---
id: freeing-space.what-does-reclaim-old-local-backups-do
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-does-reclaim-old-local-backups-do
category: "Freeing up space"
subcategory: "One-tap clean-up (Run Tuhi)"
question: "What does the \"Reclaim old local backups\" step of Run Tuhi do?"
alt_questions:
  - "Tuhi reclaim old local backups step"
  - "Which snapshots does Run Tuhi remove?"
  - "Does Run Tuhi touch Time Machine?"
  - "Old local backups Storage Studio"
  - "Thin snapshots during clean-up"
short_answer: "It thins the oldest local snapshots on your startup disk, preferring ones already on Time Machine and never touching ones macOS requires. Your files and your Time Machine backups are unaffected."
tags: ["run tuhi", "local snapshots", "time machine"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/why-are-old-local-backups-reported-separately", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/snapshot-vs-time-machine-backup"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What does the "Reclaim old local backups" step of Run Tuhi do?

It thins the oldest of the local snapshots macOS keeps on your startup disk — the short-term copies that can hold on to space your clean-ups should have freed. It prefers snapshots that are already saved to your Time Machine destination, and it never touches snapshots macOS requires.

Your files stay exactly where they are, and your Time Machine backups on your backup drive aren't affected. Because macOS already treats this space as available, the summary reports it as reclaimed backups rather than as freed space — see [why it's a separate line](https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/why-are-old-local-backups-reported-separately).