preferences.

Step 2: Navigate through the list of backups and select the backup created with the deleted files still at the saved location.

Step 3: Locate the desired files and select the files you want to restore.

Step 4: Click Restore to recover the selected files on your Mac.

Now, you can check for the deleted files at the location where they were saved prior to deletion.

Method 3: Use an iCloud backup to recover deleted files on macOS

With the availability of the iCloud feature on Mac, some users prefer to back up their data on iCloud instead of maintaining an external storage drive. You can use your iCloud backup to recover your deleted files on macOS. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit iCloud.com and log in with your login credentials (You will need your Apple ID and password).

Step 2: Click on the Account Settings option below the greetings message on top.

Step 3: Click the Restore Files option under the Advanced section at the bottom-left.

Step 4: Select the files by checking the boxes against each and clicking Restore Files.

Note: All the files can be restored at once by clicking the Select All option.

Once the process is complete, the selected files will be restored to their original location on your Mac.

To wrap it up

Whatever your Mac device’s efficiency, it will degrade if you don’t perform regular management of data stored on it. Similarly, every data is at risk because ‘to err is human’. Therefore, to secure your data and avoid the troubles of data loss, you must perform a regular backup of all the valuable data on your Mac. We hope you have recovered your deleted files on macOS using the methods given in this blog.