Freeing up space · Where your space went
How does Storage Studio watch my free space without slowing my Mac?
Short answer: About every half minute it reads how much room is left on your built-in drive — no scanning, no files read. Only when that number moves does it look further, paced so your work comes first.
It keeps a very light watch: about every half minute it checks how much room is left on your built-in drive. That check reads one number — nothing is scanned and none of your files are read — which is why it's honest to leave it running all the time.
Only when the number actually moves does Storage Studio look further to work out where the space went, and that closer look is paced so your own work always comes first.