How to Recover Deleted Folders on Mac [5 Simple Methods in 2024]

There are four kinds of folders on your Mac: library folders, system folders, user folders, and application folders. You may easily lose files and folders from these four kinds of folders while using your Mac, and we have listed a few reasons that may cause data loss:

• Accidentally deleted
• System crash
• MacBook frozen
• Emptied Trash
• Mac power off
• Man-made physical damage

It is frustrating to lose essential folders on Mac, but you still have a chance to recover deleted folders on Mac. We will introduce five solutions to help you recover lost files or folders on Mac.

Recover Deleted Folders on Mac with Data Recovery Software

If you accidentally empty Trash Mac, it is hard to manually retrieve deleted folders on Mac. Applying a third-party recovery tool can help you recover permanently deleted folders that are not overwritten. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is a professional recovery program. You can download and install this green and safe recovery software by clicking the following button:

We list three highlights of choosing EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac:

• Recover deleted files Mac and folders, including graphics, emails, documents, videos, etc.
• Recover deleted folders quickly due to formatting, virus attacks, operation error, etc.
• Support Mac USB recovery, memory card recovery, hard drive recovery, etc.

You can follow our leads to recover deleted folders on Mac:

Note: You can create a backup of your Mac by clicking the "Disk Backup" on the left first. The software will recover the deleted files from the backup image. It can prevent further damage to your disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.

Step 1. Select the location and scan

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and choose the disk where you lost data. Then, click "Search for lost files" to start scanning.

Step 2. Filter and preview lost files

After the scan, use the file format filter on the left or upper right corner to find the deleted files you need.

Step 3. Recover lost data or files

You can double-click a file to preview its content, or choose multiple files to recover them at once. Click "Recover" to restore the lost data to a local or cloud drive.

Recover Deleted Folders on Mac from Trash Folder

Sometimes your folders are not deleted permanently and are just moved to Mac Trash. Many new Mac users may don't know where is Trash on Mac. If you just got your new Mac, you can check the picture below and find this icon on your desktop to find Trash on your Mac.

Here is a tutorial that can help recover deleted files and folders on Mac from the Trash folder:

Step 1. Usually, you can find a trash icon on the Dock. Click and open Trash Bin on Mac.

Step 2. You will see all the deleted files and folders here. Scroll down to find the target folder.

Step 3. Select the folder and right-click it. Click "Put Back" to recover the deleted folder.

Note: If you cannot find the Trash folder, skip to the next method.

Recover Deleted Folders from Trash with Terminal

For many advanced users, using Terminal to recover deleted folders from Trash is more convenient. Many new Mac users may need help learning how to open Terminal on Mac, and the easiest way is by searching Terminal in Mac Spotlight.

Step 1. Launch Terminal with the Mac Spotlight.

Step 2. Type in cd .Trash, and press the Return key to enter the Mac Trash folder.

Step 3. Type in ls -al ~/.Trash to check all the contents in the Trash folder.

Step 4. Type in mv folder ../ command to recover the deleted folder on Mac. You should replace "folder" with your target folder's name.

Recover Deleted Folders on Mac from Time Machine Backup

Time Machine on Mac is a powerful backup and restore tool. With regular Time Machine backup, you can restore from Time Machine easily. Maybe you know how to back up with Time Machine but don't know how to restore from Time Machine backup. Check the following tutorial to learn how to recover deleted folders on Mac from Time Machine backup:

Step 1. If you back up your Mac to a USB or external hard drive, ensure it is connected to your Mac.

Step 2. Open Time Machine with macOS Spotlight.

Step 3. You can filter the backup on the right side, and your backup is marked with the specific time.

Step 4. After selecting the folders or files you want, you can recover deleted folders on Mac by clicking the "Restore" button.

Recover Deleted Folders on Mac from Cloud Backup

In recent years, users have tended to store their essential data on a cloud platform such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. Apple has its own cloud platform called iCloud. How to recover deleted files and folders on Mac from iCloud? We will show you the detailed information in the following parts:

Step 1. Ensure you have activated iCloud and backed up the folders you deleted.

Step 2. Use Safari to open iCloud.com and log in with your Apple account.

Step 3. You can check the account settings and scroll down to the advanced options.

Step 4. Click "Restore Files" to select the files under the deleted folder.

Recover Deleted Folders on Mac FAQs

You have learned how to recover deleted folders on Mac with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, Time Machine backup, cloud backup, and recover deleted folders on Mac from the Mac Trash folder.

Keep reading to learn more about recovering deleted folders on Mac:

Can you recover deleted folders from Recycle Bin Mac?

It is possible to recover deleted folders from Recycle Bin on Mac. How to recover Trash on Mac? You can quickly recover deleted folders on Mac from Trash by clicking the "Put Back" button or simply recovering the folders with recovery software.

Where is the recently deleted folder on Mac?

If you delete a folder on Mac, this folder will not be deleted forever, and it will be moved to the macOS Trash folder and kept in Trash Bin temporarily. You can use Spotlight on Mac to search and open Trash.

How do I recover folders after emptying recycle bin?

After emptying the Mac Trash folder, your files and folders can be recovered before they are overwritten. It is easier to recover deleted folders after emptying the Trash on Mac by applying EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

1. 1. Scan your Mac disk to find the deleted folders.
2. 2. Select your folders and preview them.
3. 3. Recover them.

How do I recover deleted folders on Mac without the software?

Although downloading and applying a recovery tool is an excellent way to recover deleted folders on Mac. You can still retrieve the folders from Time Machine backup and cloud backup. And if your Trash is not empty, click "Put Back" to recover deleted folders.