How to Recover Deleted Desktop Files on Mac [with 3 Proven Methods]

This article will introduce effective ways to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac. Install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover permanently deleted files and protect your data safety!

Table of Contents

Don't know how to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac? On macOS, downloaded and saved files are automatically stored on the desktop, and you can access them anytime. If you have no idea about how to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac, this article will introduce effective ways to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac. Keep reading!

Accidentally Deleted Desktop Files, Can I Recover Them

Deleted files from the Mac desktop will move to the Mac Trash bin for 30 days, and you can recover deleted files on the Mac from the Trash bin. Don't worry if you accidentally deleted desktop files on your Mac; you can click the trash bin icon at the Mac Dock, open your Trash bin, and find the deleted desktop files.

However, sometimes you can't find the deleted desktop files in the Trash bin when you permanently delete files on a Mac. In this case, you can't use the "Put Back" feature in Trash to return the deleted desktop files.

How to Recover Deleted Desktop Files on Mac

Fortunately, you can recover permanently deleted files on Mac by the methods we introduce below. Take a look!

Fix 1. Recover Deleted Desktop Files on Mac Using Software

The most effective way to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac is to use professional data recovery software, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It is a powerful and trusted data recovery tool that can recover permanently deleted files, including recovering deleted photos on Mac, restoring deleted Word documents, and more.

It can perform Mac hard drive recovery with easy-to-understand steps, even if you have zero experience with data recovery. Besides, it supports data recovery of multiple storage devices, such as SD card data recovery on a Mac, USB flash drive data recovery, external hard drive data recovery, etc.

To make the recovery process more easy-to-understand, we also provide the steps to follow:

Step 1. Search for lost files

Select the disk location to search for lost files (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device) on macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma. Click the "Search for lost files" button.

Note: Before data recovery, you'd better click "Disk Backup" from the left sidebar to create a backup of your Mac to avoid further data loss. After backing up, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can wirte new data again.

Recover Data Step1

Step 2. Go through the scanning results

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scanning results.

Recover Data Step2

Step 3. Select the file(s) and recover

In the scan results, select the file(s) to preview and click the "Recover" button to have them back.

Recover Data Step3

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Fix 2. Recover Deleted Desktop Files on Mac from Trash Bin

Mac Trash bin provides a "Put Back" option that can return the deleted files to their original storage locations. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Click the trash bin icon in the Mac dock to open the "Trash" folder.

open Trash folder

Step 2. Find the deleted desktop files in the Trash bin. If too many files are in the Trash bin, you can type the deleted file's name in the search box one by one to locate them.

Step 3. Choose the deleted desktop files you want to recover, control-click on them, and select the "Put Back" option.

click Put Back in Trash

Here is an article containing detailed information about the Mac Trash bin recovery. Take a look!

recover emptied trash mac

How to Recover Emptied Trash on Mac with or Without Trash Recovery Software

This article discusses effective ways to recover deleted files on Mac after the Trash can has been emptied. Read more >>

Fix 3. Recover Deleted Desktop Files on Mac from Time Machine

Another solution to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac is using Time Machine backups. Time Machine can recover emptied Trash on a Mac without software. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Click the Time Machine icon at the top menu, and click "Browse Time Machine Backups".

open Time Machine

Step 2. Choose a Time Machine backup by date and time, and click "Restore" to restore the Mac from Time Machine and recover the deleted desktop files.

restore from Time Machine

Conclusion

In this article, we discuss how to recover deleted desktop files from Mac using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, from Mac Trash bin, and using the Time Machine backups. The most effective way is to install EaseUS data recovery software, which can recover permanently deleted desktop files on a Mac quickly and safely!

How to Recover Deleted Desktop Files on Mac FAQs

Here are questions people frequently ask when they search for how to recover deleted desktop files on a Mac:

1. How do I recover a deleted desktop on my Mac without the Time Machine?

You can follow the steps below to recover deleted desktop files on your Mac:

Step 1. Download and install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

Step 2. Select the partition where your deleted files are stored, and click "Search for lost files".

Step 3. Choose the deleted files you want to recover, click "Recover", and save them in a safe storage location.

2. Can you get back permanently deleted files from your computer Mac?

Yes, you can get back permanently deleted files from your Mac by using the professional data recovery software EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Or, you can restore the permanently deleted files from iCloud or Time Machine backup.

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Updated by Brithny

Brithny is a technology enthusiast, aiming to make readers' tech lives easy and enjoyable. She loves exploring new technologies and writing technical how-to tips. In her spare time, she loves sharing things about her game experience on Facebook or Twitter.

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