How to open a files that's currently in Trash How do I open files that are in Trash? I have put some MKV video files in Trash. I want to watch the videos (I use IINA).

How can I watch the videos without moving them out of Trash?
To avoid the message, e.g., "The document “Filename.mkv” can’t be opened because it’s in the Trash. To use this item, first drag it out of the Trash.", and open the target file without having to remove it from the Trash, do the following:


Open INNA, so it's window is showing.
Open the Trash.
Drag and drop the target file from the Trash onto INNA's window, and it will play.


Note: If INNA is open without a window, you can drag and drop the target file from the Trash onto INNA's Dock Tile, and it will play.



Another method to use for apps that will not respond to drag and drop on its window or Dock Tile:


Open the Trash.
Open Terminal.
In Terminal, use the open command:


If the target app is the default app for the target file you can do the following:


Type open followed by a space, then drag and drop the target file from the Trash onto the Terminal window, and then press: enter


Or, if it's not the default app for the target file you can do the following:


Type, e.g., open -a IINA followed by a space, then drag and drop the target file from the Trash onto the Terminal window, and then press: enter


Note in some cases, depending on the app and its location, you may have to use its path as well:


Type,  e.g.,open -a /Applications/IINA, adding .app if necessary, followed by a space, then drag and drop the target file from the Trash onto the Terminal window, and then press: enter




Note: IINA does also have a command line interface, e.g.:

/Applications/IINA.app/Contents/MacOS/iina-cli


You can use the -h or --help argument to display its builtin help.