Forum Discussion

Justinsen's avatar
Justinsen
Iron Contributor
Aug 28, 2025

How do I recover permanently deleted files on Mac

Help! I was cleaning up my desktop and accidentally permanently deleted the project folder (and even emptied the trash bin). It contains the proposal that I need to submit next week! I’m using a MacB...
Bridgero's avatar
Bridgero
Copper Contributor
Aug 28, 2025

When I was organizing my computer a while ago, I also did the stupid thing of emptying the Trash and deleted a bunch of work files. I was desperate without Time Machine, but later I found that APFS snapshots could be a lifesaver. It really helped me recover permanently deleted files on Mac. Let me share my experience!

The APFS file system supports the snapshot function. Even if you don't enable Time Machine, sometimes the system itself may generate automatic snapshots. The operation is as follows:

1. Open "Disk Utility".

2. Select your system partition and click "Show APFS Snapshots" on the toolbar.

3. If you see relevant snapshot records, choose a suitable time point to restore.

4. Although this is not Time Machine, it can be an invisible savior to recover permanently deleted files on Mac.

Tips

There are two points to note when using this method to recover permanently deleted files on Mac:
Make sure the disk format is APFS (the system default should be).

Snapshot recovery will overwrite your subsequent operation data. It is recommended to back up existing files before trying.

Resources