---
id: moving-folders.can-i-move-my-entire-home-folder
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/can-i-move-my-entire-home-folder
category: "Moving folders"
subcategory: "Moving specific folders"
question: "Can I move my whole home folder to an external drive?"
alt_questions:
  - "Move user folder to external SSD"
  - "Relocate my entire home directory"
  - "Put my whole user account on the external drive"
  - "move users folder mac storage studio"
short_answer: "We don't recommend it. Your home folder contains your Library — every app's settings and sign-ins — which Storage Studio never moves wholesale. Move the big folders inside your home folder instead; that frees most of the space without the risk."
tags: ["home folder", "library", "what to move"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/which-folders-are-worth-moving-to-an-external-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/why-wont-storage-studio-move-an-apps-data-folder"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Can I move my whole home folder to an external drive?

We don't recommend it, and Storage Studio isn't designed to. Your home folder contains your Library — every app's settings, sign-ins and live data — which Storage Studio deliberately never moves wholesale, and your Mac would struggle to sign you in if the drive weren't there.

The better approach is to move the big folders *inside* your home folder: old projects, exports, media archives and large parts of Downloads, Desktop or Documents. That usually frees most of the space with none of the risk.

See [Which folders are worth moving?](https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/which-folders-are-worth-moving-to-an-external-drive)