---
title: "App safety level"
url: https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-app-safety-level
category: "Glossary"
tags: ["glossary", "apps"]
summary: "An app's safety level is Storage Studio's rating of how safely it can be moved to your external drive: Safe, Caveat, Override or Blocked."
updated: 2026-10-01T05:36:07.000Z
---

# App safety level

An app's safety level is Storage Studio's rating of how safely it can be moved to your external drive: Safe, Caveat, Override or Blocked.

An app's **safety level** is Storage Studio's rating of how safely that app can be moved to your external drive. Each app in the Apps window carries a small badge with one of four levels; hold the pointer over the badge to read the reason.

- **Safe** — nothing found that a move could upset. Move freely.
- **Caveat** — moves normally, with something worth knowing; for example, macOS may ask you to allow a permission such as the camera again.
- **Override** — a real risk was found, such as a background helper or an app installed by macOS. You can still move it after confirming.
- **Blocked** — can't be moved, for example Storage Studio itself, apps that come with macOS, Apple-signed apps, apps already moved, or an app that's open right now (quit it and refresh to check again).

See also: [App safety levels](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/app-safety-levels) · [Why some apps can't be moved](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/why-some-apps-cant-be-moved) · [Moving an app to your external drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-an-app)

## What links here

- [App safety levels](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/app-safety-levels)
- [The Apps window](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-apps-window)
- [Why some apps can't be moved](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/why-some-apps-cant-be-moved)