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5 Methods to Recover Deleted Files from Emptied Trash on Mac | 2023 Guide

Getting rid of unnecessary files from your Mac is something we do from time to time. And let’s be honest, we all had that moment at least once in our lives when we felt we wouldn’t need a file and deleted it but later ended up needing that particular file. Now all you do is think to yourself, “How to recover trash mac files?” If that’s the case, then you are not alone.
However, if you want to recover trash on Mac even after you have emptied your trash, then we have you covered. Here we will discuss five methods to recover deleted files from emptied trash on Mac.
Part 1: How To Find Trash On A Mac?
If you want to recover emptied trash on Mac, you must find Trash. You will discover Trash at the end of the Dock. Trash’s icon looks like a garbage can, but it can be different depending on the version of your macOS that you are using.
Though Trash can’t be removed from the Dock, there can be times when the icon might temporarily disappear. If you can’t find Trash at the Dock, below are some of the ways through which you can find Trash.
Location 1: Desktop Icon
The first way to access Trash is by adding the Trash Folder to your desktop. Here is how you can do it:
- Open the Terminal. You can do that by navigating to Launchpad and typing Terminal in the search field.
- On the terminal window, type the command, “In -s ~/.Trash ~/Desktop/Trash” and hit return.
- Next, go to your Mac’s desktop and look for a regular-looking folder called Trash.
Location 2: Finder
Another method you can use to find Trash is by using Finder. Here’s how you can do it:
1.Launch Finder
2.Next, on the top menu, navigate to “Go” then “Go to Folder”. You can also press Command + Shift + G.
3.Type “~/.Trash” in the search field and hit “Go”.
Location 3: Terminal
If you can handle text-based applications, then this method is for you. And here are the detailed operation steps:
- Open Terminal. You can do that by navigating to Launchpad and typing Terminal in the search field.
- Type “cd.Trash” on the terminal window and press the Return key.
3.Type “ls -al ~/.Trash” and press the Return key. Upon pressing, you can view the files currently located in Trash.
Part 2: How to Recover Deleted Files from Emptied Trash on macOS Ventura?
Methods 1: Recover Trash Files on macOS Ventura Using Professional Data Recovery Software(Video Tutorial Included)
This method is for you if you want to recover files from trash on mac but don’t want to go through any sort of hassle. Besides, manual browsing can be complex and technical, and if you want to save time and recover efficiently, then 4DDiG is the software to use.
With 4DDiG, you can do the following things:
- Recover files that is formatted, deleted or simply lost on your Mac.
- Restore deleted files from hard drives and external storage devices and even make recoveries from a MacBook that is dead, crashed or failed.
- No need to diasble SIP when you use 4DDiG to recover data.
- Data recovery rate with 4DDiG is high and 100% secure.
- It supports most Mac OS, including macOS Big Sur, macOS Ventura and others.
Want to learn more about 4DDiG? Here is a quick guide on how you can use it to recover deleted files:
Step 1: Download 4DDiG from the official website and install it. And choose the location you want to recover files from.
Step 2: Click the “Scan” button, and 4DDiG will look for lost or deleted files, this may take a few minutes. If you can’t find your files, click “Deep Scan” to search again. Once scanned, you can view your lost files through “File View“ or “Tree View.”
Step 3: Select the files you can recover and hit “Recover”. After pressing “Recover”, your file should be recovered successfully, and you can view it!
Methods 2: Retrieve An Accidentally Emptied Trash macOS Ventura from iCloud on Mac
If you want to retrieve deleted trash without involving any professional software, then the first option you can use involves iCould. You can check for backups on iCloud, and here is how you can do it:
- Start by logging in at iCloud.com
- Click on the “Gear” icon to access the iCloud Settings Web App.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click “Restore Files.”
- Select the files you can restore and click “Restore.”
Methods 3: Restore Deleted Files from Emptied Trash via Time Machine on Mac.
The following method we will discuss involves using the Time Machine, a pre-installed recovery tool on your Mac. If you want to recover files using the Time Machine, here is how you will do it:
- Start by connecting the Time Machine backup media on your Mac.
- In the Trash folder, open a Finder window.
- Next, launch the time machine and browse for the deleted items.
- Select the items you want to recover and hit “Restore”.
Methods 4: Recover Deleted Files from Emptied Trash with macOS Ventura Terminal
Another way to recover files without using software is using the Terminal, a built-in program on Mac. With this tool, you can recover deleted trash on Mac sometimes. Recovering deleted files is challenging with a Terminal, but here is how you can do it:
- Launch the Terminal
- Type “cd. Trash” and press the “Return” key
- Type “mv xxx../” and press the “Return” key
- Next, type “Quit” and navigate to the “Finder” window
- Enter the name of the file you want to receive and press the “Return” key
- The deleted file should appear. Select the file and save it in your desired location.
Methods 5: Get Deleted Files Back from the External Drive Trash Bin Mac
The last method isn’t something that you can try, but you shouldn’t have high hopes while you do so. You can check for deleted files that are invisible in the “.Trashes” folder, which you can find in the external drive trash bin. Here are the steps you need to follow to get deleted files back from the external drive trash:
- Start by pressing CMD + Shift + .hotkey. (Shortcut)
- If the shortcut fails, then you need to launch Terminal
- On the Terminal, type “defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE killall Finder”
You can access the “.Trashes” folder with the above command.
Conclusion
If you have accidentally deleted some important files or images from your Mac, and want to recover them, then there are plenty of options available for doing that. All options have their pros and cons, however, if you want to have the best experience without any hassle, then you should go for 4DDiG which allows you to recover all your files 100% securely and seamlessly.

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