{"id":"apps.will-a-moved-app-still-update","url":"/faq/apps/will-a-moved-app-still-update","category":{"id":"apps","title":"Apps"},"subcategory":{"id":"updates-after-move","title":"App updates after a move"},"question":"Will an app still get updates after I move it to my fast drive?","alt_questions":["Do moved apps update?","App updates after moving to external SSD","Will Chrome update if it's on an external drive?","Does auto-update still work for relocated apps?","moved app update problem"],"short_answer":"Yes. In-app updaters update the copy on your fast drive, and if an updater reinstalls the app on your Mac instead, Storage Studio notices and moves the new version back.","answer_markdown":"Yes, in almost all cases. Apps with built-in updaters update the copy on your fast drive directly, and the shortcut at the original location means macOS still finds the app.\n\nSome updaters — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft's updater, Homebrew — reinstall the app into the Applications folder instead. Storage Studio's [reinstall watch](/faq/apps/what-is-the-relocated-apps-watch) notices and moves the fresh version back to your fast drive, so your space stays reclaimed. Keep the drive connected when apps update.","answer_html":"

Yes, in almost all cases. Apps with built-in updaters update the copy on your fast drive directly, and the shortcut at the original location means macOS still finds the app.

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Some updaters — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft's updater, Homebrew — reinstall the app into the Applications folder instead. Storage Studio's reinstall watch notices and moves the fresh version back to your fast drive, so your space stays reclaimed. Keep the drive connected when apps update.

","answer_text":"Yes, in almost all cases. Apps with built-in updaters update the copy on your fast drive directly, and the shortcut at the original location means macOS still finds the app.\n\nSome updaters — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft's updater, Homebrew — reinstall the app into the Applications folder instead. Storage Studio's reinstall watch notices and moves the fresh version back to your fast drive, so your space stays reclaimed. Keep the drive connected when apps update.","tags":["updates","move app"],"related":[{"id":"apps.what-is-the-relocated-apps-watch","question":"What is the Relocated apps watch?","url":"/faq/apps/what-is-the-relocated-apps-watch"},{"id":"apps.what-are-update-labels-in-the-apps-window","question":"What are the update labels in the Apps window?","url":"/faq/apps/what-are-update-labels-in-the-apps-window"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Will an app still get updates after I move it to my fast drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Yes. In-app updaters update the copy on your fast drive, and if an updater reinstalls the app on your Mac instead, Storage Studio notices and moves the new version back.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Apps","path":"/faq/apps/"},{"name":"Will an app still get updates after I move it to my fast drive?","path":"/faq/apps/will-a-moved-app-still-update"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/apps/will-a-moved-app-still-update","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Will an app still get updates after I move it to my fast drive?","alternateName":["Do moved apps update?","App updates after moving to external SSD","Will Chrome update if it's on an external drive?","Does auto-update still work for relocated apps?","moved app update problem"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, in almost all cases. Apps with built-in updaters update the copy on your fast drive directly, and the shortcut at the original location means macOS still finds the app.\n\nSome updaters — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft's updater, Homebrew — reinstall the app into the Applications folder instead. Storage Studio's reinstall watch notices and moves the fresh version back to your fast drive, so your space stays reclaimed. Keep the drive connected when apps update.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/apps/will-a-moved-app-still-update"}}]},"fragment":"
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Apps · App updates after a move

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Will an app still get updates after I move it to my fast drive?

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Short answer: Yes. In-app updaters update the copy on your fast drive, and if an updater reinstalls the app on your Mac instead, Storage Studio notices and moves the new version back.

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Yes, in almost all cases. Apps with built-in updaters update the copy on your fast drive directly, and the shortcut at the original location means macOS still finds the app.

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Some updaters — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft's updater, Homebrew — reinstall the app into the Applications folder instead. Storage Studio's reinstall watch notices and moves the fresh version back to your fast drive, so your space stays reclaimed. Keep the drive connected when apps update.

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