---
id: finder-location.where-are-offloaded-apps-kept
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/where-are-offloaded-apps-kept
category: "Finding things in Finder"
subcategory: "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."
tags: ["offload", "apps", "restore"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/will-a-moved-app-still-appear-in-applications", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/reveal-a-moved-app-on-the-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/can-i-rename-or-reorganise-files-on-the-drive-directly"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

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

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.

To use one again:

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.

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**.

See [the Apps window](https://storagestudio.us/manual/apps).