{"id":"apps.can-i-move-mac-app-store-apps","url":"/faq/apps/can-i-move-mac-app-store-apps","category":{"id":"apps","title":"Apps"},"subcategory":{"id":"safety-badges","title":"Safety badges and blocked apps"},"question":"Can I move apps I downloaded from the Mac App Store?","alt_questions":["Move App Store apps to external drive","Why are Mac App Store apps blocked?","Apple-signed app — Mac App Store may auto-update it","App Store app has no Move button","Relocate apps from the App Store"],"short_answer":"Usually not. Mac App Store apps carry Apple's signature and are updated in place by the App Store, so Storage Studio generally marks them Blocked. Move large apps from developers' sites instead.","answer_markdown":"Usually not. Apps from the Mac App Store are distributed with Apple's own signature, and the App Store updates them at their original location — which would undo a move or leave a broken copy. So Storage Studio treats them like Apple's apps and generally marks them **Blocked**, with the reason on the row.\n\nApp Store purchases can always be downloaded again, so removing ones you don't use is another way to get space back. Large apps downloaded directly from a developer's website are usually the better candidates to move.","answer_html":"

Usually not. Apps from the Mac App Store are distributed with Apple's own signature, and the App Store updates them at their original location — which would undo a move or leave a broken copy. So Storage Studio treats them like Apple's apps and generally marks them Blocked, with the reason on the row.

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App Store purchases can always be downloaded again, so removing ones you don't use is another way to get space back. Large apps downloaded directly from a developer's website are usually the better candidates to move.

","answer_text":"Usually not. Apps from the Mac App Store are distributed with Apple's own signature, and the App Store updates them at their original location — which would undo a move or leave a broken copy. So Storage Studio treats them like Apple's apps and generally marks them Blocked, with the reason on the row.\n\nApp Store purchases can always be downloaded again, so removing ones you don't use is another way to get space back. Large apps downloaded directly from a developer's website are usually the better candidates to move.","tags":["mac app store","blocked"],"related":[{"id":"apps.why-cant-i-move-apple-apps-like-safari","question":"Why can't I move Apple's own apps, like Safari or Pages?","url":"/faq/apps/why-cant-i-move-apple-apps-like-safari"},{"id":"apps.which-apps-should-i-move-to-an-external-drive","question":"Which apps should I move to an external drive?","url":"/faq/apps/which-apps-should-i-move-to-an-external-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can I move apps I downloaded from the Mac App Store? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Usually not. Mac App Store apps carry Apple's signature and are updated in place by the App Store, so Storage Studio generally marks them Blocked. Move large apps from developers' sites instead.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Apps","path":"/faq/apps/"},{"name":"Can I move apps I downloaded from the Mac App Store?","path":"/faq/apps/can-i-move-mac-app-store-apps"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/apps/can-i-move-mac-app-store-apps","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I move apps I downloaded from the Mac App Store?","alternateName":["Move App Store apps to external drive","Why are Mac App Store apps blocked?","Apple-signed app — Mac App Store may auto-update it","App Store app has no Move button","Relocate apps from the App Store"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Usually not. Apps from the Mac App Store are distributed with Apple's own signature, and the App Store updates them at their original location — which would undo a move or leave a broken copy. So Storage Studio treats them like Apple's apps and generally marks them Blocked, with the reason on the row.\n\nApp Store purchases can always be downloaded again, so removing ones you don't use is another way to get space back. Large apps downloaded directly from a developer's website are usually the better candidates to move.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/apps/can-i-move-mac-app-store-apps"}}]},"fragment":"
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Apps · Safety badges and blocked apps

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Can I move apps I downloaded from the Mac App Store?

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Short answer: Usually not. Mac App Store apps carry Apple's signature and are updated in place by the App Store, so Storage Studio generally marks them Blocked. Move large apps from developers' sites instead.

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Usually not. Apps from the Mac App Store are distributed with Apple's own signature, and the App Store updates them at their original location — which would undo a move or leave a broken copy. So Storage Studio treats them like Apple's apps and generally marks them Blocked, with the reason on the row.

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App Store purchases can always be downloaded again, so removing ones you don't use is another way to get space back. Large apps downloaded directly from a developer's website are usually the better candidates to move.

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