---
id: finder-location.where-do-new-files-go-in-a-relocated-folder
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/where-do-new-files-go-in-a-relocated-folder
category: "Finding things in Finder"
subcategory: "Opening and using moved files"
question: "If I save a new file into a folder that was moved, where does it go?"
alt_questions:
  - "Do new files in a relocated folder go to the external drive?"
  - "New downloads in a moved folder stay on my Mac?"
  - "auto-sync new files to fast drive"
  - "Why is my relocated folder growing on my internal drive again?"
  - "How do I make new files follow a moved folder?"
short_answer: "It can stay on your built-in drive. To make new files follow a moved folder, turn on auto-sync for it in What's Using Space → Relocated (N); new files are then moved to the drive in the background with a shortcut left behind."
tags: ["auto-sync", "new files", "relocated folder"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/can-i-edit-and-save-files-through-a-shortcut", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/where-do-i-see-everything-storage-studio-has-moved", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/does-the-shortcut-take-up-space"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# If I save a new file into a folder that was moved, where does it go?

It can stay on your Mac. When a folder's contents were moved file by file, the folder itself remains on your built-in drive, so something new you save there is stored there too until it's moved.

To have new files follow automatically, turn on **auto-sync** for the folder:

1. Open **What's Using Space** and click **Relocated (N)**.
2. Click the grey sync badge on the folder's row.

With auto-sync on, new files added to the original location are picked up and moved to the drive in the background, with a shortcut left behind as usual. You can also turn it on when you confirm a move, using the **Auto-sync** toggle.

If you later choose **Move back**, anything written to the original location after the move is counted and included.