{"id":"apps.what-is-the-shortcut-left-behind-when-i-move-an-app","url":"/faq/apps/what-is-the-shortcut-left-behind-when-i-move-an-app","category":{"id":"apps","title":"Apps"},"subcategory":{"id":"moving-apps","title":"Moving apps to your fast drive"},"question":"What is the shortcut Storage Studio leaves when it moves an app?","alt_questions":["Is the shortcut for a moved app a symlink?","How does Storage Studio keep moved apps working?","What replaces the app in my Applications folder?","Arrow icon on app in Applications after moving","symbolic link app Mac"],"short_answer":"It's a tiny link (a symbolic link) at the app's original location pointing to its new home on your fast drive. macOS follows it, so the app opens from the usual place.","answer_markdown":"It's a small link — technically a symbolic link — placed at the app's original location that points to the app's new home on your fast drive. macOS, the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight follow it automatically, so the app opens from where it always did.\n\nIt takes almost no space. Don't delete it by hand: removing it would make the app look missing. To undo a move properly, use **Move back** in the **Moved** tab.","answer_html":"

It's a small link — technically a symbolic link — placed at the app's original location that points to the app's new home on your fast drive. macOS, the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight follow it automatically, so the app opens from where it always did.

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It takes almost no space. Don't delete it by hand: removing it would make the app look missing. To undo a move properly, use Move back in the Moved tab.

","answer_text":"It's a small link — technically a symbolic link — placed at the app's original location that points to the app's new home on your fast drive. macOS, the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight follow it automatically, so the app opens from where it always did.\n\nIt takes almost no space. Don't delete it by hand: removing it would make the app look missing. To undo a move properly, use Move back in the Moved tab.","tags":["shortcut","symlink"],"related":[{"id":"apps.will-a-moved-app-still-open-normally","question":"Will an app still open normally after I move it to my fast drive?","url":"/faq/apps/will-a-moved-app-still-open-normally"},{"id":"apps.how-do-i-move-an-app-back-to-my-mac","question":"How do I move an app back from my external drive to my Mac?","url":"/faq/apps/how-do-i-move-an-app-back-to-my-mac"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What is the shortcut Storage Studio leaves when it moves an app? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"It's a tiny link (a symbolic link) at the app's original location pointing to its new home on your fast drive. macOS follows it, so the app opens from the usual place.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Apps","path":"/faq/apps/"},{"name":"What is the shortcut Storage Studio leaves when it moves an app?","path":"/faq/apps/what-is-the-shortcut-left-behind-when-i-move-an-app"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/apps/what-is-the-shortcut-left-behind-when-i-move-an-app","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the shortcut Storage Studio leaves when it moves an app?","alternateName":["Is the shortcut for a moved app a symlink?","How does Storage Studio keep moved apps working?","What replaces the app in my Applications folder?","Arrow icon on app in Applications after moving","symbolic link app Mac"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It's a small link — technically a symbolic link — placed at the app's original location that points to the app's new home on your fast drive. macOS, the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight follow it automatically, so the app opens from where it always did.\n\nIt takes almost no space. Don't delete it by hand: removing it would make the app look missing. To undo a move properly, use Move back in the Moved tab.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/apps/what-is-the-shortcut-left-behind-when-i-move-an-app"}}]},"fragment":"
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Apps · Moving apps to your fast drive

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What is the shortcut Storage Studio leaves when it moves an app?

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Short answer: It's a tiny link (a symbolic link) at the app's original location pointing to its new home on your fast drive. macOS follows it, so the app opens from the usual place.

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It's a small link — technically a symbolic link — placed at the app's original location that points to the app's new home on your fast drive. macOS, the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight follow it automatically, so the app opens from where it always did.

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It takes almost no space. Don't delete it by hand: removing it would make the app look missing. To undo a move properly, use Move back in the Moved tab.

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