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Where do SD card photos go after trashing them on a MacBook?

I have a trail camera set up in the backyard, and I examine and then delete photos on the SD card using my MacBook's SD card slot routinely. I open the SD card in Finder and select "Edit - Select All" from the menu bar. I then right-click on the "pile" of selected photos in Finder and choose "Move to Trash." However, when I check the Trash, the deleted photos aren't there. Where are they? I want to make sure they are actually deleted and not stored in a secret trash folder that gets piled up every week.

Best Answered by

Jenny Zeng

Answered on Monday, July 10, 2023

The deleted SD card photos are moved to the Trash and can only be viewed when the SD card is connected to your Mac.

Unlike trashing files from external storage devices on Windows, which permanently deletes the files, macOS will first move the deleted files to Trash, allowing you to put them back within a period of time. So, the space isn't actually freed until you empty the Trash while the SD card is connected.

Also read:

How to Permanently Delete Files & Folders on MacBook Pro/Air

How to Fix SD Card Says Full But Nothing on It on Mac & Windows?

How to Format SD Card to FAT32 on Mac?

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