Getting files back
How recoverable a file is depends entirely on how it was deleted and how long ago. Work through these in order.
Deleted files sit in the Trash until it is emptied or 30 days pass (if auto-empty is on). Right-click → Put Back returns it to exactly where it was.
Each external drive has its own hidden .Trashes folder too — a file deleted from a USB drive is in the drive's trash, not your Mac's.
⌘Z in Finder undoes the last file operation, including a delete, if you have done nothing since. Worth trying before anything else.
Open the folder the file was in, enter Time Machine, travel back. If the backup drive is not attached, local snapshots may still cover you:
tmutil listlocalsnapshots /Snapshots are kept hourly for about 24 hours, which is why a file deleted this morning is often recoverable this afternoon with no backup drive in sight.
TextEdit, Pages, Numbers and Keynote keep version history: File → Revert To → Browse All Versions. This survives the file being overwritten, which the Trash does not help with.
iCloud Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive all keep deleted files server-side for 30 days. Check the service's website — iCloud.com → Drive → Recently Deleted.
Once emptied from the Trash, the honest picture: on modern Macs the internal SSD uses TRIM, which erases freed blocks within seconds. Recovery tools that work miracles on old spinning disks recover essentially nothing from an internal Apple SSD. External hard drives and SD cards remain worth trying.
Time Machine to a cheap external drive. Every other route on this page is a fallback for not having it.
From the internal SSD, usually not — TRIM erases freed space quickly. From external hard drives and SD cards, often yes, with recovery software.
Roughly 24 hours of hourly snapshots, kept automatically when Time Machine is enabled.
Everywhere keeps track of every file on your Mac — including the folders Spotlight hides and drives you have unplugged. Free for a day, then $19 once.
Download for Mac