TidyMacFiles you delete on a Mac stay in the Trash, still using space, until you empty it. Right-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash, or press Shift-Command-Delete in Finder. Photos you delete go to Photos’ own Recently Deleted album instead, and each external drive keeps its own Trash.
The five questions
Files you deleted still use space until you empty the Trash.
Everything TidyMac cleans goes here first, so you can change your mind.
TidyMac only empties it when you ask, and asks you twice first.
How big it gets: From nothing to tens of gigabytes. It’s biggest right after a cleanup, because TidyMac and most careful cleaners move files there first.
Where it lives: ~/.Trash
Three ways to empty it
- Right-click (or Control-click) the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash.
- In Finder, choose Finder › Empty Trash, or press Shift-Command-Delete. Add Option to skip the confirmation.
- To remove one item for good, open the Trash, select it and choose File › Delete Immediately.
Empty it automatically
In Finder choose Finder › Settings › Advanced and turn on Remove items from the Trash after 30 days. You keep a month to change your mind, and the space comes back on its own.
Trashes you can't see in the Dock
- External drives: files you delete from a USB or external disk go to a hidden Trash on that drive and keep using its space until you empty the Trash with the drive connected.
- Photos: deleted photos and videos go to the Recently Deleted album in Photos, not the Finder Trash, and stay there for about 30 days. Empty that album to free the space now.
- Mail: deleted messages sit in Mail's own Trash mailbox.
Do it yourself
Right-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash when you're sure.
With TidyMac: Trash
Everything TidyMac cleans goes to the Trash first. TidyMac shows how much space the Trash uses and empties it only when you ask, after confirming twice.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete trash on a Mac?
TidyMac only empties it when you ask, and asks you twice first.
Why are my trash so big?
Everything TidyMac cleans goes here first, so you can change your mind.
How do I clean trash manually?
Right-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash when you're sure.