I can't delete a folder/directory in the Trash that has no visible contents, but when trying to delete there are 5 "items in use" -- the folder name, ".Trash", an old folder name, "Library", and "VoiceTrigger"
I have a MacBook Air, running Tahoe 26.1, and restarting in Safe Mode doesn't allow me to delete this folder/directory. Any suggestions?
MacBook Air (M4, 2025)
It looks like their Trash folder isn't behaving normally — Finder shows items present, but Terminal doesn’t see anything in `~/.Trash`. That usually means one of two things:
Ok, we now want to locate where your Trash folder exists. Use this command: ls -la ~/.Trash
If you see an error like “No such file or directory” or the folder looks odd (wrong permissions, wrong owner, or is a symbolic link), that’s the root of the issue.
If it’s missing or corrupted, you can recreate it with these commands:
Then restart the Mac and attempt emptying the Trash again. Please post back your results.
You're right. I had the same issue until I added the Terminal app to Full Disk Access. I believe this is due to the fact that macOS Tahoe has the Trash folder protected by TCC & SIP.
Thanks HWTech!
Good to know it’s been a while for me too, these things are always changing , which is awesome for security purposes, but can be frustrating as a user 😂👍!
MacBook Air: Can't delete Trash folder with items in use
