When we delete a file from our Mac it goes to the recycle bin. Once there, and as long as we are sure that we will not need it again, we can empty the trash . Occasionally there are files that refuse to disappear from the trash. In these cases, our good friend Terminal will take care of them.
There are two main situations in which it will be useful for us to empty the trash forcibly. The first is when we have moved a large number of files to it and we anticipate that the emptying can take several minutes. The second is when there are files that remain in the trash even after we empty it. In many cases a simple restart of the Mac can fix the situation, but other times it is necessary to be more forceful.
How to Empty Trash on Mac
There are three ways.
Step 1.Clicking on the ‘empty’ button in the trash
window
Step 2. Click on the ‘trash icon’ placed inside the dock (at the bottom of the screen)
Step 3. Once the trash window opens click on the ‘empty’ button on the top right corner of the window.
Step 4. By selecting ‘empty trash’ option in the drop-down menu
Step 5. Click on the trash icon on the dock to open a context menu (using two fingers)
Step 6. Click on empty area to open the context menu (using two fingers)
Step 7. While in the ‘trash window’ use the shortcut key Command + Shift + Delete
Step 8. After using the shortcut key a confirm dialogue box will appear to select the empty trash button
