Can I undo moving files to the Trash on a Mac?

In Finder, Put Back works on files you pick from the Trash. In Peekaboo, each cleanup is one session, so every file in it goes back together, to where it was.

How far back can I undo?

As far as the list goes, as long as the files are still in the Trash or where they were moved. A line that can’t be undone any more says why.

Can I undo what a Routine did?

Yes. Every Routine run is its own session in Activity with Put Back.

Does it record changes made outside the app?

No. It lists what Peekaboo did, including its Assistant and Routines. For everything else, Time Machine keeps hourly backups.

Peekaboo · Activity and Undo

Undo any change to your files, not just the last one

Finder’s ⌘Z only steps back through what you just did, and the Trash doesn’t say which forty files went in together. Peekaboo records every change it makes as a session you can search and reverse, whole, later.

Download free trial14 days free · macOS 14+ · Added in 0.1.0 · Updated November 7, 2026

What it does

One list of everything: Moves to the Trash and Put Backs, organizes, renames and bulk renames, moves, new folders, File Tool results, automatic cleanups and uninstalls, newest first. Permanent removals are listed too.
Undo whenever: ⌘Z in the window, Undo in each toast, ⌥⌘Z for the last cleanup, or Undo and Put Back from Activity, for as long as the files are still there.
Searchable: Search Activity by name, and Show in Finder for any line. Undone and restored lines can be cleared from the list.
Never overwrites: If a file’s old name or place has been taken since, that file stays where it is instead of replacing anything, and lines whose files left the Trash say so.

How to use it

1Open Activity.⇧⌘Y
2Find the change, by scrolling or searching.
3Click Undo or Put Back, and every file in it goes back.

When another app fits better

Activity covers what Peekaboo did. It doesn’t record changes made in Finder or other apps, and it can’t bring back an earlier version of a file’s contents; Time Machine and the versions built into apps do that. Once the Trash is emptied, a cleanup can’t be put back.

Questions

Can I undo moving files to the Trash on a Mac?: In Finder, Put Back works on files you pick from the Trash. In Peekaboo, each cleanup is one session, so every file in it goes back together, to where it was.
How far back can I undo?: As far as the list goes, as long as the files are still in the Trash or where they were moved. A line that can’t be undone any more says why.
Can I undo what a Routine did?: Yes. Every Routine run is its own session in Activity with Put Back.
Does it record changes made outside the app?: No. It lists what Peekaboo did, including its Assistant and Routines. For everything else, Time Machine keeps hourly backups.