How to Recover Deleted Files & Folders on Mac?

Sometimes, while getting rid of unwanted files from a computer, we accidentally select & delete the important ones. It may mean the end of the world for some users who don’t know what goes behind the process of file deletion. Many people don’t know how surprisingly easy it is to recover permanently deleted files on Mac.

From using Time Machine backups, iCloud & external drive backups to recovering deleted files using professional Mac data recovery software, you can try different methods to recover deleted files & folders on Mac.

In the following sections, you will learn methods to recover deleted files & folders on Mac without hassle.

Methods to Recover Deleted Files and Folders on Mac

Accidental file deletion is the most common reason behind data loss on a Mac. Emptying the Trash or using the Option + Command + Delete keys can also delete a file permanently.  Irrespective of the situation, once a file is deleted, you must stop using your Mac immediately to prevent data overwriting. This will increase the chances of successfully restoring the file.

Use the methods mentioned below to recover deleted files and folders on Mac.

Method 1: Recover Deleted Files from Trash

Your deleted files go to the Trash folder and remain there temporarily. Trash can hold these deleted files for 30 days before they are automatically deleted by macOS.

Follow these steps to perform deleted file recovery from Trash –

• Go to Trash and locate the required files.
• Once you have identified the files, select them, right-click, and select Put Back.

This will restore the deleted files & folders to their original location.

Method 2: Recover Files Using Undo Function

If you have accidentally deleted a file or folder, you can simply undo the action and restore the deleted file.

Note – An ‘Undo’ action will only restore files that you have recently deleted and have shifted to Trash.

• From the menu bar, select the Edit option.
• Choose Undo Move. You can also use the Command + Z key combination to undo the action.

Method 3: Restore Permanently Deleted Files by Using Time Machine

Time Machine is a free, automatic backup utility used to backup your Mac at regular intervals. This utility comes handy when restoring deleted files and folders. Mac users also use Time Machine to restore their entire Mac data on a newly set-up Mac.

Here are the steps to use Time Machine backup to recover deleted files –

• Connect the configured Time Machine backup drive or the AirPort Time Machine capsule with your Mac.
• From the macOS menu bar, click Time Machine > Enter Time Machine.
• Click the up/down arrow to navigate between snapshots.
• Locate the required files and select them.
• Click Restore.
• Open Finder on your Mac to view the restored files.

Method 4: Recover Deleted Photos & Videos from the Photos App

Photos is a native photo manager app in macOS with its own Trash called Recently Deleted. When you delete a photo/video from the Photos app, it is deleted from the album and moved to the Recently Deleted section. From here, the application automatically removes the deleted photos/videos after 30 days.

Here are the steps to restore deleted photos and videos –

• Open Photos, select Albums from the left pane, and double-click Recently Deleted.
• Select the deleted photos and click Recover.

Additional Method: Retrieve Deleted Files from the Notes App

Like Photos, the Notes app also has a Recently Deleted folder that stores all the deleted notes for 30 days. You can go there and recover deleted notes. Here are the steps –

• Open the Notes app and click on the Recently Deleted section present on the left pane.
• Locate the required note files and click Move to > On My Mac > Notes.

The Note will be restored to the Notes section in the app.

Recover Deleted Files & Folders on Mac without a Time Machine Backup

Sometimes, the Time Machine backup drive fails due to logical errors, or you simply fail to enable the Time Machine Backup in the first place. In either case, you won’t be able to recover deleted files on Mac.

In such situations, professional Mac data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac can help you recover deleted files, folders, documents, photos, videos, etc. So whether you have emptied the Trash or erased/formatted a storage drive, use this software and recover your lost files with ease.

Here are the steps to use this software –

• Download and install Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac on your Mac.
• Launch the software. Select the type of data you want to recover. Click Next.
• On the next screen, select the location from where you deleted the files. Click Scan.

• Once the scan is complete, Preview your files.
• If you are satisfied with the results, click Recover to save them on an external drive.

Final Thoughts

When deleting files or folders, you should be careful that no important file is selected along with the unnecessary ones. If you accidentally delete some critical files, you can always return to the methods explained above.

Also, if you maintain regular iCloud backups or constantly use Google Drive to take backups, leverage them to recover deleted files.

Read More

Is it Possible to Restore Deleted Files Using Terminal?

Where to Find Recently Deleted Files on Mac?

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About The Author

Vishal

Vishal is a data recovery expert @Stellar. He addresses data loss scenarios on a Mac. He intends to help people solve their macOS problems. Besides, Vishal prefers to read about astronomy and autobiography, and his favorite is Steve Jobs - The man who thought different written by Karen Bluementhal.