How to empty Trash on Mac
Until you empty Trash on Mac, the files you delete still take their space on the disk: deleting only moves them to the Trash. This guide shows how to empty it, delete one item right away, have it emptied automatically after 30 days and what to do when the Trash won’t empty. Emptied items are gone for good, unless you have a Time Machine backup.
- Open MacWashing and choose Storage in the sidebar.
- Open folders to see what takes the space: each file and folder shows its size.
- Select what you no longer need and click Remove; in the Trash, click Empty Trash.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
How to empty the Trash on Mac
- Click the Trash icon in the Dock.
- Click Empty in the upper-right corner of the window, or choose Finder › Empty Trash (Shift-Command-Delete).
- Confirm. To skip the confirmation, hold Option when you empty the Trash.
Emptied items are deleted for good. To get an item back before that, select it in the Trash and choose File › Put Back.
Delete one item right away
In the Trash, Control-click an item, choose Delete Immediately and confirm. The rest of the Trash stays as it is.
Empty the Trash automatically after 30 days
- In Finder, choose Finder › Settings, then click Advanced.
- Select Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.
The same option is in System Settings › General › Storage as Empty Trash automatically. Items you delete from iCloud Drive leave the Trash after 30 days either way.
What to do if the Trash won’t empty
- The item is in use. An app still has the file open: quit that app and empty the Trash again. If you can’t tell which app it is, restart your Mac.
- The item is locked. Select it, choose File › Get Info and deselect Locked.
- The files came from an external drive. They stay in that drive’s own Trash and are deleted only when you empty the Trash while the drive is connected.
Avoid Terminal commands with sudo rm -rf for this: one typo can delete the wrong files, with no Trash to get them back from.
Apps with their own trash
- Photos keeps deleted photos and videos in Recently Deleted for 30 days. To free the space sooner, open Recently Deleted in the sidebar and click Delete All.
- Mail moves deleted messages to its own Trash mailbox. Choose Mailbox › Erase Deleted Items to remove them.
With MacWashing, it’s one click
Storage in MacWashing shows how much space every folder takes, the Trash included, and empties the Trash with the **Empty Trash** button. You see how much you’ll get back before you do it.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Will MacWashing delete anything on its own?
No. Storage only shows sizes; it removes what you select, after you confirm, and moves it to the Trash by default.
Can I delete something macOS needs?
No. macOS files, the standard folders (Library, Documents, Downloads and the like) and MacWashing itself can’t be removed there.
Is it free?
Yes. Storage doesn’t count toward the free trial’s limit, with no account or card needed.
How to empty Trash on Mac when it says the item is in use?
Quit the app that has the file open, or restart the Mac, then empty the Trash again.
Can I get files back after emptying the Trash?
Not from the Trash: emptied items are deleted for good. If you use Time Machine, you can restore them from a backup.
Why didn’t the free space grow after I emptied the Trash?
macOS may keep those files in a Time Machine local snapshot for a while. That space counts as available and is freed when needed. Storage settings also take a moment to recount.