How to recover deleted files on Mac without software? This article will introduce you 5 practical methods to recover deleted files without third-party software on Mac. But if the files have been permanently deleted, use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover them!
During heavy use of electronic devices, you may store a lot of data on your Mac disk, SD cards or USB drives. Imagine that important data stored on your devices gets deleted accidentally; you might break out in a cold sweat!
If you want to know how to recover deleted files on Mac without data recovery software, this article can help you. Before learning how to recover deleted files on Mac without software, you need to know where deleted files go on your Mac – knowing where a deleted file is located gives you a clue on how to recover it.
Where do deleted files go
By default, deleted files are moved to Mac's basket. The normal deletion simply moves the file in the basket, whether by right click and selecting "delete", using keyboard shortcuts to move in the basket, etc. In this case, you can recover the deleted files on Mac without software using the "Restore" function in the Mac basket.
When we delete files on Mac, there are cases where they do not go to the Trash, but they are erased forever, for example if we empty the Trash, if we use the permanent quick delete key, if we use the Terminal command or if you clean the hard drive. To recover a permanently deleted file this way, one must have a backup of important files, otherwise it is impossible.
Or you can use data recovery software to recover them. There are many data recovery programs in the market that can help you, like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, which recovers permanently deleted files on Mac safely and quickly. Additionally, it also offers a free version to try.
Today we are discussing cases where data can be recovered without software, which means how to recover deleted files using conventional methods. Here are 5 practical methods; take a look !
| 🗑️Restore from Mac Trash | Deleted files will return to their original locations. But this method only works within 30 days after deleting the files. |
| ⌨️Undo deletion via Command Z | This method is very convenient, but there is a limit to the number of times you can use the undo key combination. |
| 🧩Recover via Mac Terminal | This method is suitable for users with basic computer skills and gives the same results as the first method. |
| 💾Restore files with backup | Even if your files are permanently deleted on your Mac, this method still works. However, it has a clear limitation: deleted files were backed up either manually or automatically. |
| 📁Restore via Recently Deleted | This method only works with some Mac apps that have the recovery feature, such as Photos, Notes, etc., but it's worth a try. |
How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac Without Software
Apart from using data recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, here are 5 quick solutions to recover deleted files on Mac:
Solution 1. Recover Deleted Files from Mac Trash
This method can solve most deletion cases, in case deleted files go to Trash folder. Follow the following steps to recover deleted files on Mac without any third-party software:
STEP 1 . Open the terminal on your MacBook, type the LN -S ~/.Trash ~/Desktop/trash command, and press "Entry".
Or you can click the Trash icon 🗑️ on your desktop to open Mac Trash.
2nd step . Open the Trash folder on your Mac desktop, and choose the deleted files you want.
STEP 3 . Select "Put" to restore deleted files to their original locations.
However, it is worth noting that Recycle Bin only keeps deleted files for a maximum of 30 days, so if your files were deleted more than a month ago, you probably won't be able to recover them from Recycle Bin .
Solution 2. Undelete via Command Z on Mac
The shortcut of the control + Z combination can cancel the last deletion on macOS, so if you have deleted files by mistake, press simultaneously on the "command" and "Z" keys on your keyboard. This method is worth trying; However, it will not work after empties the basket.
Once the deleted files in Recycle Bin are erased, you only have 2 methods to recover deleted files: restore from backups or use third-party software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.
If you like shortcuts on Mac, this article might interest you: Ctrl + Alt + Del on Mac: 4 alternative methods
Solution 3. Recover Deleted Files on Mac Using Terminal
Contrary to what many Mac users think, it is also possible to recover undeleted files from the Trash using the Terminal command. Follow the following steps to recover deleted files via Mac Terminal:
STEP 1 . Go to "Applications> Utilities", and double-click to open the terminal.
STEP 2 . Type cd .Trash, and press "Back".
STEP 3 . Type MV Filename ../ (replace Filename with the name of the deleted file), and press "Back".
STEP 4 . Leave the Mac Terminal and open "Finder" to find the recovered file.
Solution 4. Restore Files with Time Machine/iCloud/Other Backup Tools
Suppose you accidentally deleted important files and emptied the Recycle Bin; in this case, Time Machine, iCloud and other backup tools are recommended to recover emptied Trash on Mac. For example, if you enable iCloud's automatic backup option, congratulations, you can easily download the files you need from iCloud Drive.
Or if you used Time Machine, a handy backup utility built into macOS, to back up your Mac data, you can follow these steps to recover deleted files from Time Machine:
Step 1 . Open Time Machine by clicking the icon in the top menu.
STEP 2 . Right -click the Time Machine icon and select "Browse Time Machine backups".
STEP 3 . Choose a backup that stores deleted files. Click on "Restore" to return the deleted files to their original location.
Note : Restoring from an old Time Machine backup may overwrite the new data on your Mac, so it is recommended to back up the new data before restoring the deleted data.
Solution 5. Restore Files from Recently Deleted Folder
Mac apps like Photos and Notes have a recovery feature, the Recently Deleted folder. Let's say you delete a photo in the Photos app; it will be moved to the Recently Deleted folder and stored there for 30 days.
This function is similar to a small recycle bin in apps, and you can restore deleted notes or photos within a limited time. Follow the following steps to recover deleted photos on Mac:
STEP 1 . Launch photos on your Mac, and go to "recently deleted" on the left side.
STEP 2 . Select the deleted photo you want, and click "Restore" to put it back in the Photos Application.
How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac without Software – FAQ
Here are questions people also ask when looking for how to recover deleted files on Mac without software:
- How do I recover permanently deleted files on my Mac?
Here are two effective ways to recover permanently deleted files on your Mac: If you have made backups of deleted files, you can restore them with these backups. If not, the only way to recover permanently deleted files on Mac is to use professional data recovery software, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. - Is it possible to recover deleted files from a Mac?
It is possible to recover deleted files from your Mac: restore them from the basket by clicking on "Put back", recover them with Easeus Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, restore them from the Time Machine backup, cancel the deletion in Using the “command + z” shortcut, etc. - How can I recover permanently deleted files without any software?
Unless you have made backups before or enabled automatic syncing to any cloud drive, including iCloud, Google Drive, etc., you can recover permanently deleted files from your backups.
