Where did Secure Empty Trash go on the Mac?

Why Apple took it out

Apple's security notes for OS X El Capitan list Secure Empty Trash under Finder, as CVE-2015-5901: the feature "may not securely delete files placed in the Trash", because there was an issue guaranteeing secure deletion on some systems, such as those with flash storage. Apple's fix was to remove the option rather than promise something it could not deliver, and the option has not come back since.

What emptying the Trash does now

1. Open the Trash from the Dock.
2. Click Empty at the top right of the window, or choose Finder → Empty Trash.
3. Click Empty Trash in the warning.

Apple's warning is plain: items emptied from the Trash are permanently deleted and are no longer available. To remove one item and leave the rest, Control-click it in the Trash, choose Delete Immediately and click Delete. There is no undo for either, so check your backup holds anything you might want back. For the rest of deleting and recovering files, see how to delete files on a Mac.

FileVault is what keeps deleted files private

Macs with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip encrypt their data automatically. FileVault adds the part that matters for privacy: the data then needs your login password to read. Apple's security guide says that once FileVault is on, all existing files and anything written afterwards are encrypted. To check or turn it on:

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, click Privacy & Security, then FileVault (you may need to scroll down).
2. Turn on FileVault. You must be an administrator, and you may be asked for your password.
3. Choose how to unlock the disk if you forget your password: your iCloud account, or a recovery key you write down and keep somewhere other than the Mac.
4. Click Continue.

Take the recovery step seriously. Apple's warning is that if you forget both your login password and the recovery key, you cannot log in, and your files and settings are lost for good.

Files deleted before FileVault was on

Turning FileVault on now does not reach back. Apple's security guide says data that was added and then deleted before FileVault was turned on is not encrypted and may be recoverable with forensic data recovery tools. If that matters, for instance before passing the Mac on, erase it rather than relying on the Trash.

Erasing the whole Mac

On a Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip running macOS Monterey or later, choose Apple menu → System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Apple describes it as a way to quickly and securely erase all of your data, settings and apps while keeping the installed version of macOS. Back up first: it is the whole Mac, not a folder.

What to leave alone

• Tools that promise to shred a single file. Secure deletion of one file is what Apple found it could not guarantee on flash storage; FileVault and Erase All Content and Settings are what Apple documents instead, for keeping data private and for wiping it.
• Turning off the Trash warning to save a click. It is the last chance to see what is about to go.

Where the app comes in

RefreshYourMac does not offer a secure delete either. Its Trash category, in the download edition, shows what is in your Trash and its size, and cleaning it empties the Trash permanently, the same as Finder's Empty Trash. Clean All Safe empties it last, after the other categories in the same run. The scheduled clean leaves the Trash alone unless you tick Also empty the Trash, and then takes only what has been there over a day. Everything else RefreshYourMac removes from your own files goes to the Trash first, so there is always a step back. For where the rest of the space is going, see how to free up space on a Mac.