{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Background Activity and Job Insights",
  "slug": "background-activity",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-activity",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-activity.md",
  "category": "Freeing up space",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space/",
  "tags": [
    "job insights",
    "background activity",
    "troubleshooting",
    "free up space"
  ],
  "summary": "Job Insights shows every job Storage Studio runs in the background on one screen, one card per job, with when it last ran, whether it's healthy, and any problems explained in plain English.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T05:53:25.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:35:14.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Reading a card",
      "id": "reading-a-card"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "The jobs",
      "id": "the-jobs"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Problems, without the flood",
      "id": "problems-without-the-flood"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "When to look here",
      "id": "when-to-look-here"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "rules-and-automatic-moves",
      "label": "auto-sync",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/rules-and-automatic-moves"
    },
    {
      "slug": "everything-looks-stuck",
      "label": "Everything looks stuck",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/everything-looks-stuck"
    },
    {
      "slug": "where-did-my-space-go",
      "label": "Where did my space go?",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-did-my-space-go"
    },
    {
      "slug": "a-lazy-background-utility",
      "label": "Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility"
    },
    {
      "slug": "troubleshooting-start-here",
      "label": "Something's not working: start here",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here"
    },
    {
      "slug": "sharing-diagnostic-logs",
      "label": "Sharing diagnostic logs with support",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/sharing-diagnostic-logs"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "auto-rules",
      "title": "Auto Rules",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/auto-rules"
    },
    {
      "slug": "background-duplicate-scans",
      "title": "Background duplicate scans",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-duplicate-scans"
    },
    {
      "slug": "everything-looks-stuck",
      "title": "Everything looks stuck",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/everything-looks-stuck"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-studios-own-footprint",
      "title": "How much space Storage Studio itself uses",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-studios-own-footprint"
    },
    {
      "slug": "is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac",
      "title": "Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac"
    },
    {
      "slug": "ai-access",
      "title": "Letting another AI assistant read your storage",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/ai-access"
    },
    {
      "slug": "offloading-an-app",
      "title": "Offloading and restoring an app",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/offloading-an-app"
    },
    {
      "slug": "optimise-cloud-storage-locally",
      "title": "Optimise Cloud Storage Locally",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/optimise-cloud-storage-locally"
    },
    {
      "slug": "pausing-and-stopping",
      "title": "Pausing or stopping everything",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/pausing-and-stopping"
    },
    {
      "slug": "performance-modes",
      "title": "Performance modes",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/performance-modes"
    },
    {
      "slug": "reviewing-a-clear-up",
      "title": "Reviewing, stopping and checking a clear-up",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/reviewing-a-clear-up"
    },
    {
      "slug": "rules-and-automatic-moves",
      "title": "Rules: moving folders automatically",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/rules-and-automatic-moves"
    },
    {
      "slug": "troubleshooting-start-here",
      "title": "Something's not working: start here",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-charts",
      "title": "Storage charts and history",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-charts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "learning-center-and-notifications",
      "title": "The Learning Center and notifications",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/learning-center-and-notifications"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-moves-log",
      "title": "The Moves log",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-moves-log"
    },
    {
      "slug": "services-pane",
      "title": "The Services pane",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/services-pane"
    },
    {
      "slug": "backup-messages",
      "title": "What backup messages mean",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-messages"
    },
    {
      "slug": "transfers-and-restarts",
      "title": "What happens to transfers when you restart",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfers-and-restarts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "where-did-my-space-go",
      "title": "Where did my space go?",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-did-my-space-go"
    },
    {
      "slug": "a-lazy-background-utility",
      "title": "Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "How a card's status pill is chosen",
      "outline": "- A background job\n  - leads to Running now?\n- Running now?\n  - Yes: leads to Working…\n  - No: leads to Did the last run fail?\n- Did the last run fail?\n  - Yes: leads to Needs attention\n  - No: leads to Any open issues or a partial run?\n- Any open issues or a partial run?\n  - Yes: leads to Attention\n  - No: leads to Has it ever run?\n- Has it ever run?\n  - No: leads to Ready\n  - Yes: leads to Healthy\n",
      "source": "%% caption: How a card's status pill is chosen\nflowchart TD\n  A[A background job] --> B{Running now?}\n  B -->|Yes| C[Working…]\n  B -->|No| D{Did the last run fail?}\n  D -->|Yes| E[Needs attention]\n  D -->|No| F{Any open issues or a partial run?}\n  F -->|Yes| G[Attention]\n  F -->|No| H{Has it ever run?}\n  H -->|No| I[Ready]\n  H -->|Yes| J[Healthy]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "The Job Insights window in Demo Mode with \"Everything's running smoothly.\" at the top, a Free Up Space card showing a green Healthy pill and when it last ran, and one card expanded to show its details",
      "caption": "Job Insights"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "Storage Studio does much of its work in the background: moving files, keeping an eye on free space, making cloud files online-only, backing up and more. Job Insights puts all of it on one screen, with one card per job, so you can see at a glance what ran, when, and whether anything needs your attention. Open it from the More menu (•••) → Background Activity… . The window is called Job Insights . Reading a card Each card shows: The job's name and a status pill. When it last ran , as ran followed by how long ago, or Hasn't run yet . What the job does , in one line, and how often it runs , such as Checks every minute or Runs when you ask it to . How many runs finished : n successful · n didn't finish . The latest result , in a sentence. Details , or n issues · details when something needs a look. Opening it shows tips, such as how much space the job has freed so far, and any problems. Pill Meaning Working… The job is running right now Healthy It ran and everything was fine Ready It hasn't needed to run yet Attention It ran, but there's something worth reading Needs attention Its last run didn't finish The header sums it up: Everything's running smoothly. or how many jobs need a look. Cards that need attention open by themselves so you can see the problem straight away. How a card's status pill is chosen Flowchart outline: How a card's status pill is chosen A background job leads to Running now? Running now? Yes: leads to Working… No: leads to Did the last run fail? Did the last run fail? Yes: leads to Needs attention No: leads to Any open issues or a partial run? Any open issues or a partial run? Yes: leads to Attention No: leads to Has it ever run? Has it ever run? No: leads to Ready Yes: leads to Healthy The jobs The jobs you'll see include Free Up Space , File moves , Auto-sync , Apps relocator , Data Transfers , Optimise Cloud Storage , Local snapshots , Storage history , Storage watch , Restore points , Cleanup rules , Duplicates , Data Backup , Recycle Vault and others for the features you use. Each card's own description says what it does. Problems, without the flood A problem appears once on its job's card, with how many times it has happened (shown as ×n ), not once per file. For example, if auto-sync keeps failing on some files, you get one notice for the folder explaining that those files are being skipped for now and your originals are safe. Messages are written in plain English. To clear a problem you've dealt with, use the dismiss button on it: Dismiss this notice. Your files aren't affected. Jobs that check something every few seconds or minutes, such as Storage watch , update their ran time without adding to the run count, so the numbers on the cards reflect real work. When to look here A notification mentioned a problem and you want the detail. Free space dropped and you want to know whether Storage Studio caused it: Storage watch says when it was the app's own work. Something seems stuck. See Everything looks stuck . See also: Where did my space go? · Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose · Something's not working: start here · Sharing diagnostic logs with support",
  "markdown": "Storage Studio does much of its work in the background: moving files, keeping an eye on free space, making cloud files online-only, backing up and more. **Job Insights** puts all of it on one screen, with one card per job, so you can see at a glance what ran, when, and whether anything needs your attention.\n\nOpen it from the More menu (•••) → **Background Activity…**. The window is called **Job Insights**.\n\n## Reading a card\n\nEach card shows:\n\n- **The job's name** and a status pill.\n- **When it last ran**, as *ran* followed by how long ago, or **Hasn't run yet**.\n- **What the job does**, in one line, and **how often it runs**, such as *Checks every minute* or *Runs when you ask it to*.\n- **How many runs finished**: *n successful · n didn't finish*.\n- **The latest result**, in a sentence.\n- **Details**, or **n issues · details** when something needs a look. Opening it shows tips, such as how much space the job has freed so far, and any problems.\n\n| Pill | Meaning |\n|---|---|\n| Working… | The job is running right now |\n| Healthy | It ran and everything was fine |\n| Ready | It hasn't needed to run yet |\n| Attention | It ran, but there's something worth reading |\n| Needs attention | Its last run didn't finish |\n\nThe header sums it up: *Everything's running smoothly.* or how many jobs need a look. Cards that need attention open by themselves so you can see the problem straight away.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: How a card's status pill is chosen\nflowchart TD\n  A[A background job] --> B{Running now?}\n  B -->|Yes| C[Working…]\n  B -->|No| D{Did the last run fail?}\n  D -->|Yes| E[Needs attention]\n  D -->|No| F{Any open issues or a partial run?}\n  F -->|Yes| G[Attention]\n  F -->|No| H{Has it ever run?}\n  H -->|No| I[Ready]\n  H -->|Yes| J[Healthy]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — How a card's status pill is chosen. Outline:*\n\n- A background job\n  - leads to Running now?\n- Running now?\n  - Yes: leads to Working…\n  - No: leads to Did the last run fail?\n- Did the last run fail?\n  - Yes: leads to Needs attention\n  - No: leads to Any open issues or a partial run?\n- Any open issues or a partial run?\n  - Yes: leads to Attention\n  - No: leads to Has it ever run?\n- Has it ever run?\n  - No: leads to Ready\n  - Yes: leads to Healthy\n\n## The jobs\n\nThe jobs you'll see include **Free Up Space**, **File moves**, **Auto-sync**, **Apps relocator**, **Data Transfers**, **Optimise Cloud Storage**, **Local snapshots**, **Storage history**, **Storage watch**, **Restore points**, **Cleanup rules**, **Duplicates**, **Data Backup**, **Recycle Vault** and others for the features you use. Each card's own description says what it does.\n\n## Problems, without the flood\n\nA problem appears once on its job's card, with how many times it has happened (shown as **×n**), not once per file. For example, if [auto-sync](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/rules-and-automatic-moves) keeps failing on some files, you get one notice for the folder explaining that those files are being skipped for now and your originals are safe. Messages are written in plain English.\n\nTo clear a problem you've dealt with, use the dismiss button on it: *Dismiss this notice. Your files aren't affected.*\n\nJobs that check something every few seconds or minutes, such as **Storage watch**, update their *ran* time without adding to the run count, so the numbers on the cards reflect real work.\n\n## When to look here\n\n- A notification mentioned a problem and you want the detail.\n- Free space dropped and you want to know whether Storage Studio caused it: **Storage watch** says when it was the app's own work.\n- Something seems stuck. See [Everything looks stuck](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/everything-looks-stuck).\n\nSee also: [Where did my space go?](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-did-my-space-go) · [Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility) · [Something's not working: start here](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here) · [Sharing diagnostic logs with support](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/sharing-diagnostic-logs)\n"
}