---
id: mac-storage-basics.what-is-the-saved-application-state-folder
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-the-saved-application-state-folder
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Library folders explained"
question: "What is the Saved Application State folder?"
alt_questions:
  - "saved application state mac"
  - "can i delete saved application state"
  - "app windows reopen data"
  - "library saved application state size"
  - "resume windows data mac"
  - "saved state folder"
short_answer: "It's where macOS remembers each app's open windows so they reopen later. It's usually small; deleting an app's entry only stops its old windows reopening."
tags: ["library", "saved state", "macos"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-the-difference-between-the-library-folders", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/can-i-delete-plist-preference-files"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What is the Saved Application State folder?

It's where macOS remembers which windows each app had open, so they can come back when you reopen the app or restart with **Reopen windows when logging back in** ticked.

It's normally small and harmless. Deleting an app's folder there only means its windows won't reopen as they were last time; it frees little space. It's sometimes worth clearing for one app that keeps reopening a broken window — quit that app first.