How to Empty Trash on macOS | Also on Sequoia

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How to Empty Trash on macOS – The Complete Guide

Every macOS user has encountered the dreaded “Trash Cannot Be Emptied” message at some point. This guide will walk you through various methods to empty your Mac’s trash, from the simple click to advanced terminal commands for stubborn files.

Basic Method: The Standard Way

The most straightforward way to empty your Mac’s trash is:

  1. Click on the Trash icon in your Dock
  2. Click “Empty” in the Finder menu or right-click the Trash icon and select “Empty Trash”
  3. Confirm the action by clicking “Empty Trash”

You can also use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + Delete and confirm to empty the trash.

Secure Empty Trash

While the “Secure Empty Trash” option is no longer available in newer versions of macOS due to the introduction of SSDs, you can still ensure secure deletion using terminal commands (covered below).

How to Empty Trash on macOS
How to Empty Trash on macOS

Force Empty Trash

If the standard method doesn’t work, try:

  1. Click on the Trash icon while holding the Option key
  2. Select “Empty Trash” – this time it will say “Empty Trash” without warning
  3. The trash should empty without showing locked file warnings
How to foce Empty Trash on macOS

Using Terminal Commands for Stubborn Files

When all else fails, the Terminal is your best friend. Here’s how to handle stubborn files and folders that refuse to be deleted:

For Individual Files

Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal) and use:

sudo rm /Users/YourUsername/.Trash/filename

For Directories

Regarding folders that won’t delete:

sudo rm -rf /Users/YourUsername/.Trash/foldername

For the Entire Trash

To remove everything in the Trash:

sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

⚠️ Important Safety Notes:

  • Always double-check your commands before executing them
  • The -rf flag means “recursive” and “force” – use with caution
  • Make absolutely sure you want to delete the files, as they cannot be recovered
  • Never run rm commands with wildcards (*) without first verifying what will be deleted

Preventive Measures

To avoid trash problems in the future:

  • Regularly empty your trash
  • Check file permissions before moving items to trash
  • Be cautious with system files
  • Keep your macOS updated

Troubleshooting Tips

If you’re still having issues:

  1. Restart your Mac
  2. Boot into Safe Mode and try emptying the trash
  3. Repair disk permissions using Disk Utility
  4. Check if any applications are using the files you’re trying to delete

Remember: When using Terminal commands, there’s no “undo” button. Always ensure you have backups of important files before attempting forced deletions.

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