Guide

How to empty the Trash automatically on a Mac

Open Finder › Settings › Advanced and tick "Remove items from the Trash after 30 days"; anything in the Trash longer than that is permanently deleted.

The built-in way

In Finder settings

  1. In Finder, choose Finder › Settings (⌘,) and click Advanced.
  2. Tick "Remove items from the Trash after 30 days".

This permanently deletes files. Once they are gone from the Trash, they can’t be put back without a backup such as Time Machine.

Another way

In Storage settings

  1. Open System Settings › General › Storage.
  2. Next to "Empty Trash Automatically", click Turn On. It is the same 30-day setting.

Another way

Empty it yourself

  1. Control-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash, or press ⇧⌘⌫ in Finder.

With Omaculate

Let Oma do it, and check her work first

Omaculate never empties the Trash. It only moves files there, after you approve them, so you decide when they are gone. If you turn on the 30-day setting, files Oma sent to the Trash follow that rule too.

Questions

Can I get a file back after the Trash is emptied?

Only from a backup, such as Time Machine. macOS has no undo for an emptied Trash.

Does the 30 days count from when the file was trashed?

Yes. Each item is removed 30 days after it was moved to the Trash.

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