How to Retrieve Deleted Files on a Mac (Free & Paid Methods)

Mac computers and iPhones are the leading devices in the tech industry in 2025. From students to corporate offices, millions of people prefer using Apple gadgets. When you talk about a laptop, computer, iPad, or MacBook, it seems sarcastic that you have never accidentally deleted any file on your MacBook. Imagine accidentally trashing some of your important files in your MacBook Pro bin.

Although it seems like the end of the world. But you can smartly recover all your lost data either with your system or with some data recovery software. This blog brings you everything about how to recover lost files on your Mac. From temporary to permanent deletion, it’s time to recover your Mac files now!

5 Best Built-In Ways for Mac Deleted Files Recovery

If you have deleted some files, right-click your trash bin. And restore your data simply from there. Now the question is, what if you have permanently emptied your trash bin? Or, due to some disk corruption, everything is blank. Let’s have a look at how to recover your deleted files with a wide range of Mac data recovery methods.

Hack 1. Use ‘Undo Option’ to Recover Deleted Files

Mac’s undo feature can help you instantly restore lost files. This helps users when they have accidentally deleted a file. The undo option can help you with immediate file recovery. But if you are using your system and forget to recover the files. The undo option might no longer work for you. If you want to restore deleted Mac files with the undo command, follow these simple steps:

• Press Command + Delete or Command + Z to activate your undo option feature in your MacBook Pro. This way, the deleted files automatically go back to their original location.
• Or, you can click on the edit menu. Here at the top of your screen, select the file and type “Undo Move of [File Name]”. 
• Sometimes, the MacBook Air shows your command as invalid. This means your deleted data is now in the trash bin. It’s time to retrieve your data files from the MacBook trash.

Hack 2. Restore Your Deleted Files from Mac Trash Bin

If you’ve deleted a file on your Mac, whether by dragging it to the Trash or using the right-click “Delete” option. It’s not gone forever. As long as you haven’t emptied the Trash, users can safely restore it. Just follow these easy steps for instant file restoration:

• Find the Trash Bin icon on your desktop and double-click to open it. Inside, you’ll see all the files you’ve recently deleted.
• Look through the Trash for the file you want back. Once you find it, just right-click on it. Choose the “Put Back” option. This will instantly return the file to its original folder on your Mac. You can also drag the file out of the Trash. Now, drop it onto your desktop or into any other folder.
• If you need to recover several files, you can do it all in one go. Hold down the Command key on your keyboard. Click each file you want to recover. Once they’re all selected, right-click on any one of them. Then choose “Put Back”. And that’s it! You can now find your restored files right where they used to be.

Note for Windows Users: The process is a little different on a PC. In the Recycle Bin, you would typically right-click a file. Select “Restore” to get it back.

Hack 3. Try Time Machine Backups to Restore Deleted Files on Mac

Time Machine is Apple’s own backup solution for Mac. It is designed to be incredibly easy to use. Time Machine automatically saves copies of everything on your Mac. Your documents, apps, photos, system files, in short, everything is copied and saved to an external hard drive or a network storage device.

Instead of making a full backup every time (which can be slow and use a lot of space), Time Machine creates batch backups. This smart approach means it only saves the files that are new or have been changed since its last session. Ultimately, it saves both time and storage. It also keeps a timeline of your data. You can think of it as having:

• Hourly backups for the past 24 hours.
• Daily backups for the past month.
• Weekly backups for all previous months.

Because Time Machine is integrated with macOS, it works smoothly with your system. When you need to get a file back, you can browse through these points to restore a single file or an entire folder.

How to Set Up Your MacBook Air Time Machine for Backup?

Setting up Time Machine is a quick and easy process:

1. Connect an external storage drive to your Mac.
2. On your Mac, go to “System Settings > General > Time Machine”.
3. Click “Add Backup Disk”, choose your connected drive from the list, and then click “Set Up Disk”.
4. For most users, the default settings are perfect. You can click “Options” to review what will be included in your backups.

Once Time Machine is active, it becomes a powerful tool for data restoration. You can recover deleted files from a recent backup even after you’ve emptied the Trash bin. However, this only works if a backup was created before the file was lost. If no backup exists, you would need to look for a Mac deleted file recovery program.

How do Mac Users Recover Deleted Files with Time Machine?

If you’ve lost a file and have a Time Machine backup, follow these steps:

1. Connect the external drive you use for your Time Machine backups to your Mac.
2. Launch Time Machine. You can do this by clicking the Time Machine icon in your menu bar. Now, select “Browse Time Machine Backups”.
3. A window will open showing your files across time. Use the timeline on the edge of the screen to navigate back to a date before the file was deleted.
4. Use the on-screen arrows or the search bar in the Finder window to locate the specific file or folder you need. You can preview any file by selecting it and pressing the Space Bar.
5. Once you’ve found the correct version, click the “Restore” button. The file will be returned to its original location on your Mac.

Hack 4. How iCloud Helps You Recover Mac Deleted Files?

Another way to recover Mac deleted files is for iCloud users to store and sync all their files to cut down on the chase for deleted files. If you prefer having iCloud Drive or other cloud-enabled apps. Recovering recently deleted files from iCloud is a piece of cake for you.

• Simply open your browser. Visit iCloud.com. Sign in with your Apple ID.
• Now, choose the option for photos. Click on the recently deleted option in your left panel. Now check out the deleted files. Click the ones you want to restore. Click the option to restore your photos in the library.

Remember, when users enable iCloud on multiple devices. Whether it’s iOS or Mac OS, if you delete files on your phone, it will automatically synchronize with your Mac as well. So, to pause the synchronization process, immediately disconnect your Wi-Fi. 

Now access /Users/username/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs. Copy all your remaining files to your local hard drive to avoid any missed file deletion.

Hack 5. Recover Mac Deleted Files with Terminal. 

Another way to recover Mac deleted files without software is Terminal. Remember, you can use Terminal to restore or recover your deleted files from the Trash folder on your MacBook Pro. 

If somehow you have emptied your trash bin. Either users have to switch to Time Machine backup. Or go for a third-party Mac data recovery tool for the data retrieval. To restore Mac deleted files via Terminal, follow:

1. Go to “Finder” > “Applications” > “Utilities”. Now double-click “Terminal”.
2. Type the command cd. Trash. Hit the “Return” key on your Mac.
3. Continue typing “ls -al ~/.Trash”. Check out all the contents of the Trash folder.
4. Input “mv ~/.Trash/[filename] ~/Desktop/”. Press “Return”. This will bring back all your deleted files to your Mac’s original file location.
5. To exit the Terminal window, type “Quit”. 

4 Best Paid Mac Data Recovery Software

Tried everything? Still unable to restore lost data files on Mac? Have a look at these 4 best data recovery software solutions for MacBooks. 

1. Disk Drill for Mac

Free Access: Preview all deleted files and folders with Disk Drill free version

Price: $89.00

OS version: MacBook users can run DiskDrill on all versions of macOS, including macOS X 10.5 to macOS Sonoma.

The #1 renowned Mac data recovery tool users prefer is Disk Drill. It is one of the best Mac data recovery software programs to restore accidentally deleted files or folders on your setup. With a few single clicks, you can recover your files. 

Simply scan your device to filter out lost files and folders. Users can even run some deep scans for proper control over the recovery process. This way, you can restore and recover the maximum number of files and folders. Disk Drill data recovery tool helps you focus on the files that matter the most. As an advanced feature, Mac users can pause and resume the scans. 

Make your data recovery convenient by installing your data on a virtual disk. Disk Drill comes with free data protection tools like recovery vault and guaranteed recovery. Keep your valuable data safe without fearing of privacy breach. Disk Drill marks an important upgrade in data recovery and protection solutions for secure files and folders recovery.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
•  Runs actively over M1/M2/M3 devices
• Quick and simple recovery mode
• Get scan access with a virtual disk
• Helps restore all lost or deleted files, even if you have emptied the Trash can 
• Updated scanning algorithms
• Supports more than 400 filetypes
• Renowned RAW file scanner

Cons:

• Phone support unavailable 
• Users get to access file previews only with the free version

2. Data Rescue for Mac

Free Access: Scans and previews all kinds of recoverable files.

Price: Standard license: $79, Professional license: $399

OS version: macOS 10.12 and macOS 14 Sonoma.

Data Rescue 6 is another paid data recovery solution. This Mac recovery software supports every single version of Mac OS, including M1/M2/M3 chips. Being a commercial data recovery tool, users can smartly preview all restorable files and folders for free. 

Data Rescue helps users recover thousands of file formats on their MacBooks. From disk-based storage gadgets to internal drives, data rescue operates on SD cards, external disks, and the list goes on.

Smartly clone your hard drive with this software to keep your data secure if an emergency hardware failure. With quick and deep scanning, control the recovery process and locate all your hard-to-find files. 

As a standout feature, Data Rescue for Mac offers 15 scans for previous data comparisons on MacBooks. Users can even use virtual RAID support for failing RAID configurations and successful data retrieval.

Pros:

• Access previous scan results
• Users can make clone drives to prevent hardware failures
• Instant smart scanning options
• Protects all your sensitive data
• Enjoy full Mac and Windows support with a single license 

Cons:

• Zero phone support 
• Expensive professional license

3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac

Free Access: Users can preview recoverable files on a Mac. Plus, they can efficiently restore up to 2 GB of data.

Price: $89.95

OS version: Supports all versions of macOS.

Check the device you want to scan with EaseUS recovery software. The end result is the list of recoverable data that users can restore. Now, simply filter it for easy data restoration. 

EaseUS data recovery is a little bit slower than other paid data recovery solutions. So, if you are trying to restore bulk data, it can be an issue. Plus, some users have complained about the recovery results. But, with some patience, you can have satisfied data recovery files with EaseUS recovery software.

Pros:

• Extensive knowledge to help users recover lost files.
• Intuitive interface for a successful data recovery.
• Exceptional rate of lost data recovery 

Cons:

• Sometimes the tool is annoyingly slow while recovering lost data
• EaseUS lacks any data protection tools.
• The tool can be slow when recovering large files.
• Lack of data protection tools.

4. Stellar Data Recovery for Mac

Free Access: Users can preview recoverable files on a Mac. Plus, they can efficiently restore up to 1 GB of data.

Price: The price for Stellar data recovery software depends on what kind of technical services you want to access with the tool. Usually, the personal version costs $79.99. For the premium version, users pay up to $99.99. And $149 is for the technician version of Stellar macOS data recovery software.

OS version: Supports all versions of macOS.

Stellar Data Recovery is a Mac OS data recovery software solution to help you fix accidental data deletion. Drive corruption, hard drive formatting, or any other issue, Stellar is there to help you out. With an intuitive interface, this file recovery software has some superb advanced functionalities. 

Users can restore their long-lost files in all kinds of formats. Plus, you can even recover data on virtual disk-based devices. Being one of the best internal system file recovery solutions, Mac users can easily recover USB drives or other storage device data. To access its other features by upgrading to the premium version. 

Or, you can try the technician version for repairing your corrupted videos and photos. Most of the Mac OS users have identified it as one of the best data recovery software solutions out there.

Pros:

• Virtually retrieve files from a disk-based storage device 
• Users can even recover all file extensions with this software
• Software comes with a guide manual with easy instructions for those who are retrieving their data for the very first time
• Restore corrupted videos + image files

Cons:

• Mac must have at least 8GB of RAM to fully use this tool’s features.
• Users must upgrade to the premium version to recover corrupted images or video files 

What Leads to Mac Data Loss or Deletion?

As far as the Mac data loss or deletion is concerned, there might be a number of reasons behind this mess! Some of the most common scenarios for Mac data loss include:

You Accidentally Deleted Some Important Files

Accidental deletion! This is the number one leading cause of why you end up losing your Mac data. Sometimes, users mistakenly delete some important files. Or, while working on your computer, you might end up losing a folder due to pressing the delete button. Thus, it’s better to double-check whenever deleting any files.

Viruses Can Cause Data Crashing

Although Macs are the leading gadgets of 2025. Still, they are not immune to malware and viruses. A virus usually encrypts the files. Ultimately, they ask for payments in exchange for the dencryption key. To protect your Mac data from malware, habitually follow the cybersecurity instructions.

Bugs Sometimes Hijack Your Mac Data! 

MacOS and app bugs are another reason for unexpected data deletion. For instance, while working on your system, you move a file from one folder to another. Suddenly, your system or the app you are working on crashes! While panicking, you look for the file in its original place. But, sadly, the file is not in the source as well as in the destination folder. It means that, although the file is on the drive, you are unable to locate it.

Older HDD or SSDs Leads to Data Trashing

Over time, HDD or SSD struggles with the best performance, leading to accidental data loss. Users complain of strange noises or missing files. If you are struggling with the same problem, it’s better to move your data to a new device.

Disk Formatting is A Nightmare 

Disk formatting! It’s a way to trash out all your Mac OS data. Although sometimes the users prefer intentional disk formatting as preparation for a new drive. But accidental formatting can be a nightmare. Thus, while trashing out your individual files. Verify your drive to determine whether you want to format it or not before proceeding with any action.

Improper Drive Ejection

When you remove an external drive from your Mac system, it can corrupt all your data, leading to ultimate data loss. Use the eject option before disconnecting any external storage drive from your Mac setup. So, if there is something going on in your computer, it finishes properly.

File Formats Mac Recovery Software Support

• Pictures
• Videos
• Audio files
• Documents
• Raw Images
• MP3, WAV, WMA, and all other known formats.

What Device Types Does Mac OS Data Recovery Software Support?

1. Internal hard drives AND SSDs
2. External hard drives
3. Flash drives
4. Memory cards
5. NAS and RAID Systems are used in Linux, Windows, and Mac.
6. Android & iOS devices

Quick Tips to Successfully Restore Deleted Mac Files

Looking for some quick tips for successful Mac data recovery? Here are the top six hacks users can always rely on to restore deleted files on Mac.

Do Not Use the Affected Storage Section

If you’re doubtful about Mac data deletion. Stop using the affected storage section right there to improve your Mac data recovery options. It’s better to be cautious yet impromptu. If you continue using the disk, there is are chance of overwriting the data you are thinking of restoring. Thus, it’s better to download the best data recovery software available on some other device for the immediate data recovery period

Create Regular Data Backups 

Before trying to recover data, create your own specific backup disk image of your computer storage. Suppose, if your disk image is ready, you can now freely try as many times as you want for data recovery without fearing losing your actual data.

Keep an Eye on Failing HDD 

Keep an eagle’s eye on your hard drive. If you notice any grinding sounds or doubt data corruption. It means your hard drive is going to fail soon. Ignoring these signs will actually worsen the whole situation. Try transferring your data from that device to some safer storage media ASAP.

Never Save Recovered Files on the Same Drive!

To cut down the chances of data overwriting. Never try to save the recovered files on your original disk. It’s better to look for some other location, either on your system or on an external hard drive. Mac users sometimes prefer to go for USB drives or memory cards for data retrieval in Las Vegas.

Check Your Existing Data Backups 

Before searching for the best data recovery tools online. See if you have any available data backups. No matter where Mac users store their data. Either on a cloud storage service or Time Machine backups. You can smartly restore these files back on your MacBook with a few clicks.

Always Choose Reliable Data Recovery Software Online 

When buying recovery software, always go for reliable data recovery software online for Mac. Your software choice would suggest how many APFS and HFS/HFS+ system files, as well as other FAT32 and exFAT files, you can recover over your external drives!

If you still have doubts about data recovery on your own, visit our computer repair Las Vegas shop for the best dara recovery services in town!