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Trash on Mac (~/.Trash) taking up space: how to empty it

Check before deletingMay still be useful; Thermo moves it to the Trash by default, so you can change your mind.

Where it is

  • ~/.Trash

What it is

~/.Trash is your user Trash folder. Files you delete in Finder, and files that apps and cleanup tools move to the Trash, wait here until you empty it. External drives keep their own hidden Trash folders.

Why it gets so big

Moving something to the Trash frees no space at all, so a forgotten Trash can quietly hold large videos, old app bundles or entire project folders for months.

Is it safe to delete?

Only once you're sure nothing in it is needed: emptying the Trash is permanent and can't be undone from Finder. Take a quick look first, especially if other tools have moved files there for you to review. A Time Machine backup might still have copies, but don't count on it.

Tip

Terminal and many apps can't read ~/.Trash without Full Disk Access (System Settings > Privacy & Security). Finder can also remove items automatically after 30 days, under Finder Settings > Advanced.

See how much space it uses

du -sh "$HOME/.Trash" 2>/dev/null

Delete it by hand

Run in Terminal. Deleting cannot be undone, so check the paths first.

rm -rf "$HOME/.Trash"/*

Related locations

All cleanup guides →