How to Recover Emptied Trash on Mac Without Using Software
If you’ve deleted important files, several methods exist that allow you to restore them without installing specialized recovery software. The success of these methods often depends on quick action and the presence of backups, which are key factors in retrieving your data. In this guide, we will provide you with detailed steps on how to recover your files using these methods.
Can You Recover Emptied Trash on Mac Without Software?
Yes, you can recover files from emptied Trash on a Mac without using third-party software, but your options are somewhat limited.
Several scenarios can lead to the need for file recovery. Maybe you accidentally emptied the Trash and later realized you deleted something significant. Perhaps the 30-day storage limit for files in the Trash expired before you could retrieve an important document. Whatever the reason, you might still have a chance to recover those files without using third-party software.
⭐Tip. By default, macOS automatically empties the Trash after 30 days. If you prefer to manage this yourself and avoid the risk of files being automatically deleted, you can easily disable this feature. Open Finder, go to Finder in the top-left corner and select Settings. In the Advanced tab, uncheck the option that says Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.
If you have set up backups, you can potentially retrieve deleted files without the need for additional software. In some cases, specific Mac applications, offer built-in recovery options that allow you to restore recently deleted files.
💎Note. Usually, for scenarios involving emptied Trash, we would recommend recovery software like Disk Drill. It makes it super easy to recover deleted files from emptied Trash by scanning your drive and retrieving the lost data. However, if you cannot install third-party software on your Mac, you are limited to the built-in tools and methods available on your macOS.
How to Recover Deleted Files from Trash on Mac Without Software
Each method in this article is straightforward and accessible for any user to try. They involve tools that are already present on your Mac, so you won’t need to install any additional software. Below, you’ll find detailed steps for each method.
Method 1: Restore Files from Time Machine Backup
Time Machine is a built-in backup feature on your Mac that automatically saves copies of your files to an external drive. If you’ve set it up, Time Machine creates regular backups, allowing you to go back in time and recover files that were deleted — even after emptying the Trash. It’s like having a time-travel tool that lets you retrieve lost data.
⭐Tip. If you haven’t activated Time Machine yet, we highly recommend doing so. Time Machine provides an easy way to protect your data, and we’ll provide a guide on how to set it up after covering all the recovery methods. This will help you prevent data loss in the future and make file recovery much easier.
To restore files using Time Machine, follow these steps:
1. Connect your Time Machine backup drive to your Mac if it’s not already connected.
2. Open Finder and go to the folder where your deleted files were last located. This step narrows down the search within Time Machine, focusing on the exact location where the files were stored.
3. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select Browse Time Machine Backups. This will launch the Time Machine interface, showing you previous versions of the folder you are viewing.
4. Use the timeline on the right side of the screen to move through different backup points. The arrows allow you to go back in time until you find the version of the folder that contains your deleted files.
5. Once you find the right version, select the files you want to recover and click the Restore button at the bottom of the Time Machine window. The files will be restored to their original locations.
Method 2: Recover Deleted Files from iCloud Backup
iCloud is widely used by Mac users for good reason — it’s like having a personal assistant that keeps your files safe and sound in the cloud. When you accidentally empty your Trash, iCloud Drive might still hold onto those deleted files, giving you a second chance to recover them. If your Mac is synced with iCloud, you could find your lost files sitting in the Recently Deleted folder, ready to be restored.
To retrieve deleted files using iCloud, follow these steps:
1. Open your web browser and go to iCloud.com. Sign in with your Apple ID if you aren’t already logged in.
2. Once logged in, click on Drive to access iCloud Drive. This is where all your synced files are stored, waiting for you to retrieve them.
3. In the sidebar, select Recently Deleted. This folder contains files that have been deleted from any iCloud-connected devices but are still recoverable for a limited time — because iCloud likes to give you a buffer before final deletion.
4. Look through the list of deleted files and select the ones you want to recover. Click Recover to restore them to their original locations within iCloud Drive.
5. If you don’t see your files in Recently Deleted, check the original folder where they were stored. Sometimes, iCloud doesn’t sync deletions right away, so your files might still be waiting for you in their original location.
Method 3: Recover Deleted Files from App-Specific Recovery Features
Another method you can try involves using the built-in recovery features in specific Mac applications, like the Photos app. Many apps, including Notes, Mail, and Contacts, keep recently deleted files in temporary folders before permanently removing them. These features give you a short window to recover your data.
Here’s how you can recover files in the Photos app:
1. Open the Photos app on your Mac.
2. Navigate to the Recently Deleted album in the sidebar. This album holds photos and videos that were deleted in the last 30 days.
3. Browse through the files and select the ones you want to recover.
💎Note. The app conveniently displays the number of days left before each item is permanently deleted, giving you a clear indication of how much time you have to act.
4. Click Recover in the top-right corner to restore the files to their original albums within the Photos library.
For other apps like Notes, Mail, and Contacts, the steps are similar:
- Open the app and look for the Recently Deleted or Trash folder in the sidebar.
- Find the file, note, or email you want to recover.
- Right-click on the file or email and choose Move To or simply drag it back to the appropriate folder (e.g., Inbox for Mail).
These app-specific features are quick and simple ways to restore your files, especially when the deletion was recent.
How to Enable Time Machine and iCloud on Mac to Prevent Future Problems
Now we will show you how to enable Time Machine and iCloud backups on your Mac, in case you didn’t have them enabled before. Setting up these built-in backup solutions will help you prevent data loss and make file recovery much easier in the future. Let’s start with enabling Time Machine and then move on to iCloud.
1. How to Enable Time Machine Backup
The process of enabling Time Machine is fairly simple, but you will need to prepare an external drive, like an HDD or USB drive, to store your backups. This drive will act as your backup location, where Time Machine will save copies of your entire system, allowing you to restore files or even your whole system if needed.
1. Connect an external hard drive to your Mac. This drive will serve as the backup location for Time Machine.
2. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
3. Click on General in the sidebar, then select Time Machine.
4. Click Add Backup Disk and choose the connected external drive. Time Machine will now start backing up your Mac regularly. You can encrypt this backup for extra security.
5. Choose Backup Frequency. With this option turned on, Time Machine will back up your files continuously in the background.
⭐Tip. Choose an external hard drive with plenty of storage space. The Time Machine maintains hourly, daily, and weekly snapshots, so extra space allows older backups to last longer before being overwritten. A good rule is to use a drive that’s at least twice the size of your Mac’s internal storage.
2. How to Enable iCloud Backup
iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage service that securely stores your files, photos, and other data on remote servers. Instead of relying solely on your Mac’s internal storage, iCloud keeps your data in the cloud, making it accessible from any Apple device, such as your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. With iCloud, your files stay synced across all your devices, so any changes you make on one device are automatically updated everywhere.
1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Type iCloud in the search bar at the top of the settings window to locate it immediately.
3. In the iCloud section, toggle on iCloud Drive. This will start syncing your files to iCloud, making them available from any Apple device.
4. To customize what gets backed up, click Options next to iCloud Drive. Here, you can choose which folders and apps will sync with iCloud.
⭐Tip. iCloud comes with 5GB of free storage, but if you have a lot of files, you might need more space. Check your storage needs and consider upgrading to a paid iCloud plan if necessary. Also, remember that iCloud can back up more than just files, like app data, so it’s a useful tool for keeping everything safe.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s possible to recover files from emptied Trash on your Mac without using software. We hope one of the methods we covered helped you restore your lost files. Remember to set up backups with Time Machine and iCloud to protect your data in the future. Taking these steps now can help prevent similar issues later.
FAQs
Is it possible to recover emptied Trash on Mac without software for free?
Absolutely. All the methods we’ve discussed rely on built-in Mac tools like Time Machine and iCloud, so you won’t need to pay for third-party software to recover deleted files from Trash on Mac without the software.
How do I recover deleted files from Trash on Mac without software?
You can recover deleted files from Trash on your Mac without software by using backups from Time Machine, iCloud, or by checking the Recently Deleted folders in specific apps like Photos or Notes.
Can I recover permanently deleted files on a Mac without software?
Recovering permanently deleted files on a Mac without software can be difficult if there’s no backup available. Regular backups with these tools make it easier to recover permanently deleted files.
