How to Recover Deleted Files on a Mac

Deleted something important on your Mac? The Trash, iCloud Drive, and Time Machine backup can all help you get it back.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Look in the Trash
2.Use Command+Z to undo an accidental deletion
3.Check iCloud Drive's Recently Deleted
4.Restore from Time Machine backup
5.What if nothing worked?

Look in the Trash

~23s

Click the Trash icon in your Dock (it looks like a metal trash can). Browse through the items there. When you find your file, right-click it and choose "Put Back." This moves it back to its original folder as if nothing happened.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: You can search inside the Trash using the search bar at the top right of the Trash window. Type the file name or part of it.

Use Command+Z to undo an accidental deletion

~15s

If you deleted the file just moments ago, press ⌘+Z (hold the Command key and press Z). This undo shortcut works on the Mac desktop and in Finder and can reverse a deletion instantly.

Check iCloud Drive's Recently Deleted

~17s

If the file was in your iCloud Drive, go to iCloud.com in your browser and sign in. Click the Drive icon, then look at the bottom of the left sidebar for "Recently Deleted." Files deleted within the last 30 days appear here. Click the file and choose "Recover."

Restore from Time Machine backup

~33s

If you have a Time Machine backup drive plugged in, open the folder where your file used to be. Then click the Time Machine icon in your menu bar (a clock with a circular arrow) and choose "Enter Time Machine." Use the timeline on the right to go back to a date before the file was deleted. Find the file and click Restore.

Warning

Time Machine only helps if you've been regularly connecting a backup drive to your Mac. If you haven't set this up, consider buying an external hard drive and turning on Time Machine in System Settings > General > Time Machine.

What if nothing worked?

~18s

If your file is permanently gone and you have no backup, there are professional data recovery services that can sometimes retrieve files from a hard drive. These services can be expensive ($300–$1,500), so they're best reserved for truly irreplaceable files like family photos. Apple Support (apple.com/support) can help you find authorized recovery partners.

You Did It!

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On a Mac, when you delete a file it doesn't disappear right away — it goes to the Trash, which works like a holding area. The file stays there until you choose to permanently empty the Trash. As long as you haven't done that, getting your file back is a matter of seconds.

If you have emptied the Trash or the file was stored in iCloud Drive, don't panic — there are still options. iCloud Drive keeps deleted files for 30 days, and if you've been using Time Machine (Apple's built-in backup system), you may be able to retrieve the exact version of a file you need.

This guide walks you through all three methods so you can recover what you lost quickly and confidently.

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