{"id":"troubleshooting.snapshot-size-not-reported","url":"/faq/troubleshooting/snapshot-size-not-reported","category":{"id":"troubleshooting","title":"Troubleshooting & messages"},"subcategory":{"id":"space-messages","title":"Free space and clean-up messages"},"question":"Why does a local snapshot say its size isn't reported?","alt_questions":["size held not reported by macos for a single snapshot","local snapshot size unknown","how big is a local snapshot mac","snapshot size blank storage studio"],"short_answer":"macOS doesn't reliably report one snapshot's size because snapshots share data, so Storage Studio won't show a misleading number. The total for all snapshots is shown instead.","answer_markdown":"macOS reports how much space local snapshots hold together, but not reliably for each one on its own — snapshots share data with each other and with your current files. So Storage Studio says the single-snapshot size isn't reported rather than show a misleading number.\n\nThe total held by all snapshots is shown separately, and that's the figure that comes back when they're released.","answer_html":"

macOS reports how much space local snapshots hold together, but not reliably for each one on its own — snapshots share data with each other and with your current files. So Storage Studio says the single-snapshot size isn't reported rather than show a misleading number.

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The total held by all snapshots is shown separately, and that's the figure that comes back when they're released.

","answer_text":"macOS reports how much space local snapshots hold together, but not reliably for each one on its own — snapshots share data with each other and with your current files. So Storage Studio says the single-snapshot size isn't reported rather than show a misleading number.\n\nThe total held by all snapshots is shown separately, and that's the figure that comes back when they're released.","tags":["local snapshots","size"],"related":[{"id":"troubleshooting.space-held-in-automatic-backups","question":"What does \"Held by your Mac for files you've already deleted\" mean?","url":"/faq/troubleshooting/space-held-in-automatic-backups"},{"id":"troubleshooting.snapshot-required-by-macos","question":"Why can't a local snapshot be removed because it's required by macOS?","url":"/faq/troubleshooting/snapshot-required-by-macos"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Why does a local snapshot say its size isn't reported? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"macOS doesn't reliably report one snapshot's size because snapshots share data, so Storage Studio won't show a misleading number. The total for all snapshots is shown instead.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Troubleshooting & messages","path":"/faq/troubleshooting/"},{"name":"Why does a local snapshot say its size isn't reported?","path":"/faq/troubleshooting/snapshot-size-not-reported"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/snapshot-size-not-reported","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why does a local snapshot say its size isn't reported?","alternateName":["size held not reported by macos for a single snapshot","local snapshot size unknown","how big is a local snapshot mac","snapshot size blank storage studio"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"macOS reports how much space local snapshots hold together, but not reliably for each one on its own — snapshots share data with each other and with your current files. So Storage Studio says the single-snapshot size isn't reported rather than show a misleading number.\n\nThe total held by all snapshots is shown separately, and that's the figure that comes back when they're released.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/snapshot-size-not-reported"}}]},"fragment":"
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Troubleshooting & messages · Free space and clean-up messages

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Why does a local snapshot say its size isn't reported?

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Short answer: macOS doesn't reliably report one snapshot's size because snapshots share data, so Storage Studio won't show a misleading number. The total for all snapshots is shown instead.

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macOS reports how much space local snapshots hold together, but not reliably for each one on its own — snapshots share data with each other and with your current files. So Storage Studio says the single-snapshot size isn't reported rather than show a misleading number.

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The total held by all snapshots is shown separately, and that's the figure that comes back when they're released.

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Last reviewed

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