Get back a file you deleted on your Mac

Why it happens

When you delete a file on a Mac, it moves to the Trash and waits there until the Trash is emptied. Until then, getting it back takes one click. Once the Trash is emptied, the file is usually gone from the Mac itself, and a backup is the way back.

How to fix it

1. If you deleted it a moment ago, stay in Finder and press Command-Z. That undoes the last move and puts the file back.

2. Otherwise, click the Trash at the end of the Dock to open it. Use the search box in the Trash window if it's full.

3. Control-click the file (or click with two fingers on the trackpad) and choose Put Back. It goes back to the folder it was deleted from.

   Finder›Trash›Put Back

4. No Put Back option? Drag the file out of the Trash onto the desktop or into any folder instead.

Still not fixed?

1. Trash already emptied? If you use Time Machine, open the folder the file was in, open the Time Machine app, go back to a date before you deleted it, select it and click Restore.

   Time Machine›Restore

2. Was it in iCloud Drive? Sign in at iCloud.com and look in Recently Deleted in iCloud Drive. Files stay there for 30 days. Photos have their own Recently Deleted album in the Photos app.

3. Files deleted from a USB drive or memory card only show in the Trash while that drive is connected. Plug it back in and check the Trash again.

4. If the Trash was emptied and there's no backup, the file is most likely gone, especially on a Mac's built-in drive. For files that really matter, stop using the drive and ask a data recovery service or a repair shop, but expect that it may not be possible. Apple Support can help you set up Time Machine so it doesn't happen again.