Freeing up space · Stopping, undoing and apps in the way
Why does my free space show up straight away after Storage Studio moves a folder?
Short answer: After a successful move, Storage Studio asks macOS to release the freed space right away by clearing just enough local snapshots, so free space reflects the move without waiting.
Because after a successful move, Storage Studio asks macOS to release the freed space immediately, rather than leaving it held by local snapshots until they age out. That way your built-in drive's free space reflects the move without a wait.
It clears just enough snapshots for the freed space to appear. If that ever doesn't work, it's noted quietly and never affects the move itself; the space then returns on its own, usually within a day. See snapshots after a move.