---
id: duplicates.how-do-i-turn-off-auto-scan-for-duplicates
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/how-do-i-turn-off-auto-scan-for-duplicates
category: "Duplicate files"
subcategory: "Scanning and Auto-scan"
question: "How do I turn off background duplicate scanning?"
alt_questions:
  - "How do I stop Storage Studio scanning for duplicates?"
  - "Disable Auto-scan in Duplicates"
  - "Turn off automatic duplicate checks"
  - "I only want to scan for duplicates on demand"
  - "Stop duplicate finder running in background"
short_answer: "Pick the source in the Duplicates sidebar and switch Auto-scan off in its header. Each source has its own switch; with it off, that source is only checked when you click Scan now. Status is also shown in Preferences → Services under Duplicate file finder."
tags: ["duplicates", "auto-scan", "settings"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/what-is-auto-scan-in-duplicates", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/what-does-scan-now-do-in-duplicates"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I turn off background duplicate scanning?

Select the source in the Duplicates window's sidebar and switch **Auto-scan** off in its header. Each source has its own switch, so you can, for example, keep cloud accounts checked automatically but scan **This Mac** only when you ask.

With Auto-scan off, nothing is checked in the background for that source; click **Scan now** whenever you want fresh results. Your previous results stay visible until you scan again.

You can see whether the background finder is running at any time in **Preferences → Services**, under **Duplicate file finder**.