{"id":"finder-location.where-are-offloaded-apps-kept","url":"/faq/finder-location/where-are-offloaded-apps-kept","category":{"id":"finder-location","title":"Finding things in Finder"},"subcategory":{"id":"apps-in-finder","title":"Moved and offloaded apps in Finder"},"question":"Where are offloaded apps kept, and can I open them from Finder?","alt_questions":["Where does Offload put my app?","Offloaded app missing from Applications","Can I run an offloaded app from the external drive?","find offloaded apps in finder","offloaded app archive location"],"short_answer":"They're archived with their data in Storage Studio's folder on your external drive and leave no shortcut, so they can't run until restored. Connect the drive and use Restore in the Apps window's Offloaded tab.","answer_markdown":"Offloaded apps are archived, together with their data, inside Storage Studio's folder on your external drive. They're removed from your Mac and from your Applications folder, and they can't be run until you restore them — there's no shortcut left behind, unlike a moved app.\n\nTo use one again:\n\n1. Connect the external drive.\n2. Open the Apps window's **Offloaded** tab.\n3. Click **Restore**. The app is copied back exactly to the folder it came from.\n\nRestore refuses, with a clear reason, if a copy of the app is already installed. Please don't copy an archive out of the drive by hand — always use **Restore**.\n\nSee [the Apps window](/manual/apps).","answer_html":"

Offloaded apps are archived, together with their data, inside Storage Studio's folder on your external drive. They're removed from your Mac and from your Applications folder, and they can't be run until you restore them — there's no shortcut left behind, unlike a moved app.

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To use one again:

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  1. Connect the external drive.
  2. Open the Apps window's Offloaded tab.
  3. Click Restore. The app is copied back exactly to the folder it came from.
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Restore refuses, with a clear reason, if a copy of the app is already installed. Please don't copy an archive out of the drive by hand — always use Restore.

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See the Apps window.

","answer_text":"Offloaded apps are archived, together with their data, inside Storage Studio's folder on your external drive. They're removed from your Mac and from your Applications folder, and they can't be run until you restore them — there's no shortcut left behind, unlike a moved app.\n\nTo use one again:\n\n1. Connect the external drive.\n2. Open the Apps window's Offloaded tab.\n3. Click Restore. The app is copied back exactly to the folder it came from.\n\nRestore refuses, with a clear reason, if a copy of the app is already installed. Please don't copy an archive out of the drive by hand — always use Restore.\n\nSee the Apps window.","tags":["offload","apps","restore"],"related":[{"id":"finder-location.will-a-moved-app-still-appear-in-applications","question":"Will an app I moved still show up in my Applications folder?","url":"/faq/finder-location/will-a-moved-app-still-appear-in-applications"},{"id":"finder-location.reveal-a-moved-app-on-the-drive","question":"How do I see where a moved app actually lives on my external drive?","url":"/faq/finder-location/reveal-a-moved-app-on-the-drive"},{"id":"finder-location.can-i-rename-or-reorganise-files-on-the-drive-directly","question":"Can I rename, move or delete things inside Storage Studio's folder on the drive?","url":"/faq/finder-location/can-i-rename-or-reorganise-files-on-the-drive-directly"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Where are offloaded apps kept, and can I open them from Finder? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"They're archived with their data in Storage Studio's folder on your external drive and leave no shortcut, so they can't run until restored. Connect the drive and use Restore in the Apps window's Offloaded tab.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Finding things in Finder","path":"/faq/finder-location/"},{"name":"Where are offloaded apps kept, and can I open them from Finder?","path":"/faq/finder-location/where-are-offloaded-apps-kept"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/where-are-offloaded-apps-kept","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Where are offloaded apps kept, and can I open them from Finder?","alternateName":["Where does Offload put my app?","Offloaded app missing from Applications","Can I run an offloaded app from the external drive?","find offloaded apps in finder","offloaded app archive location"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Offloaded apps are archived, together with their data, inside Storage Studio's folder on your external drive. They're removed from your Mac and from your Applications folder, and they can't be run until you restore them — there's no shortcut left behind, unlike a moved app.\n\nTo use one again:\n\n1. Connect the external drive.\n2. Open the Apps window's Offloaded tab.\n3. Click Restore. The app is copied back exactly to the folder it came from.\n\nRestore refuses, with a clear reason, if a copy of the app is already installed. Please don't copy an archive out of the drive by hand — always use Restore.\n\nSee the Apps window.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/where-are-offloaded-apps-kept"}}]},"fragment":"
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Finding things in Finder · Moved and offloaded apps in Finder

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Where are offloaded apps kept, and can I open them from Finder?

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Short answer: They're archived with their data in Storage Studio's folder on your external drive and leave no shortcut, so they can't run until restored. Connect the drive and use Restore in the Apps window's Offloaded tab.

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Offloaded apps are archived, together with their data, inside Storage Studio's folder on your external drive. They're removed from your Mac and from your Applications folder, and they can't be run until you restore them — there's no shortcut left behind, unlike a moved app.

\n

To use one again:

\n
  1. Connect the external drive.
  2. Open the Apps window's Offloaded tab.
  3. Click Restore. The app is copied back exactly to the folder it came from.
\n

Restore refuses, with a clear reason, if a copy of the app is already installed. Please don't copy an archive out of the drive by hand — always use Restore.

\n

See the Apps window.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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