{"id":11951,"date":"2023-10-10T11:31:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T11:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/"},"modified":"2023-10-16T07:27:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T07:27:12","slug":"how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Force Empty Trash on Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Quit_The_App_That_Was_Using_The_File\" title=\"Quit The App That Was Using The File\">Quit The App That Was Using The File<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Restart_To_Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac\" title=\"Restart To Force Empty Trash on Mac\">Restart To Force Empty Trash on Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac_Using_The_Safe_Mode\" title=\"Force Empty Trash on Mac Using The Safe Mode\">Force Empty Trash on Mac Using The Safe Mode<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Unlock_Files_Before_Emptying_The_Trash\" title=\"Unlock Files Before Emptying The Trash\">Unlock Files Before Emptying The Trash<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Delete_The_Problematic_Files_Individually_In_The_Trash\" title=\"Delete The Problematic Files Individually In The Trash\">Delete The Problematic Files Individually In The Trash<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac_Using_Terminal\" title=\"Force Empty Trash on Mac Using Terminal\">Force Empty Trash on Mac Using Terminal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Securely_Empty_Trash_on_Mac\" title=\"Securely Empty Trash on Mac\">Securely Empty Trash on Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-force-empty-trash-on-mac\/#Use_a_Third-Party_App_To_Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac\" title=\"Use a Third-Party App To Force Empty Trash on Mac\">Use a Third-Party App To Force Empty Trash on Mac<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>If you&#8217;re having trouble emptying the Trash on your Mac, there are several methods you can try to force empty the Trash and completely delete the files. This will allow you to have an empty Trash app on your Mac machine.<\/p>\n<p>There can be various reasons why the Trash is not getting emptied on your Mac. One possibility is that the files in the Trash are locked, which prevents them from being deleted. There may also be other issues with the files in the Trash that are preventing the task of emptying the Trash from being executed.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quit_The_App_That_Was_Using_The_File\"><\/span>Quit The App That Was Using The File<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One reason why you may not be able to empty the Trash is if one of the files in there is being used by an app on your Mac. To resolve this, you&#8217;ll need to close the app that is using the file first.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Press the Command + Option + Esc keyboard shortcut to bring up a box listing the currently open apps on your Mac.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/force-quit-apps.png\" alt=\"Keyboard with Esc, option, and command keys highlighted\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Select the app you think is using your Trash file and click the Force Quit button.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/select-app-quit.png\" alt=\"Photoshop selected in Force Quit Applications window\"><\/p>\n<p>Once the app is closed, you&#8217;ll be able to empty the Trash.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Restart_To_Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac\"><\/span>Restart To Force Empty Trash on Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Another simple solution is to reboot your Mac. Restarting your machine can help close any apps that may be causing issues with the Trash, as well as clear the contents of RAM.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Click on the Apple logo at the top-left corner and select Restart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/restart-mac.png\" alt=\"Restart selected in Apple menu\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When the Mac restarts, right-click on the Trash and select Empty Trash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/empty-trash.png\" alt=\"Empty Trash menu in Dock\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac_Using_The_Safe_Mode\"><\/span>Force Empty Trash on Mac Using The Safe Mode<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you still can&#8217;t empty the Trash, it&#8217;s possible that a startup app is preventing the Trash from being cleaned up. In this case, using the Mac safe mode can help.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reboot your Mac and hold down Shift when it boots up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/mac-safe-mode.png\" alt=\"Apple Keyboard with Shift key highlighted\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Empty the Trash as you would normally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Unlock_Files_Before_Emptying_The_Trash\"><\/span>Unlock Files Before Emptying The Trash<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If certain locked files are causing issues with emptying the Trash, you&#8217;ll need to unlock them before you can remove them when emptying the Trash.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Right-click on the locked file and select Get Info.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/get-info.png\" alt=\"Get Info in right-click menu\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Untick the box that says Locked to unlock the file.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/unlock-file.png\" alt=\"Locked checkbox in Info window\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Empty the Trash as you would normally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Delete_The_Problematic_Files_Individually_In_The_Trash\"><\/span>Delete The Problematic Files Individually In The Trash<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If a single or a few files are causing the entire Trash to not empty, you can first remove these files individually before emptying the entire Trash.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Click on the Trash icon to open it.<\/li>\n<li>Find the problematic file, right-click on it, and select Delete Immediately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/delete-immediately.png\" alt=\"Right-click menu with Delete Immediately selected\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Repeat this process until the issue is resolved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac_Using_Terminal\"><\/span>Force Empty Trash on Mac Using Terminal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If other methods don&#8217;t work, you can use Terminal to force empty the Trash. This command line app can help you clean up all the files currently in the Trash on your Mac.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Launch Terminal from the Launchpad on your Mac.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/launch-terminal.png\" alt=\"Terminal in Search Bar\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Type the following command and hit Enter: sudo rm -rf ~\/.Trash<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/terminal-empty-trash.png\" alt=\"sudo rm -rf ~\/.Trash command in Terminal\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Enter your password when prompted to execute the command.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When the command is executed, your Trash will be empty. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Securely_Empty_Trash_on_Mac\"><\/span>Securely Empty Trash on Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In addition to the normal empty option, you have the option to securely erase all files in the Trash. This can help resolve any issues preventing the emptying of the Trash.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the Trash on your Mac.<\/li>\n<li>Click on the Finder menu at the top and select Secure Empty Trash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/secure-empty-trash.png\" alt=\"Secure Empty Trash selected in Finder\"><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_a_Third-Party_App_To_Force_Empty_Trash_on_Mac\"><\/span>Use a Third-Party App To Force Empty Trash on Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If none of the default methods work for you, you can consider using a third-party app. A free app called Trash It! is available for this purpose and allows you to empty the Trash with a single click. It can also be used to delete individual files from your Mac.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Download the Trash It! app on your Mac.<\/li>\n<li>Open the app and it will empty your Trash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These methods should help resolve any issues preventing you from emptying the Trash on your Mac.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re having trouble emptying the Trash on your Mac, there are several methods you can try to force empty the Trash and completely delete the files. This will allow you to have an empty Trash app on your Mac machine. There can be various reasons why the Trash is not getting emptied on your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mac-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12332,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11951\/revisions\/12332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}