How do you delete Time Machine backups from the Trash?

Do you have a Time Machine backup stuck in the Trash? That’s the worst. It will still take up space on your external drive and you can’t empty the Trash either! Well, you’re not at the end of the line yet as deleting Time Machine backups from the Trash isn’t as complicated as it first seems.

Error message when trying to delete Time Machine backup

Making regular backups of your Mac is a smart idea, and Time Machine offers the best way to do that. It’s quick to set up, it stores multiple versions of your data, and it should automatically delete old backups to make space for new ones.

However, it doesn’t always work perfectly. Occasionally, you might be told you don’t have enough space to make a new backup. If that happens, it’s tempting to drag old backups to the Trash manually. That’s what I did! But when I tried to empty the Trash afterward I couldn’t. This error message appeared instead:

“Some items in the Trash cannot be deleted because of System Integrity Protection.”

Related:

• How to fix Time Machine when it freezes on ‘Preparing Backup’
• Using an external hard drive with Time Machine
• PSA: Don’t convert your Time Machine drive from HFS+ to APFS
• iCloud Backup won’t complete and other backup related issues, How-to fix

What is System Integrity Protection anyway?

System Integrity Protection (SIP) is a security protocol that was introduced in recent releases of macOS. Essentially, it locks important system files so that malicious software — or users — can’t do damage to the Mac or compromise its data.

SIP is a good thing! Most of the time you won’t even realize it’s there, working away in the background keeping your Mac safe. But with Time Machine backups stuck in the Trash, you are going to have to turn it off for a little bit.

Check the Status for your Mac’s System Integrity Protection

To know the status of your Mac’s SIP before restarting your Mac into the Recovery Move, open Terminal app from Applications > Utilities and use the following command: csrutil status.

You can also check in the Apple menu by holding the option key and choosing System Information. Scroll down the left sidebar list and choose Software and look in the Details panel on the right to see if  System Integrity Protection is enabled.

How do you delete Time Machine backups from the Trash?

To delete Time Machine backups from the Trash, you first need to turn off SIP. It’s very important to note that doing so will make your Mac temporarily vulnerable so you should try to make another backup (if you’re able to) before starting. Whether that’s using the same external drive or a different one doesn’t really matter.

Also, make sure you turn SIP on again once you’ve deleted the backup. Otherwise, your Mac will be permanently at risk. We’ll show you how to do that below as well.

How do you turn off System Integrity Protection?

Follow the steps below to turn SIP off. They involve booting your machine into Recovery Mode and entering a command into the Terminal. Make sure you enter the command exactly as it’s written below.

1. Shut down your Mac using the Apple icon in the menu bar.
2. Once the Mac has completely powered down, turn it on and hold command+R.
3. Mac will boot into Recovery Mode.
4. From the menu bar, go to Utilities > Terminal.
5. Enter csrutil status to verify the current status of SIP
6. To disable it, type the following command into Terminal and hit enter: csrutil disable; reboot

   

7. Wait for the Mac to restart automatically

Delete your Time Machine backups from the Trash while SIP is off.

After entering the code above, your Mac will reboot as normal. However, SIP is now turned off. Lot on to your account and empty the Trash, removing that pesky Time Machine backup with it.

Depending on the size of the backup, it could take a lot of time for the Trash to empty. Be patient and avoid using your Mac for anything else in the meantime — remember, it’s currently unprotected since SIP is turned off.

How do you turn System Integrity Protection on again?

Once you’ve emptied the Trash, turn SIP on again before using your Mac for anything else. Do so following the steps below.

1. Shut down your Mac using the Apple icon in the menu bar.
2. Once the Mac has completely powered down, turn it on and hold command+R.
3. Mac boots into Recovery Mode.
4. From the menu bar, go to Utilities > Terminal.
5. Enter csrutil status to verify the current status of SIP
6. Type the following command into Terminal line and hit enter: csrutil enable; reboot Ensure you enter the command exactly as it’s written.
7. Wait for the Mac to automatically restart

So there it is: turn off SIP, delete Time Machine backups from the Trash, and turn SIP on again. Not too complicated. Let us know how you got on with it all!

Dan Helyer( Senior Writer )

Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.

He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.

Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.