External drives · Ejecting and reconnecting
How quickly does Storage Studio notice when I plug in or unplug the drive?
Short answer: Within about 30 seconds. You get a notification when the drive disconnects and again when it's back; paused work continues on its own. After an eject through Storage Studio, click Resume to re-enable automatic actions.
Within about 30 seconds either way. When the drive disconnects, Storage Studio posts a notification and the popover turns red ("fast drive not mounted"). When you plug it back in, it's detected within about 30 seconds, you get another notification, and paused moves and transfers continue on their own.
If you ejected through Storage Studio, automatic actions stay paused after reconnecting until you click Resume in the popover.