{"id":"moving-folders.does-move-by-age-move-files-i-still-open","url":"/faq/moving-folders/does-move-by-age-move-files-i-still-open","category":{"id":"moving-folders","title":"Moving folders"},"subcategory":{"id":"rules","title":"Rules and Auto Rules"},"question":"Will a Move by age rule move files I still open but never edit?","alt_questions":["Does Move by age move files I still use?","Will it move an old PDF I read every week?","Recently opened files and rules","move by age last opened storage studio","Why wasn't an old file moved?"],"short_answer":"No. Move by age rules also check macOS's own record of recently opened files and leave those in place even if they're old. If macOS has no record, the rule falls back to the age alone — it only ever moves less, never more.","answer_markdown":"No. A Move by age rule uses the age you set, but it also asks macOS's own index which files you've **opened recently** and keeps those where they are, even if they're old. So a reference PDF you view every week, or a film you rewatch, isn't moved just because you haven't edited it.\n\nIt's a best-effort refinement: if macOS hasn't recorded when a file was last opened, the rule falls back to the age alone. It only ever moves *less* than before, never more. And anything that does move leaves a link, so it still opens in place while the drive is connected.\n\nSee [What are move rules?](/faq/moving-folders/what-are-move-rules)","answer_html":"

No. A Move by age rule uses the age you set, but it also asks macOS's own index which files you've opened recently and keeps those where they are, even if they're old. So a reference PDF you view every week, or a film you rewatch, isn't moved just because you haven't edited it.

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It's a best-effort refinement: if macOS hasn't recorded when a file was last opened, the rule falls back to the age alone. It only ever moves less than before, never more. And anything that does move leaves a link, so it still opens in place while the drive is connected.

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See What are move rules?

","answer_text":"No. A Move by age rule uses the age you set, but it also asks macOS's own index which files you've opened recently and keeps those where they are, even if they're old. So a reference PDF you view every week, or a film you rewatch, isn't moved just because you haven't edited it.\n\nIt's a best-effort refinement: if macOS hasn't recorded when a file was last opened, the rule falls back to the age alone. It only ever moves less than before, never more. And anything that does move leaves a link, so it still opens in place while the drive is connected.\n\nSee What are move rules?","tags":["move by age","rules","recently opened"],"related":[{"id":"moving-folders.what-are-move-rules","question":"What are move rules in Storage Studio?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/what-are-move-rules"},{"id":"moving-folders.why-didnt-a-rule-move-my-files","question":"Why didn't a rule move my files?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/why-didnt-a-rule-move-my-files"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Will a Move by age rule move files I still open but never edit? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"No. Move by age rules also check macOS's own record of recently opened files and leave those in place even if they're old. If macOS has no record, the rule falls back to the age alone — it only ever moves less, never more.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Moving folders","path":"/faq/moving-folders/"},{"name":"Will a Move by age rule move files I still open but never edit?","path":"/faq/moving-folders/does-move-by-age-move-files-i-still-open"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/does-move-by-age-move-files-i-still-open","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Will a Move by age rule move files I still open but never edit?","alternateName":["Does Move by age move files I still use?","Will it move an old PDF I read every week?","Recently opened files and rules","move by age last opened storage studio","Why wasn't an old file moved?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. A Move by age rule uses the age you set, but it also asks macOS's own index which files you've opened recently and keeps those where they are, even if they're old. So a reference PDF you view every week, or a film you rewatch, isn't moved just because you haven't edited it.\n\nIt's a best-effort refinement: if macOS hasn't recorded when a file was last opened, the rule falls back to the age alone. It only ever moves less than before, never more. And anything that does move leaves a link, so it still opens in place while the drive is connected.\n\nSee What are move rules?","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/does-move-by-age-move-files-i-still-open"}}]},"fragment":"
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Moving folders · Rules and Auto Rules

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Will a Move by age rule move files I still open but never edit?

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Short answer: No. Move by age rules also check macOS's own record of recently opened files and leave those in place even if they're old. If macOS has no record, the rule falls back to the age alone — it only ever moves less, never more.

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No. A Move by age rule uses the age you set, but it also asks macOS's own index which files you've opened recently and keeps those where they are, even if they're old. So a reference PDF you view every week, or a film you rewatch, isn't moved just because you haven't edited it.

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It's a best-effort refinement: if macOS hasn't recorded when a file was last opened, the rule falls back to the age alone. It only ever moves less than before, never more. And anything that does move leaves a link, so it still opens in place while the drive is connected.

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See What are move rules?

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Last reviewed

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