How To Permanently Delete Files Or Folders On Mac

Making space on your device by deleting files is a common way to keep your device unclogged. Sometimes you want to delete the files permanently because you are either selling your computer or want the files gone permanently for security reasons.

You can’t possibly make this happen manually. Doing this tedious task with the help of a third party app not only saves your time but also ensures that the work is done. With the help of an app, you can permanently delete files and also its traces.

In this post, we will discuss how to delete your files on Mac permanently without leaving any traces.

Can You Delete Files Manually?

Yes, it can be! You can remove your files manually from your Mac and there are two methods to do the same with Keyboard Shortcuts. If your Mac is updated to the latest version of OSX, then you have an option to permanently delete files on Mac. This means the deleted file will be removed from your Mac instead of landing into the Trash bin.

1. Keyboard Shortcuts For Deleting Files/Folders Immediately:

To delete a file or folder permanently, follow these steps:

• Select the file that you want to delete permanently.
• Now Press Option+Command+Delete on your keyboard and click Delete on the prompt that appears to complete the process.

This method will permanently delete a file from your Mac.

Note: You can also permanently delete folders on Mac in the same way.

2. Use Finder Menu To Delete File/Folder Immediately:

You can also use Finder menu to delete a file or folder immediately. To do so, follow these steps:

• Select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to permanently delete on your Mac then hold the OPTION key while you access the “File” menu from the Finder.
• From the drop-down list, select Delete immediately.

• It will ask for your permission to Delete a file/folder permanently.

No doubt the files will be deleted permanently with this method however, there may be traces left behind. So, to make sure that your deleted files stay irretrievable and is out of your Mac without leaving any traces, then using a third party app is the best option.

Can We Permanently Delete Files/Folders On Mac?

Yes, it is possible to permanently delete files and folder on Mac. Using one of the best software to take care of this mess is a shredder application. The application has an inbuilt shredder which works wonders when it comes to deleting secret files permanently. In this way, you can delete files, photos or folders permanently from your Mac without leaving traces behind.