How to
How to move Mac apps to an external drive without breaking them
Dragging an app out of Applications moves the app and loses track of everything else. What a safe move involves, and why a shortcut at the original place is the part that matters.
Apps are often one of the largest categories on a Mac, and the usual advice is to uninstall the ones you rarely use. That's a poor trade for an app you need now and then. You can move apps to an external drive and keep them working, but not by dragging them there.
Can Mac apps run from an external drive?
Many can. A self-contained app usually runs fine from another drive as long as the drive is connected. The trouble starts with how it gets there, and with apps that were never meant to move: ones that install system components, expect to live in Applications to update themselves, or came with macOS. Which apps run from a drive.
Why does dragging apps to an external drive break them?
Dragging moves the app itself and nothing else. macOS still expects it in the original place, so the Dock, Spotlight, Launchpad and login items lose track of it. Some apps refuse to start. Others start but can't update, or can't find their own support files. Dragging in Finder, compared.
What does a safe move involve?
- Copy, then check, then remove. The original is only removed once the copy on the drive is complete and checked.
- Leave a shortcut at the original place. Every part of macOS that remembers where the app lived still finds it.
- Keep the app's settings and data on the Mac. Sandboxed apps can't follow a link out of their own container, so their data stays where they expect it.
- Make it reversible. Moving it back should take one click, not a reinstall.
How do you move an app with Storage Studio?
- Open Apps from the menu bar popover.
- Go to the Internal tab and sort by Size to see the biggest first.
- Check the app's safety badge, then click Move.
- When it's done, the app appears in the Moved tab and opens from the Dock, Spotlight, Launchpad and Finder as before.
To bring it back, click Move back on the Moved tab with the drive connected. Step by step in the manual.
Move an app without breaking itFree trial. For Apple silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later.
Move or offload: which frees more space?
Move keeps the app ready to open from your fast drive, and its settings stay on your Mac. Offload archives the app and its data on the drive and removes both from your Mac. That frees more space, but the app won't open until you restore it from the Offloaded tab. For an app you use a few times a year, offloading is usually the better fit. Move or offload?
What do you get back?
A handful of large creative or developer apps can add up to tens of gigabytes. Moving them to a fast external SSD returns that space to your internal disk. On a fast drive most apps open much as they did before; very large apps can take a moment longer on a slower connection. Choosing an external drive.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if the drive is disconnected?
Moved apps won't open until you reconnect it. Nothing breaks, and they work again once the drive is back, so keep the apps you need on the go on your Mac. More detail.
Will a moved app still update?
Usually, yes. Some updaters put a fresh copy back on your Mac, and some replace the app where it is. Storage Studio watches moved apps for both and tells you when it happens. Apps that update or reinstall themselves.
What if I unplug the drive during a move?
The app is safe. The original isn't replaced until the copy is finished and checked. Reconnect the drive and Storage Studio either finishes the move or puts the app back as it was.
Related reading: How to manage Mac storage across your Mac, cloud and drives, and the Apps guides in the wiki.