Trash Won't Empty on Mac: Why Is It Not Working?[Here's How to Fix It]

Mac Trash Can Cannot be Empty? Try these methods!

If your Mac trash can't be cleared, it's usually because the files or folders you recently added are in use. But sometimes the problem may also lie in the computer itself, such as the program is unresponsive. It is usually easy to solve this problem, just close any apps that interfere with the trash can.

The inability to empty the garbage can will cause the equipment to occupy unnecessary extra space, which will affect the performance and work efficiency of the computer. The following steps will help you resolve this issue.

Reasons why Mac trash can't be cleared:

• Program is still in use: If you are using an application, file, or folder, you cannot delete it until it is closed.
• One or more Mac applications are unresponsive: Sometimes, your computer may fail, causing it to not work properly, and thus fail to clear the trash can.
• Disks may need to be fixed: On older Macs, disk issues may prevent you from using the trash folder correctly.
• Privacy Settings: Sometimes files, applications, and folders are locked. When this happens, you may not be able to empty the trash and delete the content.

How to solve the problem that Mac trash can cannot be emptied:

The easiest solution is to close all running programs. You can manually close all open apps and browsers, and if they are invalid, you can also force exit (go to Apple logo > force exit and select each app).

The following is a complete list of solutions to the problem of not being able to clear the Mac trash can:

1. Restart your Mac
2. Try to clear the Mac trash can in safe mode
3. Use the terminal to clear the trash can
4. Use the Option key to clear the Mac trash can
5. Check your disk to fix
6. Get permission to clear the Mac trash can
7. Use the "Delete Now" option on your Mac
8. Delete the file that is being used on your Mac
9. If the disk is full, uninstall the file to another drive
10. Empty the trash can with the Mac Cleanup App

The following will describe the steps for each solution in detail:

1. Restart your Mac

Restarting your computer is a good start to solve your Mac file deletion problem. This action stops all running programs, quickly clearing the trash can. The steps are as follows:

1. Go to Apple logo > Restart.
2. Click Restart in the pop-up window.
3. Wait for the computer to shut down and restart, then enter your login details and try to clear the trash can again.

2. Try to clear the Mac trash can in safe mode

Follow the following steps to close your Mac:

1. Go to Apple Logo > Close and confirm that you want to start closing.
2. Restart your Mac with the standby button.
3. Press and hold the Shift key and click the Power button.
4. Go to Trash can and select Empty the trash can.

3. Use the terminal to clear the trash can

Use the following steps to clear the trash can through the terminal:

1. Open Spotlight on your Mac, type Terminal, and then open the application.
2. After opening the terminal, enter sudo rm, drag and drop your file, and press Enter.
3. Enter the same password you used to log into your Mac and press Enter again.

4. Use the Option key to clear the Mac trash can

Sometimes, you can empty the trash by performing the standard deletion steps and holding down the Option key on your keyboard. If you can't delete the locked program, this may be a feasible solution to the problem of not being able to clear the Mac trash can:

1. Go to the Trash Can folder on your Mac
2. Press and hold the option key while clicking Clear . After deleting the file, the application will close.

5. Check if your disk needs to be repaired

If you have been using your Mac for a while, you may have disk problems. These issues may prevent you from performing basic tasks such as emptying the trash can. Fortunately, you can check if your Mac disk needs to be repaired:

1. Open Spotlight and search Disk Utility and open the application.
2. Click on First Aid on your Mac boot disk.
3. Select in the pop-up window to run .
4. Your Mac will then look for and fix any issues it detects. After completion, select Done.

6. Obtain permission to clear the Mac trash can

Sometimes, you may need to change the permission settings on your Mac:

1. Find the files you want to delete and press control trackpad to highlight them.
2. Select Show introduction .
3. Click the padlock icon at the bottom of the window.
4. Confirm to unlock the document. Enter your password or complete the process using Touch ID.

7. Use the "Delete Now" option on your Mac

If completely deleting junk files fails, try using the "Delete Now" feature for a single folder:

1. Go to the file in Trash can and select it using control trackpad.
2. When you see the drop-down menu , select Delete now.

8. Delete the file that is being used on your Mac

The files being used will usually interfere with your trash can on your Mac. Delete the file you are using:

1. Close the application, file, or folder you are using.
2. Close the login by going to System Settings > Login items > - icon .
3. Shut down and restart your Mac.
4. Try to delete the file you want to delete again.

9. The disk is full and causes the Mac to fail to clear the trash can

The most illogical reason you can't empty your Mac trash can is probably because the disk is full. When this happens, you need to move parts of the content on the device to another location to free up space. One way is to switch some programs to an external hard drive:

1. Plug an external hard drive into the USB slot of your computer
2. Drag and drop files and folders to your external hard drive.

10. Empty the trash using the Mac Cleanup App

MacKeeper's safe cleaning Tools are one of the most effective ways to empty your Mac trash can. Not only can you delete unnecessary files and free up more space, you can also detect what you may not notice.

The following is how to use MacKeeper to safely clean up and clear the trash can:

1. Open MacKeeper and go to Cleaning >Safe Cleaning > Start scanning .
2. Wait for MacKeeper to scan your Mac.
3. Tick the Trash Can folder and all other content you want to delete.
4. Click Clean junk files.
5. A pop-up window will appear asking if you want to clear the trash folder. When this window appears, select Empty the trash can .

Mac Trash Can Cannot be Empty? Check our prompt again

You have several possible solutions to empty the trash folder on your Mac and usually don't take much time to implement it. For example, you can restart the device and hold down the Option key to clear the trash can to remove hard-to-delete files.

You can also change the permissions for files you are locked and cannot delete. If you want a more efficient solution, MacKeeper's secure cleaning will help you free up more space.

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