Deleting Files and Folders

In this lesson for macOS Mojave on the Mac, I look at the different ways to throw your files and folders into the trash, as well as the different ways to empty the trash.

Location of the Trash
To delete a file, you throw it into the Trash on the Mac. Where is the Trash? It is always located on the far right of the Dock. If the Trash has any files in it, the icon will look like a full trash can, if the Trash is empty, the trash can will look empty.

Dragging Items into the Trash
One of the easiest ways to throw something away, this could be a file, folder, or even an application, is to drag it to the Trash on the Dock. Once you place an item into the Trash, you will no longer be able to open it. You can still recover it though.

Using the Menu Bar to throw an Item in the Trash
Just select the files and folder you want to throw away, then go to the Menu Bar and under File, you will see Move to Trash. Select this to move any selected items to the Trash.

Using a Keyboard Shortcut to throw an Item in the Trash
You can also use a keyboard shortcut to throw something away. Just select the file or files and use the keyboard shortcut command-delete, the command key and the delete key. This will move any selected files and folders into the trash.

Recovering Items from the Trash
Once you throw an item in the Trash, you can no longer open it, but you can still recover it. Just click on the Trash icon in the Dock to open the Trash. You will see all the files you threw away, select the file or files you want to recover and drag them into the folder you want. Once you move them out of the Trash, you can open them again.

Emptying the Trash
If your hard drive on your Mac is getting full, one of the first things to do is empty your trash. This will permanently delete any files or folders you threw away and then your Mac can use that space for other items. If you have a lot of videos or photos, this can clear up quite a bit of space. Once you empty the trash, you will no longer be able to recover the files.

See this Lesson Action
To see this lesson in action, take a look at the video above.