{"id":"freeing-space.are-the-sizes-measured-or-estimated","url":"/faq/freeing-space/are-the-sizes-measured-or-estimated","category":{"id":"freeing-space","title":"Freeing up space"},"subcategory":{"id":"whats-using-space","title":"What's Using Space (Storage Inspector)"},"question":"Are the sizes in What's Using Space measured or estimated?","alt_questions":["How accurate is Storage Studio's disk usage?","Is it guessing my folder sizes?","Did it really measure my disk?","Storage Studio sizes accurate?","Measured not estimated meaning"],"short_answer":"Measured on your Mac, not estimated. Where something can't be measured you're told so, and the footer says exactly what the figures do and don't cover.","answer_markdown":"Measured. Every figure is read from your Mac, and where something genuinely can't be measured, Storage Studio says so instead of filling the gap with a guess.\n\nThe footer is explicit about coverage: if parts of your disk are off-limits to every app, or measuring stopped early to stay out of your way, it tells you what the figures do and don't include. **Measure again** walks your disk afresh, and results appear as they arrive rather than all at the end.\n\nSee [what the footer means](/faq/freeing-space/what-does-the-coverage-footer-mean).","answer_html":"

Measured. Every figure is read from your Mac, and where something genuinely can't be measured, Storage Studio says so instead of filling the gap with a guess.

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The footer is explicit about coverage: if parts of your disk are off-limits to every app, or measuring stopped early to stay out of your way, it tells you what the figures do and don't include. Measure again walks your disk afresh, and results appear as they arrive rather than all at the end.

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See what the footer means.

","answer_text":"Measured. Every figure is read from your Mac, and where something genuinely can't be measured, Storage Studio says so instead of filling the gap with a guess.\n\nThe footer is explicit about coverage: if parts of your disk are off-limits to every app, or measuring stopped early to stay out of your way, it tells you what the figures do and don't include. Measure again walks your disk afresh, and results appear as they arrive rather than all at the end.\n\nSee what the footer means.","tags":["whats using space","accuracy","measurement"],"related":[{"id":"freeing-space.what-does-the-coverage-footer-mean","question":"What does the footer at the bottom of What's Using Space tell me?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-does-the-coverage-footer-mean"},{"id":"freeing-space.what-does-measure-again-do","question":"What does Measure again do in What's Using Space?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-does-measure-again-do"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Are the sizes in What's Using Space measured or estimated? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Measured on your Mac, not estimated. Where something can't be measured you're told so, and the footer says exactly what the figures do and don't cover.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Freeing up space","path":"/faq/freeing-space/"},{"name":"Are the sizes in What's Using Space measured or estimated?","path":"/faq/freeing-space/are-the-sizes-measured-or-estimated"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/are-the-sizes-measured-or-estimated","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Are the sizes in What's Using Space measured or estimated?","alternateName":["How accurate is Storage Studio's disk usage?","Is it guessing my folder sizes?","Did it really measure my disk?","Storage Studio sizes accurate?","Measured not estimated meaning"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Measured. Every figure is read from your Mac, and where something genuinely can't be measured, Storage Studio says so instead of filling the gap with a guess.\n\nThe footer is explicit about coverage: if parts of your disk are off-limits to every app, or measuring stopped early to stay out of your way, it tells you what the figures do and don't include. Measure again walks your disk afresh, and results appear as they arrive rather than all at the end.\n\nSee what the footer means.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/are-the-sizes-measured-or-estimated"}}]},"fragment":"
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Freeing up space · What's Using Space (Storage Inspector)

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Are the sizes in What's Using Space measured or estimated?

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Short answer: Measured on your Mac, not estimated. Where something can't be measured you're told so, and the footer says exactly what the figures do and don't cover.

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Measured. Every figure is read from your Mac, and where something genuinely can't be measured, Storage Studio says so instead of filling the gap with a guess.

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The footer is explicit about coverage: if parts of your disk are off-limits to every app, or measuring stopped early to stay out of your way, it tells you what the figures do and don't include. Measure again walks your disk afresh, and results appear as they arrive rather than all at the end.

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See what the footer means.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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